Distributor Vs. Corporate

Jose Manuel Segadaes SIEMENS Healthcare, South Africa	Distributor Vs. Corporate
Working for dealers I just wanted to express my views on how different it is to work for a dealer compared to a corporate company in the medical field. Through out my career as a service engineer in the medical field and having worked on a large variety of medical equipment, I have predominantly worked for dealers. At present I work for a corporate company. I have experienced both worlds and let me say the dealer companies have a lot to learn.		There is a lot to learn within a dealer organization.
Service issues within dealers organizations It's not acceptable that some dealers do not have a minimum stock of spare parts. Without spare parts stock the work of the engineer is increasingly more complicated and stressful. Not to mention the fact that it takes so much longer to service a unit due to the fact that it takes so long to import a spare part and also the image of the company is at stake. I understand that the financial resources of a dealer company are so much more reduced than a corporate company but it's up to senior management to manage wisely, streamline and improve work procedures to try to make the company more flexible and profitable.		· Dealers keep minimum stock of spare parts. · Management in dealer organization should improve procedures.
What if you work for a dealer? Dealer company management should draw up an employees work responsibilities and not treat the respective employee as a "jack of all trades". You do have to be more flexible working for a dealer but don't let them take advantage of you as you will land up executing tasks which have nothing to do with you and that eventually will affect the quality of the work that you actually were recruited to do.		If you work for a dealer, you will land up executing tasks which have nothing to do with your work
Missing Organization!! Dealer organisations should strive to be more organised and plan more on a medium/long term basis rather than just think on the present. Also, dealer organisations tend to be more corrupt. It is important that dealer senior management have strong community and business values as well as a long term vision of the organisation. These values and visions should in turn be communicated and taught to the respective employees. Your career growth in a dealer is rather limited.		Dealer organisations should be more organised.
On the contrary Corporate organisations on the other hand are not as flexible. There is normally a large hierarchy structure which has to be followed before certain things can be done. This can be frustrating. However, their business vision, community and employee values are very strong. Working for a corporate company you have more space and more options to grow in your career path.		Although the large hierarchy of a corporate is frustrating they usually have community and employee values.