Envy......
Today’s post is written by Heather Powell, Manager of the COE Department & Project Manager at SafeSourcing Inc.
Envy – Jealousy; wanting to have what someone has.
- Envy is wishing you had an emotion. Example: I see someone waterskiing, and I am envious of the gleeful feeling that person has. YOU CANNOT ENVY AN OBJECT. Envy is of the people who use the object. I am not envious of a Corvette; I am envious of a person who owns a Corvette because I would like the emotions of glee, power, and speed that come with driving it.
In e-procurement envy can be defined as- inadequate implementation processes.
Unfortunately, this is a very common sin and means that all the hard work up to this point can be wasted. Once a new or renewal contract has been signed you never want to say, “now the hard work begins”. It’s imperative that you implement the new processes/systems/logistics as quickly as possible in order not to lose momentum from the negotiation phase. Too many times we see the customer not realizing the potential benefits from a deal because they get side-tracked during the implementation phase and things aren’t set up properly. Photocopiers that never have their full functionality used or IT used to assess who’s doing what, stationery being ordered from the old suppliers because staff haven’t been consulted or trained on the new system for the new supplier. The list goes on.
How to avoid this:
1. Have a proper implementation plan in place.
2. Ensure that during the entire e-procurement process those involved in the area being reviewed are included. Invite them to comment on, or even assist in the development of, the Request for Proposal. Let them be the subject matter experts.
3. Ensure they are consulted on the choice of supplier.
4. Most definitely get them introduced to the new supplier as early as possible once a decision to change has been made. The more they feel a part of the process and decisions made the more likely they are to embrace it and implement it in full. This ensures the customer gains maximum benefit from the savings identified in the e-procurement process.
Do you recognize Envy as a sign of sins in your business practices today? Stay tuned tomorrow for the 5th sin in e-procurement: Sloth and how to realize and avoid it.
For more information on how SafeSourcing can assist you in exploring your procurement solutions for your business or on our “Risk Free” trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service Representative. We have an entire customer services team waiting to assist you today.
We look forward to your comments.
