Columbia Industries Who Are the Key Members Essay

Columbia Industries

Who are the key members of the buying center at Columbia industries, and who will most likely have the most influence on the purchase decision?

Jacques Debre, Stewart West, and Sandra Ogrosky are the key members of the buying center at Columbia Industries. Mr. West will likely have the most influence on the decision because he met directly with the salesman and he has the most in-depth knowledge of the various products that were demonstrated.

Describe the important "needs" Columbia Industries has as they undertake the process to purchase seven new lift trucks.

Columbia Industries needs to find a reliable lift truck because of the high maintenance costs and downtime they are experiencing with their current lift trucks. The union needs to be satisfied that the trucks are safe and the workers are concerned with maneuverability of the new lift trucks due to the narrow aisles in the warehouse.What type of buying decision is this, and what impact does that have on how the forklifts should be marketed?

This is likely a new task buying decision because the company probably does not purchase this type of equipment on a regular basis and it has been maintaining the existing equipment in lieu of buying new lift trucks. In addition, the company is considering changing suppliers of its lift trucks because of maintenance costs and parts delivery issues.

The new task buying has an impact on the marketing because business buyers, like Columbia Industries, are more knowledgeable about the equipment they are buying and often need more time and stricter purchasing requirements such as detailed proposals and equipment demonstrations. Information is very important to the business buyer and the lift trucks should be marketed in a comprehensive manner identifying the participants who will be….....