The Smart Consultant Story
1967
Written 09/2016
Howard Yasgar
This story was told to me by an associate named Abe Zion.
Abe was one of the smartest people that I ever had the privilege of meeting.
He told me that this is true story, and actually had happened.
I think he told me the story to teach me something and I am glad he did.
Abe was involved in many things, one of them was business consulting.
Ace was a freelance consultant, he was available for a fee to come into a business and advise the owner how to improve it.
Usually Abe was called upon when a business was already failing. But that was not the case in this story.
One day Abe was in New York City having lunch with a friend.
As they sat there, Abe’s friend recognized a fellow that had a highly successful candy manufacturing company.
He called the fellow over to introduce him to Abe.
The candy manufacturer winced when he heard Abe was a consultant.
He said his operation had already been studied by all kinds of consultants and engineers and it was the most modern candy manufacturing plant in New York.
Abe asked the fellow if he could see his operation as possibly he could learn something.
The candy manufacturer was hesitant but eventually said yes, Abe could come over and see his operation.
Abe said the factory was huge and employed over 400 people.
The owner took Abe on a walking tour of the company, he was very proud of it.
They started walking where the raw materials like sugar, chocolate and the different flavors, were mixed.
Then Abe saw all the latest and most modern candy making machinery.
There were several automatic tunnels where the candies were covered in chocolate and came out on conveyor belts.
There were rows of women sitting there making pretty swirls on top of each candy to identify what flavors were inside.
From that point the candies cooled and went to the packaging department.
As the candy reached the end of the production line it was a thing of beauty to watch as several women put 30 assorted chocolates, all with different flavors into special boxes that had room for exactly 30 pieces.
As they placed the cover on the box it went on to be plastic wrapped.
Other than the women putting the candy in the boxes everything was pretty much automated.
Other than the women putting the candy in the boxes everything was pretty much automated.
The factory owner proudly told Abe, “You can see why I don’t need advice from any consultants”.
When they were back in the office, Abe thanked the owner for allowing them to see his operation. Then he said, would you give me $3000.00 if I could increase your production by 10%, and it wouldn’t cost you a cent to do it.
The factory owner gave Abe a dirty look and said, “No”, so Abe gave him his business card and told him if he changed his mind to call him.
About a week later, Abe got a call, the factory owner said he had looked his operation over several times since Abe was there and he spoke to his son and his plant manager as well as their staff engineer and they all said no one could increase their production by 10%.
They said that the owner should challenge Abe. If Abe increased production by 10%, he got $3000.00.
If there was no 10% increase, Abe should pay them the $3000.00.
Abe came by the next day, and with everyone following behind him they walked to the packaging line, where the candy boxes with the 30 little compartments were stacked by the hundreds.
Abe walked to the next stack of candy boxes, he removed the cover from the top candy box and threw it into the trash.
Everyone in the room watching him were flabbergasted.
The women packers no longer had to remove the candy box cover before filling it. The next uncovered box was waiting for them. As they filled each candy box they now removed the cover from the next box and used it. leaving the next box uncovered and ready to be filled, Abe got his $3000.00
This story true or not, was a good lesson which I have never forgotten.
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