Why My Team Rejected a 50,000-Unit Kohler Order (And What We Learned About Bath Faucet Parts)

The email came in on a Tuesday morning. Our biggest project of the year—a luxury apartment complex, 200+ units—was inching toward its plumbing rough-in phase. The procurement lead had signed off on the order two weeks prior: 50,000 individual Kohler bath faucet parts, destined for the finishing phase. My job was to do a final quality review before they hit the job site.

“Looks good to me,” my assistant said, sliding the check register and packing list across my desk…