Archive for the ‘Business Sourcing’ Category

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Is it time to replace the tires?

Wednesday, August 27th, 2025

 

 

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

If you or your company own or lease vehicles, you may need to know when you should replace your tires.  Recently, I had a tire that had a slow leak and had to be filled every few days so that the car could be driven safely.  When I took it to the mechanic to get it repaired, I was told that the tread was too low and that they were unable to patch the tire that was giving me the issue.  They also checked the tread on the other tires, and they were also low and needed to be replaced as well.  Because the one tire was unable to be fixed, I decided to go ahead and replace all four tires.  The main concern with the tread being low is that your tires tread depth directly impacts your vehicle’s ability to stop.  When the tread of your tire is at or below 2/32” it is time to replace them.  But you may also consider that studies have shown that 4/32nds of tread or less will require more distance to stop, especially when the roads are wet.  Having low tire tread can also lead to a higher risk of your vehicle hydroplaning.  Also, when it comes to driving in snow, the chances of losing traction is even more significant and a tread of 6/32” or less can cause major problems.  So, if it is winter you will want to replace your tires if your tread is 6/32” or less.  If you want to know if you need new tires, you can test this using the old penny check.  To do this, take a penny and place it with Lincolns head upside down between two ribs on the tire.  If part of the head is covered, your tires are still good.  If you can see his entire head, your tread is worn to 2/32” or less and it is time to replace them.  Make sure to do this on various points on the tire to help look for uneven tire wear.   Another reason for the replacement of your tires is the age.  It is also recommended that you replace your tires if they are more than 6 years past the date that they were manufactured.  Some places will not service your tires if they are more than 10 years of age.  Below are some of the benefits you can expect from purchasing new tires.

  • Safety
  • Performance
  • Traction
  • Noise and Comfort
  • Better Gas Mileage
  • Extended Vehicle Longevity

If you need help sourcing items for your company, feel free to contact SafeSourcing.   We can gather all the necessary information for you and help you decide which company and 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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Is the price of beef affecting your summer?

Tuesday, July 29th, 2025

 

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

Summers here and with that a lot of us like to hang outside and do a lot of grilling.  If you are one of the people that enjoy grilling, you may have noticed the price of beef is reaching record high prices.  The average price for a pound of ground beef just before the Fourth of July was $6.67 a pound, which is about seventy cents more than May and 50 percent more than five years ago.  One of the main factors behind the rising prices is the shrinking cattle population.  According to experts, the national herd has declined to around eighty-seven million, which is the lowest recorded since 1951.  Part of the problem is the prolonged droughts which devastated grazing pastures in the cattle producing states such as Nebraska, Texas, and Kansas.  These droughts have forced many farmers to cull their herds which account for the lower population.   Another issue that also affected the cattle is growing cases of the New World Screwworm which is a parasitic fly whose maggots burrow into and feed on the flesh of the cattle.  This led to the halts of imports from Mexico to the U.S., but the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently stated that some of the ports could reopen soon.  Unfortunately, the USDA predicts that cattle prices will remain elevated into 2026, which means the retail beef prices probably won’t drop for several years. Even with the high prices, it remains Americans’ second-favorite choice of meat, according to the USDA, with nearly fifty-seven pounds of it being consumed per person annually. Until the prices start to come down you may want to look into some of the following options to reduce your costs.

  • Choose the Right Cuts
  • Buy Whole Cuts and Trim Yourself
  • Stretch your Meat with Fillers
  • Buy in Bulk and Freeze
  • Consider other Grilling Options like Chicken and Pork
  • Make your own Rubs and Sauces

If you need help sourcing items for your company, feel free to contact SafeSourcing.   We can gather all the necessary information for you and help you decide which company and 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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Procurement and Artificial Intelligence (Ai)

Monday, July 28th, 2025

 

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

Procurement and many other industries are undergoing a radical transformation, thanks to artificial intelligence. Specifically, procurement has been able to utilize ai tools in its sown unique way. In fact, procurement is now becoming a strategic driver of value and innovation with AI tools lending an ability  to play a central role in this evolution. From automating routine tasks to enabling predictive analytics and strategic sourcing, AI helps procurement teams save time, reduce costs, and make smarter decisions.

