Archive for December 21st, 2011

A Christmas related spend cube analogy. “Little Jack Horner sat in corner eating his Christmas Pie.”

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

The rest of the Little Jack Horner (learn more) spend cube analogy might be changed to read like this. He stuck in his thumb and pulled out a peach and said what the heck is a peach doing in a plumb pie?

If you look to Wikipedia, there is subject definition of a spend cube. You can find information relative to spend cubes in a discussion about spend analysis. However  to the original discussion we are talking about data in this case multi-dimensional data (data cube) about spend information. Consultants love to talk about it because it allows them to charge you a lot of money without necessarily delivering any results other than, well a spend cube.

Quite frankly you are going to hear terms like data model, data warehouse, data scrubbing, data cleansing, data access, data sources and incomplete data. All of which allow consultants to charge you more money in order to develop yours from what is likely incomplete data kept in many places like GL’s, ERP systems and the like.

Once you get your model or cube, I promise you additional discovery is going to be required in order to determine what categories or products should go to market. One category manager’s category is another category mangers product. So now what?

Don’t get confused by consultants touting their spend cube analysis software because if you do, you will be in for a dime and ultimately in for a dollar and continue to get peaches when you are looking for plumbs. Ultimately the rhyme we used above is about hiding something.

If you’re totally confused, SafeSourcing can help, and we deliver results quickly. Contact a SafeSourcing representative.

We look forward to and appreciate your comments.

A Christmas related spend cube analogy. ?Little Jack Horner sat in corner eating his Christmas Pie.?

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

The rest of the Little Jack Horner (learn more)?spend cube analogy might?be changed to read like this. He stuck in his thumb and pulled out a peach and said what the heck is a peach doing in a plumb pie?

If you look to Wikipedia, there is?subject definition of a spend cube. You can find information relative to spend cubes in a discussion about spend analysis. However? to?the original discussion we are talking about data in this case multi-dimensional data (data cube)?about spend information. Consultants love to talk about it because it allows them to charge you a lot of money without necessarily delivering any results other than, well a spend cube.

Quite frankly you are going to hear terms like data model, data warehouse, data scrubbing, data cleansing, data access, data sources and incomplete data. All of which allow consultants to charge you more money in order to develop yours from what is likely incomplete data kept in many places like GL?s, ERP systems and the like.

Once you get your model or cube, I promise you additional discovery is going to be required in order to determine what categories or products should go to market. One category manager?s category is another category mangers product. So now what?

Don?t get confused by consultants touting their spend cube analysis software because if you do, you will be in for a dime and ultimately?in for a dollar and continue to get peaches when you are looking for plumbs. Ultimately the rhyme we used above is about hiding something.

If you?re totally confused, SafeSourcing can help, and we deliver results quickly. Contact a SafeSourcing representative.

We look forward to and appreciate your comments.