Do you think outside the box?

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

The statement “Think outside the box” has become a highly used business term, cliché even, but do you know what it means, where it came from, and how you can obtain this skill?

The origin of the common phrase has been debated, but popular beliefs narrow its origin down to two possibilities. The first origin is that all of us are metaphorically in a box; we are closed off from new possibilities and use only what we know (what is inside the box) to solve our everyday problems. Thus, thinking outside the box is to find solutions that wouldn’t normally be thought of. A second theory of the phrase’s origin stems from a puzzle. In this puzzle there are nine dots in three rows of three, making a square. The object of the puzzle is to connect all the dots using only four straight lines without lifting your pen or tracing over a line. To answer this puzzle you must think outside the box, and the answer requires the lines be drawn outside of the square box shape.

So, what constitutes thinking outside the box in a real world situation? General definitions use the phrase for someone who thinks creatively, in a new way, or brings fresh ideas into play. A person who can do this can bring new perspective to problems, new and existing. The idea is that when most others fail to solve a problem, an out of the box thinker can provide ideas outside the realm of what was previously thought, shedding light on a solution that may have otherwise been left in the dark.

If you have a problem in your business and seek out-of-the-box thinking, SafeSourcing may be able to shed new light on your problem. As procurement partners, we strive to find the best solution to fit your needs.

For more information on how SafeSourcing can help you think outside of the box, or on our Risk Free trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service representative. We have an entire team ready to assist you today.

Today’s re-Post is from our archives ar SafeSourcing 

What was true three years ago, still is today!

Do you believe you are getting the biggest bang for your buck? We know you are not, because the data does not lie. Are you getting the best prices for your goods and services? What about your expense area or capital programs. Everyone would like to believe that they are. Many are not.  Companies obviously buy larger volumes than a private buyer, and resultantly  see better pricing. Unfortunately you are not always getting the best price. We have historical data that proves this. Typically you already have a vendor for your all spend areas. Any time you need to place an order you may send in a PO. Every once in a while you may see an increase in pricing with a reasoning attributed to rising index prices or something of the like. But how are you sure this should affect you and how can you tell is this is the best price for you?

SafeSourcing has launched a SafeCollaborative Sourcing Program which brings many of our clients together to increase buying their power. By combining our clients’ like items and taking them out to market, we can increase the volume needed and, therefore, decrease the price. We will be looking to take a Plastic T-Shirt bag event out to market within the next month. This is a great opportunity for everyone to participate in an event for an item everybody needs. While most companies may have their own particular specifications regarding size, mil, weight, and color, these bags typically are sold by the same vendors and manufacturers. So combining everyone’s needs we can ensure a lower price for a higher volume therefore helping you get the lower price.

We have run collaborative events for just about anything you can source. Temporary Drivers, Legal Services, Healthcare, Landscaping, Real Estate as well as the more common daily use items like paper goods. There really is no category that we do not have expertise in. We run them dozens of times per year, companies run them once every year or three. Who do you think has the most experience in the current market? We also know where every single vendor in the space is regardless of geography. You may not.

If you have something you would like to have us take to market, we are sure there are a few more clients that would like to join and take advantage of these savings. Please contact a member of the SafeSourcing team for any inquiries or RFQ events you would like us to help with.

For more information on how SafeSourcing can assist you or on our “Risk Free” trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Representative we have an entire team waiting to assist you today.

Today’s post is from our archives at SafeSourcing.

Whether the focus is believing in a leader, a boss (there’s a difference 😉 a spouse, a product, or even themselves, there is a threshold at which a number of perceived failures will begin to cause people to stop believing in certain proposed possibilities. For some people their threshold is very low; all it takes is one setback, one negative comment, one harsh statement from the boss, to get them to lack belief in the viability of a positive outcome. While we can’t pander to everyone’s insecurities, there are ways to start rebuilding confidence, and expanding the perceived realm of possibility for your team.

One such way is to create small wins. A series of small accomplishments for an individual can be a huge bolster to Buy-in. A boss that follows through with his promises is more likely to be trusted when he asks the impossible of his employees. When a leader consistently demonstrates that greater things can be accomplished than what others thought was possible, co-workers will start increasing their self-expectations.

This is one of the greatest differences between incentivizing productivity through negative consequences and positive expectations. You can get people to scramble through fear, but you can’t get them to believe that what you’re proposing is achievable. And study after study has shown that a workforce that believes in a common purpose is always more effective than one that would rather see the project fail because they resent the fear tactics.

Learning what the threshold of buy in is, and consistently exceeding those expectations one step, one “win” at a time, is essential to managing a buy-in paradigm shift. Creating buy- in is what keeps clients patronizing your business; your employee’s following your vision, and your self-confidence high enough to accomplish your goals.

If you’d like to discuss getting your e-procurement program off to a quick start with focused small wins, please contact a SafeSourcing Account Manager.

We look forward to and appreciate your comments.

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

In every organization, decisions are made that can affect not only the organization, but also clients and customers. Every person within an organization must make decisions to some degree, with the more impactful decisions usually resting on those higher in that organization.

So how are big decisions made? Often in movies, television, and stories, we hear about how a decision made on the fly or based on a gut instinct can play out, sometimes to a great fortune or profound success. While situations like this can and do happen, the opposite likely happens far more often. Those in an organization are far more apt to weigh all options before making any decisions and, possibly most importantly, have the data to back up that decision.

While a good instinct is highly valuable in an organization, being aware of and basing decisions off of tangible data may be even more valuable. For example, if a procurement department sees a company offering a product for 20% lower than what they currently pay, one may say switching to that company for that product would be most beneficial. However, if that data is reviewed and analyzed it may show that the new company charges switching fees, administrative fees, minimum order fees, and delivery fees. In this hypothetical case, that same procurement department would likely stay with their current supplier.

Like the company in the example, SafeSourcing values data and uses that data to best help their clients and customers. We review and analyze internal information and market trends to see the best categories to take to market or not take to market and use that information to make decisions and help those we are involved with.

For more information on how SafeSourcing can help in your procurement efforts, or on our Risk Free trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service representative. We have an entire team ready to assist you today.

Today’s post is from our Archives at SafeSourcing, Inc.

With the advent of every new management tool comes a painfully predictable wave of human resistance. The reasons people resist new tools and processes are as varied as the number of humans that have been asked to change.  Some employees strongly resist change because the effects are unpredictable.  Other peers view changes in their quality processes as risky and they fight it only on principle. It’s almost natural that people wait for others to embrace change before they accept anything new.  When late adopters don’t embrace change, the resulting lack of shared vision and inconsistent implementation confuses and eventually kills any change effort.  As wide-ranging as the reasons are for resisting change, the various forms of reluctance share one common trait.  The people fighting change are rational. This is true when it comes to procurement,  meaning the art of buying goods and services.  Over the years, procurement pros have become responsible for larger budgets and interestingly from both 10 years ago and today not much has changed with some aspects of the procurement process.  Then, as now, procurement professionals say their biggest challenges are having accurate forecasts and having to do more with fewer people. More automation or use of technology can only help improve the profession.

SafeSourcing eProcurement tools, in particular the reverse auction process, is a fairly new way to increase your bottom line utilizing SafeSourcing Inc’s full service offerings to enhance the spend process.  Using new technologies as described will put additional profit dollars directly on your bottom line where the savings are traditionally 10X your investment utilizing eProcurement tools.  You’re just accepting a different way to facilitate the bids/pricing process many times with your incumbent vendors.

For more information on how SafeSourcing can help in your procurement efforts, or on our Risk Free trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service Representative. We have an entire team ready to assist you today.