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Overall excellent writeup! Identifying bottlenecks is something I will consider in the future. I disagree with method 2b.) because, by my best estimate, it's a tactic that has the most effect on two types of managers whom both already want to complete your order if possible: manager A that will be unduly stressed by the sales loss, and manager B that are not stressed by it at all but see the sale as an easy way to make money personally. For manager A, the stress that makes loss aversion so effective may come from anywhere, whether it's a tight performance goals that determine their continued employment, desire to maintain their organization's reputation, or general pride in their work and desire to help. Manager A already cares whether you can get your product and will likely work with you if you explain why the order is particularly urgent (read: more urgent than everyone else's urgency, because we're all in a hurry). I consider reducing stress & suffering for people an axiom, so I don't want to add the additional pressure of loss aversion even in very urgent situations.
Meanwhile, there is also Manager B whom really wants the sale but doesn't care about satisfying you personally. If pressed, Manager B is willing to deliberately cut corners on the product (which may result in a loss of quality exceeding an acceptable margin) and is also liable to push employees to work unpaid overtime, cancel pre-existing plans, or other stressful conditions which can have a significantly negative effect on the employee's mental health. Even setting aside the increased stress and health concerns with Manager A and B, those of us reading this forum should be very aware that leveraging loss aversion results in more poorly calculated decisions than if we rationally work out a fulfilment plan collaboratively! If you're in a hurry, you have even less room for pure calculation errors!
Note 1: you will also often encounter some good ol' Manager Cs that don't particularly care whether the sale is lost or not.
Note 2: these people aren't theoretical. I have worked for many Manager As and 2 Manager Bs that have been in this exact situation, though notably I stayed employed with Manager As for significantly longer. I'm sure you can make a reasonable guess why! One of my family members is also a Manager A that regularly works out sales contracts for expedited airplane work, to the point that she's developed a standardized process for her organization. You certainly don't need to apply emotional pressure or other confidence tactics to convince her to help!
I'm very curious what type of data set led you to advice 4, since my own observations and every anecdote I have gathered have strongly reinforced the generalization of small distributors being more reliable for expedited orders.