AI can analyze large datasets to uncover hidden patterns in spending. These tools consolidate data across departments, identify maverick spend, and highlight opportunities for savings. These tools can offer ai-powered spend analytics and can combine machine learning and data cleansing for added insight. AI tools continuously monitor supplier performance, financial health, geopolitical risks, and compliance issues. They can alert procurement professionals to potential disruptions before they happen.

Ai can also assist in other ways. Reviewing contracts manually is time-consuming, but AI tools can read and extract key terms, flag risky clauses, and ensure compliance with internal policies and regulations. These tools can assist in contract visibility and risk mitigation along with contract management.

AI may also lend a hand in supplier selection based on price, quality, lead time, and other variables, while some ai tools even simulate negotiation scenarios and recommend optimal outcomes. AI chatbots, virtual assistants, and robotic process automation can handle customer facing questions, purchase requisitions, invoice processing, and some follow-ups.

While AI tools offer major advantages, implementation can be complex. Organizations must ensure high-quality data, employee training, and system integration. Ethical AI use, transparency, and change management are also key concerns.

AI tools in procurement are not just a trend; they’re a necessity for organizations that want to stay competitive in a data-driven world. Whether you’re aiming to boost efficiency, reduce risk, or gain deeper insights, AI can empower procurement teams to deliver more strategic value than ever before. The future of procurement is intelligent and it’s happening now.

For more information on how the SafeSourcing can help your e-procurement needs, 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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Prompts developed correctly are critical to benefiting from AI tool usage Part I of II

Thursday, June 19th, 2025

 

Today’s post is by Ronald D. Southard, CEO at SafeSourcing Inc

We have all heard about the impact that AI will have on jobs in the future. For some of us that time is now, for others maybe down the road a bit.

I have personally been using AI tools since they first became available. The speed at which it helps with all types of work is amazing. The tools are becoming better, smarter, faster, and more accurate every day. However, a caveat is that if you are trying to solve a business problem and have no experience in the industry or business area you are prompting to, you may create more issues than you solve for your company and your customers, because you do not know the right questions to ask to begin with. Experience does count even in the AI space.

In the procurement space where I work, there are many people blogging and writing about how to correctly use eRFX tools. Questions abound about the proper use of an RFI’s, RFP’s and RFQ’s. You may even have a desk full of finished examples of these processes. The question is, have you written one, supported one, evaluated one. If the answer is yes, have you done so across multiple industries? Have you delivered the final results  through a written executive summary that recommends award scenarios  and next steps required to proceed to a contract.

If the answer to any of the above is yes, then maybe you can write a Prompt that will deliver clean results in a usable format that may save your business time and save your customer money and potentially process improvement. If the answer is no, how can you write a good Prompt  to begin with and how will you know if the answers being provided by your AI tool of choice are correct.

Once you develop a great Prompt, what do you do with it? That’s a question we’ll answer tomorrow in Part II.

SafeSourcing is a Procurement as a Service (PaaS)  provider of a number of e-Procurement solutions and associated white glove services that are part of our PaaS offered SafeSourceIt™ eSourcing suite. We have the tools, we have the knowledge, we have the experience, and we have the AI prompts that deliver results.

To learn more, please contact a SafeSourcing customer services associate.

 

 

 

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Procurement and Smarter Purchasing!

Tuesday, June 17th, 2025

 

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

In today’s business environment, eProcurement is no longer luxury but rather a necessity. But jumping in without a plan can lead to disjointed systems, inconsistent compliance, and missed savings. That’s why eProcurement planning is critical for organizations aiming to streamline purchasing, enhance transparency, and drive long-term value.

The process of designing, coordinating, and implementing an effective e-procurement strategy involves evaluating current procurement workflows, identifying technological needs, aligning stakeholders, and setting measurable objectives for automation and improvement. This ensures that the technology is integrated into the broader supply chain and business objectives.

First, an organization should begin with a thorough review of existing procurement practices, including manual processes, bottlenecks, supplier relationships, and current spend visibility. This baseline is essential for identifying pain points and setting goals. Procurement doesn’t operate in a vacuum. Involving finance, IT, legal, and departmental users in planning helps secure buy-in and ensures the solution meets cross-functional needs.

Next is to determine whether your goals are to reduce spend, shorten procurement cycles, or increase supplier diversity, establishing clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will help measure progress and ROI. Choosing an e-sourcing platform and partner, like SafeSourcing, that supports your goal and considers features like e-sourcing, catalog management, approval workflows, and integration with existing ERP or finance system is essential to the success of the project.

