Archive for March, 2016

Running the Successful Pilot

Friday, March 11th, 2016

 

Today’s post is from our SafeSourcing Archives

New programs, software, tools and suppliers all come with risks due to the unknown factors that could affect how your business runs.  Many times this is why businesses choose to run pilots so that they can evaluate the team they are working with, the program or solution they are introducing and whether or not the effectiveness of those solutions is worth the impact it will make on the business in order to fully implement it.   Today’s blog will cover some of those areas that should be considered to run a successful pilot.

The pilot team – The team that is selected to run a pilot is important.  They need to have a vested interest in the outcome for their department and have knowledge of how the company will use the tool or program so that they can score its effectiveness.   At least one member of the team should have had experience with running a pilot program so that they can guide any of the other members who have not.  Above all else, these team members need to have passion and excitement about the outcome.  Putting team members on the team who it as just another thing they have to do will produce a result that may not benefit the company.
Test the result not the tool – So many times companies get caught up in scorecards that quantify features and functions of a program or solution, which they forget to evaluate these things against the eventual goal, which is how well a program will provide a solution to an issue for the company.  Scoring how a software solution operates on a mobile tablet device may be one piece of information evaluated but when it is based in a need to be filled because the company’s managers are on the floor and they need to be able to do 3 particular functions, then the scoring becomes relevant and can be weighted based on how important this need is.

Share the progress…..often – Good pilots often fail because the people who will eventually make a final decision or have executive ownership are not kept in the loop on the progress.  Whether the progress is good or not as good as expected, most executives would rather know where things stand sooner rather than later because they see the big picture.  They know other things that are happening within the company that the pilot team may not and not having insight into the progress early can affect many other areas of the company.  The other benefit to sharing progress is to generate excitement within the company in anticipation of the time the program or solution eventually gets rolled out to the rest of the organization.

For more information on how SafeSourcing can help you with your sourcing pilot programs 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.

When is the best time to buy household goods?

Wednesday, March 9th, 2016

 

Today?s post is written by Heather Powell, Director of the Customer Focus Team & Project Manager at SafeSourcing Inc.

Consumer Reports suggests specific months to buy household goods, when the retail market historically puts items on sale in specific times during the year.

January- The White Sales Month: Bedding, Linens. Christmas and Winter Clearance begins: Toys, winter clothing, and TVs. Resolutions: Treadmills, ellipticals, anti-smoking aids, and diet aids

February– Humidifiers, Indoor furniture, Treadmills and ellipticals

March– Digital cameras, Humidifiers, Small consumer electronics (MP3 players, DVD and Blu-ray players, etc.), TVs, Winter sports gear

April- Laptop computers, Desktop computers, Digital cameras, Lawn mowers, Spring clothing

May- Athletic apparel and shoes, camping and outdoor gear, Carpeting, Cordless phones, Lawn mowers, Mattresses, Small consumer electronics

June– Camcorders, Carpeting, Computers, Indoor furniture, Pots, pans, and dishware, Small consumer electronics, summer sports gear, Swimwear

July– Camcorders, Indoor furniture, Outdoor furniture, Swimwear

August- Air conditioners, Backpacks, Dehumidifiers, Outdoor furniture, Snow blowers

September– Bikes, Digital cameras, Gas grills, Lawn mowers, Shrubs, trees, and perennials, Small consumer electronics, Snow blowers

October– Bikes, Computers, Digital cameras, Gas grills, Lawn mowers, winter coats

November– Baby products, Bikes, Camcorders, Gas grills, GPS navigators, Toys, TVs

December– Bikes, Camcorders, Gas grills, GPS navigators, Home appliances, large and small, small consumer electronics, Toys, TVs

There are better times than others to buy goods, but it always pays to do your research on items you wish to purchase for your home or your business. Are you interest in learning more about SafeSourcing and how we can help your company? 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

 

Need to Buy New Tires for Your Vehicle?

Tuesday, March 8th, 2016

 

Today’s post is written by Heather Powell, Director of the Customer Focus Team & Project Manager at SafeSourcing Inc.

