Archive for July, 2016

Why are there so many kids outside?

Thursday, July 21st, 2016

 

Today’s post is by Troy Lowe; Vice President of Development at SafeSourcing.

If you haven’t already heard there’s a new app taking the world by storm. Pokémon Go is a new free application that can be downloaded to Android and iOS.  According to an article on Forbes.com on July 11th, 2016, the application has at least 7.5M US downloads on iOS and Android (Google Play only) since early Thursday, with $1.6M in daily revenue in Apple’s iOS store alone.  The application is free to play, but purchases can be made within the application to improve player’s experience.  The object of the game is to capture, train, and battle virtual Pokémon while roaming around your town or neighborhood using the location-based augmented reality application.

There’s one positive side effect coming from the playing the game that kids may not realize and that is the app is getting them outside and exercising, which is the opposite of most of the games they are used to playing. I can attest to this because I have two children that downloaded the app last evening and have already caught the Pokémon Go fever.  Since it’s summer vacation, they usually sleep in but they were up by 8 this morning and roaming the neighborhood for wild Pokémon.  I’m not sure how long this craze will last but it pleases me to see they’re having fun and enjoying the outside like my generation.

Interested in learning how SafeSourcing can help your company run more efficiently? Like to try a risk free trial?  Please don’t hesitate to contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service Representative. Our team is ready and available to assist you!

 

Teamwork makes the dream work

Monday, July 18th, 2016

 

Today’s post is by Dave Wenig, Regional Sales Manager at SafeSourcing.

I like teamwork. I also enjoy collaboration or any other terms roughly representing the concept of a group working together toward some objective. Teamwork is quite helpful in achieving an organization’s goals. It allows for individuals to showcase their strengths and groups to produce more/better/faster than they could by working alone. Plus, there’s no shortage of inspirational quotes from which you can draw… inspiration!

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” – Andrew Carnegie

So, beyond quotes, how does an organization make teamwork work

Like many organizations, you probably find that your teams rely heavily on email while collaborating on projects. Document versions are sent and received almost constantly throughout the day. This often creates too many moving parts and too many opportunities for human error. Is each team member reviewing the correct version? Did I forget to copy a team member on that email? Were we both editing the document at the same time? Where is that file?

“T.E.A.M. Together Everyone Achieves More” – Unknown

We’ve all been through some version of the struggle created by collaborating with a team and passing around documents. Fortunately, organizations are now able to easily put in place solutions that reduce these types of common teamwork difficulties. Document Management solutions are available that ensure that documents are centrally stored, protected, and have editing and version control that prevent and protect against human error.

When a member of my team saves a new version of a project document, I have immediate access to the most current version. When I am making edits, my teammates cannot also until I have finished. I can search through tens of thousands of documents to quickly find exactly what I’m looking for.

Document Management is a viable answer for the challenges I’ve outlines and many more as well. At SafeSourcing, our solution is called SafeDocument™ and it empowers our own team, as well as our customers’ teams, and will do the same for yours. After all, it’s what makes our teamwork work.

“Teamwork makes the dream work” – John C. Maxwell

Dave Wenig is a Regional Sales Manager at SafeSourcing and is a devoted champion of saving money. Dave or any member of the experienced team at SafeSourcing would be happy to discuss how SafeSourcing can help you at any point in the Source to Pay lifecycle. For more information, please contact a SafeSourcing representative.

We look forward to your comments.

 

When should you consider a generic product?

Wednesday, July 6th, 2016

 

Today’s post is by Troy Lowe; Vice President of Development at SafeSourcing

Comparing alike products and deciding which is best can be a very daunting task. Should you buy a name brand or will the generic option meet my needs?  These are a few questions that can enter in your mind during the decision making process.  Some people feel more comfortable purchasing name brands.  If this is the case, you may be able to get the name brand item cheaper than the generic by watching sales, using coupons or utilizing price matching.

Some items purchased may not make a difference in cost because of the frequency purchased. For example, choosing a generic food item; it may be a little cheaper but you only purchase it once or twice a year.  In this case you may want to settle for the brand that you enjoy.

When it comes to more expensive items you may want to purchase a generic over the name brand if it’s something that you may only use a few times a year. If it is something that will be used more frequently then you may want to stick with a reputable brand that is known for its durability and warranties.

When purchasing over the counter medications, you may want to purchase the generic form. These generic medications are regulated by the FDA and must contain the same active ingredients, strength, dosage form, route of administration and label.  This ensures that the generics will have the same benefits as the brand name equivalents.

Keep in mind that buying a generic product doesn’t always mean that it is an inferior product. Some generic products are often made by the same name brand companies but are packaged differently.

Interested in learning how SafeSourcing can help your company run more efficiently? Like to try a risk free trial?  Please don’t hesitate to contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service Representative. Our team is ready and available to assist you!