A thoughtful eProcurement plan sets the foundation for a successful transformation. When done right, it aligns people, processes, and technology to unlock procurement’s full potential. Whether you’re modernizing a legacy system or implementing eProcurement for the first time, planning is what turns automation into advantage. By approaching eProcurement with strategy and structure, companies not only digitize purchasing — they empower it.

For more information on how SafeSourcing can help with your e-procurement needs, 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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Memorial Day Observance 2025

Tuesday, May 27th, 2025

 

Today’s post is from our archives at SafeSourcing Inc.

Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service. Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries.

memorialday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The article below is sited from: http://www.cute-calendar.com/event/memorial-day/5719-usa.html

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (May 31st in 2021). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the Civil War), it was expanded after World War I.

Many people observe this holiday by visiting cemeteries and memorials. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. local time. Another tradition is to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. Volunteers often place American flags on each grave site at National Cemeteries.

Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars take donations for poppies in the days leading up to Memorial Day; the poppy’s significance to Memorial Day is the result of the John McCrae poem “In Flanders Fields.”

In addition to remembrance, Memorial Day is also used as a time for picnics, barbecues, family gatherings, and sporting events. One of the longest-standing traditions is the running of the Indianapolis 500, an auto race which has been held in conjunction with Memorial Day since 1911. The Coca-Cola 600 has been held later the same day since 1961. (From: Wikipedia, license: CCA-SA)

Whether you are observing Memorial Day by volunteering your time placing flags on the graves of soldiers, volunteering your time to spend with wounded soldiers, or are just spending family quality time together, we at SafeSourcing wish you a safe and memory making Memorial Day.

For more information on how SafeSourcing can help with your business needs,  or information on our “Risk 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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Roof Leaks and other Repair and Maintenance Projects

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025

 

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

I have been reposting this BLOG from a while back because when this was written we had our leak fixed or at least we thought we did.  A few months after having the work completed, we noticed another wet spot and realized that the work we had done did not take care of the issue.  Luckily, we did not patch the small hole or paint the stained areas around the leak.  Now we are looking for another company to come out and do the job correctly.  It just shows how important it is to research the companies carefully and vet them appropriately before hiring them.

If you’ve never had a roof leak in your home or business, then you don’t know how frustrating it is to look up and see a brown spot or spots on your ceiling.  If this is not taken care of immediately it can end up costing you a lot of money.  Eventually the ceiling where the spot is located will break open and the water will leak through.  It is also common for untreated leaks to lead to a serious mold or mildew problems.  This doesn’t only affect the area of the leak, but the spores caused by the leak can end up passing through your HVAC system and could lead to serious health issues for people with allergies, asthma or compromised immune systems.  If you see these water spots on your ceiling you should find a reputable roofing company to come out as soon as possible so that they can inspect your roof and make the appropriate fixes.  They will also do a full inspection of the roof and make sure that any other potential problems are taken care of as well.  Below are some of the common reasons for leaky roofs.

  • Improperly Driven Nails
  • Pipe Boot Failures
  • Debris in Gutters
  • Improperly Installed Skylights
  • Worn Out Collars around Gas Vents
  • Worn Out Flashing

If you think that your business may have roofs that are leaking or in need of repair or replacement, contact SafeSourcing.  We can gather all the necessary information and help you decide which company best meets your maintenance and repair 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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Procurement and Tariff Increases

Friday, April 18th, 2025

 

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

In an ever-challenged economy, procurement professionals are no strangers to volatility. One of the most impactful—and unpredictable—variables in recent years has been the rise in tariffs. Whether due to trade disputes, geopolitical tensions, or efforts to protect domestic industries, tariff increases are reshaping how organizations approach procurement.

Tariffs, essentially taxes on imported goods, directly increase the cost of affected items. For procurement teams, this can quickly escalate total spend, especially if critical materials or components are sourced internationally. Tariff-related cost hikes can blow through carefully planned budgets, especially for long-term contracts negotiated before tariff changes. Suppliers in tariff-affected regions may raise their prices or pass on additional costs to buyers. Frequent changes in trade policy make it difficult to forecast and plan procurement strategies with confidence.

