This Stuff Doesn't Come Cheap

My profession is in the packaging industry designing and building displays for the point-of-purchase display world. My business card reads Design Engineer, but that is just a nice way of saying I build stuff out of cardboard. From temporary to semi-permanent, I engineer product displays that show off our client’s products in such stores as Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Target and the like.

Because of the temporary nature of what I produce, once a salesperson brings me a potential project and after we discuss the nature and intent of the display, usually the first question that follows from me is, “How long does the client want this to last?” In this arena of temporary displays the answer could be anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months. Once this is determined, it gives me a direction as to how I will proceed in building it.

Once I have completed the sample, it’s off to the estimators and the quoting process. More often than not, the salesman then shows up in my office or on my caller ID. He usually is accompanied with a sign of disgust on his face or disappointment in his voice. It is then that I know what is coming as so many times before. “It’s too expensive, I didn’t know it was going to cost so much,” “Is there any way you can cheapen it up? Is this particular piece really necessary?” I then go on to explain that sure I could remove an integral part of the design…not a problem….of course that would reduce the capacity of the display and break down the reliability of the structure sending our client’s product to store floor after a couple of weeks of shopping cart hits. I could also remove that graphics panel in front there…but I am pretty sure the client won’t mind us removing there branding message. I usually end with the question, “How much is that going to cost us?”

How many times have we seen it? We are the proponents of the Gospel. God has designed us the perfect product (eternal life) and vehicle (the path through salvation). How many times have we seen its cost analyzed? How many times have we seen the vehicle re-engineered with flaws that remove what is vital to its integrity? I believe it is the right time to ask ourselves once again…What is this going to cost us? At what point do we stop continually reassessing the repercussions of tampering with the structure? In the process of our soul searching, when did we decide that removing seemingly non-essential (those aren’t heaven and hell issues) practices so that we can sell it cheap?

This Gospel is built strong, firm and will stand the test of all manners of trials. It needs no duct tape, not paper clips and no pruning. It doesn’t require a red tag, a blue light or a bargain basement bin. This stuff doesn’t come cheap.