Recently this I had to buy tires for my car and for my truck, and the expense for each was greatly different. As with any large purchase, I researched the options of each type of tire, by size, for each vehicle. Here are some tips for you to follow when making your next purchase:

This tips list is from AARP: http://www.aarp.org/money/budgeting-saving/info-10-2012/great-tips-for-buying-tires.html

  1. Get the right size. A tire’s size is listed on its sidewalls in a sequence such as P265/70R16. Replacement tires should always match what’s noted in your owner’s manual or car door jamb, not necessarily what’s currently on your vehicle.
  2. Age matters, even with “new” tires. Tires naturally deteriorate over time, faster in hot climates. A tire’s “birthday” is noted as a four-digit number following a letter sequence beginning with DOT, indicating the week and year it was manufactured — 5014, for instance, means the 50th week of 2014.

Vehicle manufacturers recommend you replace tires after six years, no matter what their condition. Since some shops stock old tires, check the age code to make sure you’re not being sold ones that are already several years old and well on their way to needing replacement.

  1. Learn the lingo. “All-season” tires are a popular and wise choice for most drivers. But think those called “high-performance” or “ultra high-performance” are better? Think again. Tire performance means ability to handle well at higher speeds, not lifespan. Any tire with “high-performance” in its name will likely wear out quicker.
  2. Think twice about warranty. Manufacturers often tout mileage warranties — typically between 50,000 to 80,000 miles, depending on tire type. The mechanic whom I use, however, says, “In truth, drivers never get that kind of mileage from their tires. And the heavier the vehicle, the less you should expect — no matter how well you drive.”

Before buying based on mileage warranties, know the fine-print details: If tires wear out prematurely, you don’t just get a new set for free. There’s a prorated credit for replacements, and for that, you’ll likely be expected to prove you properly cared for the tires by keeping them inflated to the right pressure, aligned and rotated every 5,000 to 7,500 miles. There may be a careful inspection and demand for service records before warranties are honored.

  1. Don’t rely on the TPMS. If your vehicle was manufactured in 2008 or later, chances are it has a Tire Pressure Monitoring System, which warns when tires are underinflated. Insufficient air pressure not only is a safety hazard but speeds tire wear.

So at any given time, why do a majority of cars have at least one underinflated tire? “Most people never check their tire pressure,” says Mark Cook of the Tire Industry Association, and the pressure monitoring system gives a warning only when tires are underinflated by 25 percent or more, not lesser amounts that still affect tread wear and tire lifespan.

To make your tires last longer, take five minutes every month to ensure that they’re inflated according to specs listed on the car’s door jamb. What’s noted on the tires themselves is the maximum allowable pressure, not the pressure you want.

This isn’t to say that a pressure monitoring system isn’t worth keeping in good working order. Keep in mind that its brains are in special tire valves. They cost about $50 each and should be replaced every three to five years, says Cook.

  1. Know how and where to bargain. Tires are expensive but can you dicker for a discount? You certainly should try, but good luck.

Your auto dealer or neighborhood garage will likely offer zero or very low discounts, claiming thin profit margins.

Because of their buying power, warehouse clubs such as Costco and BJ’s sell many tires for less. But aside from coupon sales, don’t expect to successfully bargain down here. Sales clerks at chains that specialize in tires tend to work on commission, so they may have more wiggle room or will make “match any price” offers.

Websites that sell tires (for shipment to local installers) are worth checking out too. Type “buy tires online” into a search engine to find these sites.

Overall, you’ll fare best seeking a discount not on the tire, but on related services such as installation, lifetime tire rotations or oil change. Expect salesmen (who sometimes must meet sales quotas) to push for more expensive tack-ons such as brake jobs and alignments. If your car needs them, ask for a discount on them as part of your tire purchase.

Buyer beware of those gimmick companies that state free alignment, free nitrogen inflation, free rotation, or even buy three get one free- these are tricks to get you in the door and mark-up the cost of the same tire you can buy much cheaper down the road.

