The marketing manager of a large truck manufacturer was surprised to learn that the price lists generated by his department had little relation to the prices that were actually charged to customers. The company’s finance department often changed the prices to conform to profit goals before the prices reached the company’s sales force. The salespeople often gave customers discounts to increase their sales volume. The operations manager made price adjustments to accommodate delays in promised shipping times. a. Why is this situation undesirable for the company?
b. What can be done about this situation?