To mitigate the impact of tariff increases, procurement professionals can adopt more agile and strategic approaches. Relying too heavily on suppliers from a single country or region increases vulnerability. Diversification helps reduce exposure to tariffs and supply chain disruption. For instance, if tariffs rise on goods from China, sourcing alternatives in Vietnam, India, or Mexico could offer relief. Some organizations are reevaluating their global sourcing strategies altogether. Bringing production closer to home—or at least to regions with favorable trade agreements—can reduce tariff exposure and shorten lead times.

Changing markets reinforce the need for changing contracts as well. Many companies are renegotiating terms to include clauses that account for tariff changes, allowing for cost-sharing or pricing adjustments in response to policy shifts. Focusing on purchase price alone is no longer sufficient. Procurement leaders must also factor in tariffs, shipping costs, lead times, and risk factors—to evaluate the full cost of sourcing decisions.

Tariffs are just one of many forces reshaping global procurement, but their impact is profound. With the right strategies in place, procurement partners, like SafeSourcing, can help your organization not only weather the storm but also thrive.

For more information on how SafeSourcing can help your e-procurement needs, 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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The Evolving Procurement Environment!

Friday, February 28th, 2025

 

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

Procurement plays a vital role in the global economy, but it is constantly influenced by geopolitical tensions, economic changes, and technological advancements. As we move forward, current affairs can and will shape procurement strategies.

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict has disrupted global supply chains, especially in sectors like energy, raw materials, and food. Procurement teams are now prioritizing supply chain resilience, diversifying suppliers, and exploring nearshoring and reshoring to reduce dependence on unstable regions.

Sustainability is more crucial than ever, with consumers, regulators, and investors demanding ethical and eco-friendly practices. Companies are adopting green procurement strategies, such as sourcing renewable energy, choosing sustainable materials, and ensuring ethical labor practices. Blockchain and other technologies are enhancing transparency in supply chains, making it easier to verify product origins and sustainability standards.

The rise of AI, machine learning, and data analytics is revolutionizing procurement. These tools help businesses forecast demand, optimize inventory, and select the best suppliers. E-procurement platforms and automation are streamlining processes, reducing administrative costs, and fostering innovation. Blockchain technology is also ensuring secure and transparent contracts, which is crucial in today’s complex supply chain landscape.

Instead of transactional relationships, many companies are now focusing on long-term, collaborative partnerships with suppliers. This approach fosters innovation, ensures continuity, and reduces costs. Businesses are also diversifying their supplier base to include more diverse and inclusive partners, reflecting a commitment to social responsibility.

The procurement landscape is evolving, driven by global events and innovative technologies. To thrive, procurement professionals must embrace innovation, sustainability, and collaboration. By staying agile and adapting to these changes, businesses can position themselves for success in the increasingly complex global marketplace of 2025.

For more information on how the SafeSourcing can help your e-procurement needs, 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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Are there more product recalls today than historically?  

Thursday, February 27th, 2025

 

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

If you pay attention to the news, you probably noticed that several times a week some type of food, drink or medicine is being recalled.  I was wondering if this is normal or are there more recalls over the past year than in other years in the past.  According to the FDA, recalls have become more of a buzz topic after we encountered a huge deli meat recall last summer.  Besides all of the coverage of the recalls the FDA states that there has not been a spike in recalls when compared to previous years.  While there appear to be a perception of more recalls, the number of food recalls over the past year has been generally consistent with past years.  The FDA’s claim on the recalls is also supported by a recent study published in the Journal of Food Protection, which showed that the number of recalls has declined over the past few decades.  This is in the most part due to the increased safety regulations that were put in place.  After doing some of this research it is concerning to me that we have so many recalls of which we are not aware.  According to research we have had around 2100 recalls over the last year, which averages around 5 to 6 per day for food, medication, and health equipment.  According to them this number appears to be the average amount of recalls over the past 8 years.  The reason for the heightened awareness seems to be because it has become trendier for news outlets to cover the announcements.  This is a good thing because it is important that consumers be aware of the recalls because they can cause injury or illness.  Below are some products that have been recalled recently.

  • Deli meats
  • Apple Juice
  • Eggs
  • Canned Tuna
  • Tahini Pasta
  • Alfalfa Sprouts
  • Cinnamon
  • Vegetables
  • Plant-based milk.
  • Coffee
  • Cheese
  • Baby food

If you need help sourcing items for your company, feel free to contact SafeSourcing.   We can gather all the necessary information for you and help you decide which company and 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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