Chapter 128: The Bird's-Eye View Is Ready

As Shen Guodong stood gazing blankly outside, Old Wang rushed over in a state of panic.

"Director! Director!"

"I heard you’re the acting factory manager now, right?" Old Wang panted, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead as he addressed Shen Guodong with visible urgency.

Seeing the usually composed supervisor of Production Line 1 so distressed, Shen Guodong asked with concern, "What’s the matter, Old Wang? Why the rush?"

"There’s a real problem, Director. The machinery on Production Line 1 isn't domestic; it’s from the Soviet Union. Now that the Soviet Union has dissolved, we can no longer source many of the spare parts. Our inventory is running dangerously low."

Shen Guodong was stunned. "That shouldn't be the case. Even with the dissolution, there should still be a significant stockpile of parts for older models, shouldn't there?"

"There were plenty, but with the breakup, those supplies have been scattered among various smaller nations. We have no contact with them at all."

"Isn't this a matter for the Procurement Department? Didn't they prepare for this?"

"The position of Procurement Manager has been vacant for a long time. The previous manager left two years ago. Back then, we were primarily relying on Line 1, so we had a massive stockpile of materials. Nobody anticipated the collapse of the Soviet Union."

At this, Shen Guodong suddenly remembered that he had once served as the interim deputy director of the Procurement Department. With the subsequent introduction of Lines 2 and 3, which utilized upgraded machinery, the older equipment on Line 1 had been somewhat neglected, leading to the current shortage of spare parts.

Shen Guodong’s brow furrowed. A shutdown on Line 1 would be a major blow to their overall production schedule. They had been maintaining a steady output of about 800 units a day, with Line 1 contributing a reliable 250 units.

Lines 2 and 3, being newer and technologically superior, each produced over 300 units. However, the loss of Line 1 would likely force a complete halt to that segment of production if suitable parts could not be found.

"Are there any domestic agents or companies that sell these parts?"

"None at all, Director. That’s what makes this so difficult. The factory manager is away on a study trip and we haven't been able to reach him, so I came to you."

Shen Guodong found himself in a dilemma. He wasn't well-versed in the complexities of the former Soviet Union's affairs, and his brief stint in procurement had left him with little practical knowledge of such specialized sourcing.

"Don't panic. Let me think. If we absolutely cannot find them, I’ll try to locate domestic suppliers who might have compatible components. Submit a list of the most critical items, and I will see what can be done. If all else fails, we’ll have to file an official request with the authorities."

Old Wang nodded, relieved. "I’ve already got the team compiling the list. I’ll have it on your desk before the end of the shift. We need to act fast."

After seeing Old Wang out, Shen Guodong sat in thought. Line 1 might be aging, but its output was solid; losing it would be a severe setback. Especially since the current tender required an output of over ten thousand units. Their daily target was 1,100 to 1,200 units, while their current capacity was only around 850. The gap was significant, and Shen Guodong felt the pressure mounting.

The ideal solution would be to transition to the new American machinery. It would mean a total renovation of their assembly lines, but the efficiency gains would be substantial. While the Soviet equipment had served them well, it was now outdated, inefficient, and environmentally taxing. With the Soviet Union gone, sourcing parts was becoming an insurmountable hurdle, and domestic industry had yet to produce components for such large-scale lines.

However, replacing Line 1 with American technology presented a human challenge. The workers on Line 1 had spent their entire lives with that equipment. Transitioning to new, more complex technology might be difficult for them, even if it eventually made their jobs easier and reduced energy consumption.

Shen Guodong weighed his options: wait for the factory manager to return, or take the initiative himself? He decided to first try to source the necessary parts for Line 1. If he could keep the old line running, it would be a gesture of respect to the veteran workers, most of whom were over thirty.

Soon, Old Wang submitted the list of required parts. Shen Guodong reviewed them; they were indeed specific to Line 1.

"Don't worry, Old Wang. I’ll have Secretary Zhou and my own team scour the market to see if we can find these."

"Thank you, Director," Old Wang said. "The machines are running for nearly ten hours a day, and the wear and tear is severe. If we run out of these parts completely, the impact on the factory will be catastrophic."

That afternoon, Zhou Meiniang and her cousin returned excitedly. "We’ve finished the preliminary bird's-eye view draft."