Archive for February, 2014

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Green as in the color of money

Friday, February 7th, 2014

Today?s post is by Brad Westfall; Account Manager at SafeSourcing.

Green is not just a color to me. Green makes me think about spring, and the start of life from the deep hibernation of winter. Green is the grass that grows or the leaves that sprout from the bare trees. Aside from green being the color of life, green is also a movement. The green movement not only saves energy and reduces harmful greenhouse gases; it also saves you the most important green of all. Money!

Targeting just a small portion of your spend can save you money in the long term. Take lighting for example. At this moment, common T12 florescent lighting is being phased out. Why not take this time to make the switch? While the upfront cost are a little more than a T12, T5 lights only 5% of their life compared to the 46% of T12s, and according to greensite.com?can save you up to 78% of your lighting expenses based on energy usage .

We at SafeSourcing live on the green code. Furthermore, we are in the know of different government mandates and stay on top of the green industry news.?? For more information on how we can help you with your green procurement needs 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.

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Are you Up-to-Tech?

Thursday, February 6th, 2014

Today?s post is by Margaret Stewart, Executive Assistant at SafeSourcing.

We all are aware of the ever growing use of and demand for technology. It is a resource that most rely on daily, but how well are you utilizing the resources you have?

Many of us are constantly using technology, whether it?s at work, home, or on our phones. We can forego maps when we travel and can share pictures with friends in real time. The possibilities seem limitless. But as soon as we think we have the best technology out there, something newer and better comes out. For most of us, it is not feasible to keep up with all the latest technology devices, but there are some forms of technology that you can keep up with.

One under-utilized tech resource is cloud-based storage. You may have hundreds or thousands of your own pictures saved on social media sites, but what about other important documents? Cloud based services provide storage of your important documents, no matter if they are personal or professional, they provide easy access to them from anywhere, and are safe even if your computer or device crashes. Whether for your tax returns or business contacts, cloud storage is technology that should be used.

Another under-used aspect of technology is resource utilization. We generally know that we will not have to wonder anything for more than a couple of hours before we search for it and find an answer, but there is so much information available through technology that a person can feel overwhelmed. For instance, if you want to create a contract with a roofing company, where would you begin? You can search for ?contracts,? but you may spend hours just sorting out unnecessary information. All the searching may hinder you from recognizing that companies and sites you are already familiar with, like public libraries or business associates, may provide the resource you are looking for. Information overload can cause an oversight when researching, but sometimes just exploring the resources we already have can provide the technology, information, and help we need.

We, at SafeSourcing, enjoy bringing this blog to you every day and hope you find value in it. For more information about how SafeSourcing can bring you up-to-tech in your sourcing information quest or on our ?Rick Free? trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service representative. We have an entire team ready to assist you today.

We look forward to your comments.

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Procurement Professionals; There are ways that you can Reboot Your Workday!

Wednesday, February 5th, 2014

Today?s post is by Margaret Stewart, Executive Assistant at SafeSourcing.

During a long day, computers often slow down and simply don?t function as well as they could. That?s when rebooting your computer can get it up and running at full capacity again. Just like your computer, a long day can wear on us too, and there are things you can do to reboot yourself. Just like your computer, rebooting yourself can help you process information and allow your work day to run smoothly.?

One great way to recharge and reboot is to take a break. You can get up, walk away, or stretch. Sitting for long periods can affect your body negatively, but by simply standing up and moving, you can improve your circulation and improve your focus. If you aren?t able to get away, you can still stretch at your desk, helping your focus and reducing stress. It is also important to maintain good posture while you work at a computer. Keeping good posture can help prevent fatigue as well as discomfort.

Another way to reboot your day is by snacking healthy. We all need fuel to make it through long days, and picking the right food can make a huge impact on how you feel. Healthy snacks, like fruit or nuts, not only provide the essentials your body needs, but also will prevent that sluggish feeling you may get from unhealthy food choices.

We, at SafeSourcing, want your work days to run as smoothly as possible. It is important to practice ways that help you to efficiently utilize your time. For more information on how SafeSourcing can help make your procurement work day run more efficiently so that?you can take advantage of some of the ideas listed above, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service representative. We have an entire team ready to assist you today.

We look forward to your comments.

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Of Purple Cows and Procurement

Tuesday, February 4th, 2014

Today?s post is by Steve Schwerin, account manager here at SafeSourcing.

I?m still reading Seth Godin after discovering him a few months ago.? He has authored numerous best sellers including Purple Cow and the Icarus Deception.? Though Godin?s expertise is marketing, it seems to me that almost everything he has to say, in some form, applies to procurement.? You can read about some of his ideas on Fastcompany.com.

In Purple Cow, Godin puts forth the idea that in a world overrun with great products, the way to succeed is to be extraordinary.? This of itself is not a new concept.? How Godin arrives at this thought may have a bit more impact.? He tells the story of traveling through France with his family and being enchanted at a countryside filled with ?storybook cows?.? After a while, though, the family stopped noticing the cows; the once enchanting had become ordinary.? He thought to himself that a purple cow, on the other hand, would grab their attention.? Examples of the strategy driving revenue for cities is fairly commonplace; people drive for miles to see something extraordinary in their minds whether it is to Deadwood, South Dakota to see the spot where Wild Bill Hickok died or the headquarters of the Longaberger company in Newark, Ohio shaped like a giant basket.?

What is your company?s Purple Cow?? It can be a product or a service.? Can you build the extraordinary without an extraordinary procurement company?

We, at SafeSourcing, are here to help you build your Purple Cow.? For more information on how we can help you with your procurement needs or on our ?Risk Free? trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service Representative at 888-261-9070.? We have an entire customer services team waiting to assist you today.

We look forward to your comments.

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Incremental Discovery

Monday, February 3rd, 2014

Today?s Post is by Michael Figueroa, Account Manager at SafeSourcing.

A procurement project?s development is a back and forth of exploration until all parties have a full understanding of each other. There will be extrenous variables that the procurement profesional will be unaware of, but as long as this is understood it doesn?t have to be a liability. These variables could be unspoken goals of the purchasing party, compliance issues buried under complexity of the law, unspecified product codes, private price forcasting data, unidentified exclusive corporate business agreements, usage, location, or price data, etc etc.

During the process to draw this information out, it will be discovered that there is additional information needed that you never even knew you needed until you asked a completely unrelated question. This is why developing a procurement project often occurs through incremental steps of discovery.

For instance, your first foray into the process may be to ask what the product or service is, what the spend is, and where it?s geographically located. During this first step you will identify NEW variables that need to be informed in your next step, which will uncover new variables to be informed for the next step, and so on. Each time you have a new conference call, sit down meeting, or document draft, the understanding between parties will increase with diminishing returns and with greater amount of detail:

  1. First draft: Understand 60%, Need 40% clarification
  2. Second draft: Understand 80%, Need 20% clarification
  3. Third draft: Understand 95%, Need 5% clarification
  4. Etc etc.

Your goal in the process should be learn what questions need to be answered. Starting with the wrong questions will often lead to developing a project where no one is even aware that you don?t have full understanding because of assumptions made through a SME?s own confirmation bias. Often times the purchaser and the supplier have many assumptions that are unique to their company or industry. It?s our job as procurement professionals to find them out, but if we don?t understand the key concepts behind how knowledge transfer works, we?re bound to make costly ommisions.

For more information on how SafeSourcing can assist your team this process 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.

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