Archive for March, 2024

Are the vehicles in your fleet spying on you or your drivers?

Wednesday, March 27th, 2024

 

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

As a person that loves to follow technology and gadgets, I always find it interesting when news stories come out saying that a particular device is spying on you and storing and or sending your information to third party clients.  Back in the day it was your PC or laptop and then came smart televisions.  With the televisions manufactures and apps that can be installed on them could collect information from you and possibly share it.  Then came the smart speakers that were very cool because they allowed you to control devices within your home like light switches, receptacles, televisions, alarms, and other smart connected devices.  These types of devices seemed to be even more prone to spying because they are always listening to everything around them so that they can respond when voice activated.  So, I guess I wasn’t too surprised when I heard the news the other day that new research is showing that our cars are spying on our every move.  With all of the new features such as cameras, phone synching and smart screens there are lots of ways for the vehicle to collect and track data.  When you connect your phone you may be asked if you’d like to share your contacts, which is very convenient, but by doing this those contacts may also end up being uploaded to the car company as well.  The most disturbing one that I heard this week was that a large amount of our driver data from internet connected vehicles is being collected and then shared with the driver’s insurance companies.  The drivers of cars like General Motors, Honda and other popular manufacturers  are saying that their insurance rates have gone up because the companies have sent driver behavior data to their insurance companies without their knowledge.  This data includes such information as start and end time of trips, distance driven, speeding, braking and hard accelerations.  This information is then reviewed by the insurance company and can be used to raise your rates depending on your driving habits.  Not all manufacturers are doing this, and some only allow the information to be shared if the driver gives consent via the vehicle touch screen.  So, when you set up or use some of the features in your new vehicle you may want to read the fine print and see if you can turn off these options and opt out of sharing data.

If you need help finding new vehicles for your company, feel free to contact SafeSourcing.   We can gather all the necessary information for you and help you decide which product meets your needs.  If you would like more information on how SafeSourcing can help you, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service representative.  We have an entire team ready to assist you today.

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Navigating Procurement Challenges

Monday, March 18th, 2024

 

Today’s blog is by Margaret Stewart, Director of HR, and Administration at SafeSourcing

Within supply chain management, an organization’s procurement team may find themselves in a challenging tug of war when it comes to sourcing supplies. While the process may seem straightforward on the surface, seasoned professionals know all too well the hurdles and roadblocks that can arise, particularly when seeking out elusive or hard-to-source materials. If we can understand some of the challenges that are faced, then a solution to those challenges can be easier to identify.

Procurement is the backbone of any organization’s operations, responsible for acquiring goods and services essential for business continuity. However, supply chains can stretch across continents, making procurement a multifaceted endeavor. The quest for supplies can be further complicated by numerous factors such as limited suppliers, geopolitical factors, quality standards, lead times, and logistics.

Some materials may only be available from a handful of suppliers worldwide, making competition fierce and procurement efforts intense. Political instability, trade disputes, and regulatory changes can disrupt the flow of goods, leading to shortages or delays in procurement. Ensuring quality and compliance with industry standards adds another layer of complexity, especially when dealing with unfamiliar suppliers or materials. Longer lead times, transportation challenges, and customs procedures can prolong the procurement process, impacting project timelines and budgets.

So how can procurement professionals overcome these challenges? Relying on a single supplier for critical materials is a risky proposition. Procurement teams should actively seek out alternative suppliers, both domestic and international, to mitigate the impact of disruptions. In addition, cultivating strong relationships with suppliers can yield significant dividends. By fostering open communication and collaboration, procurement professionals can gain insights into market trends, negotiate favorable terms, and secure priority access to supplies.

Also, by leveraging technology and data analytics tools, such as supply chain management software, provides real-time visibility into inventory levels, demand forecasts, and supplier performance. This enables proactive decision-making and risk mitigation strategies. Adopting a strategic sourcing approach involves assessing total cost of ownership, conducting market research, and evaluating supplier capabilities. By aligning procurement strategies with organizational goals and market dynamics, procurement teams can identify opportunities for cost savings and innovation.

For more information on eProcurement and how the SafeSourcing team can help your organization with the changing market trends, or on our Risk-Free trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service representative. We have an entire team ready to assist you today.

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Do Food Retailers  want more margin, more customers or both?

Tuesday, March 12th, 2024

 

Today’s post is from Ronald D. Southard CEO at SafeSourcing

Yesterday Aldi announced that their new capital plan includes building five hundred new locations across the USA in the coming years. Obviously, everyone knows who Aldi is and how  they attract and retain customers. Quality products at low prices. In the face of inflation that is not headed in the right direction, customers are exasperated with the pricing they find on the shelves of their local supermarkets and other food retailers.

In a post titled Inflation still hotter than hoped By Cate Chapman, Editor at LinkedIn News notes that, A key gauge of inflation rose more than expected for a second month in February, as gasoline prices and shelter costs increased. While this does not directly point to food costs, it does mean that your customers are being hit in every direction. It would appear to me that wise company executives might try to figure out ways to help their customers by focusing on their cost of goods and expense spending as a priority, and pass some of it on to their customers and not just to the bottom line.

As someone who has a front seat to bids for cost of goods and expense items in the retail space, I’m here to tell you that as retailers you are paying too much and as such so are your customers.

I have often posted about the benefit of asking for better pricing through the use of cloud-based bid tools that are supported by white glove hands on services and the impact the results can have on your bottom line. This can benefit your customers and your shareholders. A simple answer as to why we get better results than you do, is that we source the categories more often. While a company may source a category like trash hauling every two or three years, we source it dozens of times every year. While you may have sophisticated tools, unless they are supported by a team that has multi event annual experience, your results will not be as good.

Our average annual savings across all categories for the last five years is greater than 24% below what our customers have negotiated on their own. Those kinds of savings mitigate rising costs elsewhere, raise gross margins, improve earnings, and maybe leaves something on the table for your customers.

SafeSourcing is a Procure to Pay SaaS based provider of a number of e-Procurement solutions and associated white glove services that are part of our SaaS offered SafeSourceIt™ eSourcing suite .

For more information, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Services Associate.

 

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