Are you interest in learning more about SafeSourcing and how we can help your company? 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.

 

Ten Buzzwords You Wish You’d Thought Of

Friday, March 4th, 2016

 

 Today’s post is by Christine McConnell, Account Manager at SafeSourcing.

Merriam-Webster defines a buzzword as: an important-sounding usually technical word or phrase, often of little meaning, used chiefly to impress laymen. The Dictionary of American Slang tells us that the term may have been coined in the 1940s by students at the Harvard Business School to mean: a word used to describe the key to any course or situation. In the abbreviated vernacular of the day, buzz might simply have been a shortening of the word business[1].

Over time, buzzwords have become a construct all their own. They are distinctively different from jargon. Where jargon is simply a technical vocabulary associated with a particular field or profession, buzzwords are designed to impress, or to freshen up what is often stagnant information. We use a bit of jargon here at SafeSourcing: e-Procurement, Procure-to-Pay, RFx, RFQ, and RFP for example, to describe our process. Buzzwords, on the other hand, tend to have their own specific agenda. Industries and institutions continue to invent their own thought-provoking, and sometimes amusing, terms to this day.

On this cold and dreary afternoon, here are ten of the silliest:

  •  blamestorming: when a high profile project fails and the major players put their heads together to find a scapegoat outside of their ranks
  • clockroaches: employees who spend most of their day watching the clock instead of actually working
  • inbox zero: Zen-like state of being, caused by the discovery that your email inbox is completely empty
  • irritainment: entertainment and media spectacles that are annoying, yet still somehow compelling; for example The Bachelor or The People vs OJ Simpsonprairie dogging: the practice of popping one’s head up out of the cubicle to see what else is happening on the cube farm
  • jacking: commandeering or hijacking content, from current events to the latest meme, to use for you own (usually marketing) purposes; for example newsjacking or memejacking
  • plutoed: to be unceremoniously demoted without due cause or explanation
  • seagull: coworker (typically a supervisor) who flies in, makes a lot of noise, craps on everything, and then leaves
  • treeware: paper-based printed material, as contrasted with media that store or convey information electronically; typically transmitted via snail mail
  • wantrapreneur: someone who dreams about starting their own business but just can’t seem to get motivated

Whether dreamt up in academia, coined by clever consultants, actualized on Wall Street, or conceived by our most cynical peers, buzzwords can be quite illustrative of the way we see ourselves in today’s workplace.

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 to assist you!

_____________________________________________-

[1] The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D. Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers.

Emotional Intelligence in Action

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2016

 

Today’s post is written by Heather Powell, Director of Customer Services & Project Manager at SafeSourcing, Inc.

Joshua Freeman, the author of At The Heart of Leadership: How to Get Results with Emotional Intelligence, and one of the founders of Six Seconds founded in 1997, Six Seconds is the first and largest organization 100% dedicated to the development of emotional intelligence. They teach the skills of emotional intelligence to enable individuals, teams, organizations, families, schools and communities to flourish1.

There are three steps to the emotional intelligence in action developed by Joshua Freeman:

Know Yourself — awareness. Increasing self-awareness, recognizing patterns and feelings, lets you understand what “makes you tick” and is the first step to growth. This gives you the What 2.

Choose Yourself — intentionality. Building self-management and self-direction allows you to consciously direct your thoughts, feelings, and actions (vs reacting unconsciously). This gives you the How 2.

Give Yourself — purpose. Aligning your daily choices with your larger sense of purpose unlocks your full power and potential. It comes from using empathy and principled decision making to increase wisdom. This gives you the Why 2.

The competencies of Know Yourself will help you see WHAT needs to change. The Choose Yourself tools will supply the HOW so you can put the change in action. The Give Yourself components will remind you and your people WHY this change is important 2.

We enjoy bringing this blog to you every week and hope you find value in it. 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. We have an entire customer services team waiting to assist you today.

We look forward to your comments.

References:

  1. http://www.6seconds.org/connect/about/
  2. http://www.6seconds.org/2007/08/18/eq-in-action-the-six-seconds-model/