This article primarily deals with the subject of Strategic Sales Integration. As a Strategic industry "Turnaround Specialist" and Rep Force Builder, I have had the privilege for a number of years navigating manufacturing firms including foundries out of troubled waters and back on the road to profitability. One simple overlooked or absent strategy we often find with foundries is the power of Synergistic and Strategic Integrated Relationships.

Many foundries today use Sales or Manufacturers Reps to sell their goods and services. One thing for certain is that the benefits of using an outsourced field sales force have documented reward potential for both the foundry and sales representatives. The utilization of a solid working "Rep Force" is or should be seen as one "Channel Strategy", or one avenue for sales.

Overall sales can be achieved through a number of different types of interrelated relationships or Channel Strategies. Apart from the Rep Force we have Suppliers, Vendors, and other foundry manufacturers within a similar family of manufactured items that compliment our own. Another very special group of professionals or channel strategy that often goes unmentioned is the Cast Metals Brokers.

What is a Cast Metals Broker? They are generally an independent group or company not controlled by the buyer or the foundry. buyCASTINGS.com is one such independent company with its own E-Marketplace focused solely on Metal Castings. It is this large, ever-growing E-Marketplace, which allows buyCastings.com to identify both traditional and non-traditional customers, and then match the foundries best-equipped and suited in their capabilities to the very specific needs of the buyer.

What other "Value Added" services does an independent group such as buyCASTINGS.com offer to the foundry not typical to "normal" individual Manufacturers Reps? A Cast Metals Broker such as buyCASTINGS.com can match requests and facilities based on some of the following critical post processing functions:

• Machining
  
• Coatings
  
• Assembly
  
• Shipping & Delivery
  
• Maintaining
  
• Inventory
  

As a Strategic Planning Facilitator and Rep Force Builder to foundries I firmly believe that both Manufacturers Reps and Cast Metals Brokers, like buyCASTINGS.com should be viewed as separate and distinct Channel Strategies and that if managed correctly, would be copasetic and effective under one roof. From a global perspective the E-Marketplace should be viewed as a very powerful tool and so too should the Cast Metals Brokers be viewed as a very unique Channel Strategy and certainly a key component of foundries overall sales objectives or goals.

About the Writer: Robert Foley is a Strategic Planning and Rep Force Building consultant to Foundries and other OEM's. www.globalprocurementstrategies.us.