PROTOTYPES: AN EPIC POEM

I designed a new product.
I had the parts made.
I sent the parts to our production site in China. "Lo", I said, "Take these parts and deliver unto me a great Product!"
A Chinese engineer built the prototypes.
The engineer gave the prototypes to his shipping department.
The prototypes arrived at my receiving department.
The prototypes were delivered - but to our stock department, not to me.
"Lo," the stock clerk said, "these Products do not meet our Incoming Quality Control Standards."
The prototypes were marked for disposal.
I asked the Chinese engineer, "Didst thou make the prototypes?"
"Verily," the engineer said. "Here is proof that they were delivered one week earlier than scheduled!"
"Dunce!" I said to my receiving department. "To whom didst thou give the prototypes?"
"It is not Recorded," said the foul Clerk, "Read it in thy Tea Leaves, buddy."
"Fellow Engineers," I cried, "Wert my prototypes mistakenly delivered to thee?"
"No," they said, and "wherefore yelleth he?" and "check out this Video."
And so grieved I went unto my Boss. "Lord," I said, "I shall send an angry message to the whole building asking all and sundry to look for my prototypes."
"Check the stock department first," saith milord.
And I did.

And so it was that on the day that $20,000 worth of design, parts, and engineering effort were to be thrown out and a multimillion dollar project was to be set back two months because of a QC FAIL sticker, I got my prototypes.

Why? Because twelve time zones, a language, an ocean, and two shipping clerks stood between me and my engineer. In R&D, ideas are the easy part.