Today’s post is by Gayl Southard, Administrative Consultant at SafeSourcing.

Coca-Cola took its first fly at a lemon-flavored alcoholic drink that went to market in Fukuoka, Japan at the end of May 2018. Canned drinks known as chuhai have been popular in Japan for sometime.  Often they are made with distilled grain-based alcohol, known as shochu, along with carbonated water and fruit juice.  This new lemon-flavored alcoholic beverage is called Lemon-Do.  The beverage is sold in 3%, 5%, and 7% alcohol, including a salty lemon version and another flavored with honey and lemon; however, it contains no Coke!  Currently, Coca-Cola is a big competitor of non-alcoholic drinks in Japan.  To date, Suntory Holdings, Ltd., Kirin Holdings Co. and Asashi Group Holdings products dominate the convenience-store and supermarket shelves.

With a population of 13 million, the southern island of Kyushu will allow Coca-Cola to see how this test market of Japanese-style booze will be received and, hopefully, give it insight into how to apply their knowledge in other countries. “Despite falling demand overall for alcoholic drinks in Japan owing to the country’s shrinking population, demand for canned booze has been growing, in part because it is taxed less than beer and is cheaper.”  The product is well received by both men and women.  Coca-Cola wants to appeal to women with a low-alcoholic product.

For more information on SafeSourcing, or on our Risk Free trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service representative. We have an entire team ready to assist you.

References————————————————

Suryatapa Bhattacharya, WSJ, 5/29/2018

Today’s post is by Gayl Southard, Administrative Consultant, SafeSourcing.

PillPack, Inc. is being bought by Amazon. This e-commerce giant will be able to ship prescriptions across the country, and even overnight them, except to Hawaii.  The purchase price is $1 billion in cash.  CVS Health Corp. and Walmart currently have a hefty investment in the pharmacy business.  “The acquisition means Amazon doesn’t have to build capabilities in-house that current players have spent years assembling.”1.

This health care market may prove difficult to penetrate for Amazon. This is a highly regulated and complex market depends on a complex web of contracts, interconnected data systems and other relationships with health plans, drug-benefit managers, and various health care providers which could alienate Amazon.  Walgreens CEO Stefan Pessina indicated he is not overly concerned with the acquisition as he believes the drug market is not just about delivering pills and packages.  He still believes that the physical pharmacy still plays an important role with consumers.  PillPack’s specializes in a month’s worth of pills for chronic-disease patients.  This is a small market; however, with the acquisition, Amazon will keep the brand name along with the pharmaceutical licensing.  This is the same strategy that Amazon used when they bought Whole Foods and Zappos.com Inc.

For more information on SafeSourcing, or on our Risk Free trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service representative. We have an entire team ready to assist you.

References—————————————————————

1 Sharon Terkel and Laura Stevens, WSJ, 6/29/2018

Today’s post is from our SafeSourcing Archives

The importance of a personal relationship with colleagues, clients, and suppliers in our world of social networking, emailing, and text messaging.

We are guilty of quickly pressing the “Reply” button on an email. How often do you consider picking up the phone? Social media, text messaging, email, and Instant Messaging applications are all frequently used and accepted methods of communicating in today’s technology driven business.

None of these methods of communication give you the trust earning cues that voice tone, eye contact, or posture can give you. Of course, technology has made us more efficient, we can get more done, in less time. However, this efficiency does not necessarily lead to the trust that is required for a prosperous business relationship. It takes less time to reply to that email but if you pick up the phone, walk to their desk, or visit them, there will be substantial benefits.

We have witnessed suppliers lose business over the personal relationship, not realizing its impact. Think of all of the business deals that have been closed on only a handshake. That is not possible without trust. It is important to get out and visit your customers and suppliers to keep them engaged. When travel is not possible, try calling them before you send that text or respond to that email. You will find that your relationships with your customers, suppliers, and colleagues will drastically improve.

Let SafeSourcing call you. 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.

Today’s post is written by Ivy Ray, Account Manager at SafeSourcing Inc.

The rise of self-service merchandising spawned the need for new packaging materials to both protect and help sell products. Today, packaging comprises one-third of solid waste.  Out of every $10 spent buying things, $1 (10%) goes for packaging that is thrown away.  Packaging represents about 65% of household trash.

We currently have massive amounts of waste accumulating in landfills across this country.  The U.S. is the number one trash-producing country in the world, at 1,609 pounds per person per year. This means that 5% of the world’s people generate 40% of the world’s waste. Studies of effective waste management options consistently indicate that prudent practices hold the greatest promise of lessening the need for new landfills and incinerators. These practices(the “3 Rs”): reduce consumption of disposable consumer products, particularly packaging materials; re-use materials wherever possible; and remake or recycle used items. Of these, recycling is a key component to reduce waste and increase environmental sustainability.

Many people simply do not feel comfortable about the huge volumes of garbage they tote to the curb each week. Much of our waste retains some value (energy, fibre, metal) and can be converted into recycled goods, instead of adding it to our landfills.  Some facts to think about as listed on Recycling Revolution website:

• A 60-watt light bulb can be run for over a day on the amount of energy saved by recycling 1 pound of steel. In one year in the United States, the recycling of steel saves enough energy to heat and light 18,000,000 homes.
• Each ton (2000 pounds) of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4000 kilowatts of energy, and 7000 gallons of water. This represents a 64% energy savings, a 58% water savings, and 60 pounds less of air pollution.
• Americans use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour, and 25,000,000,000 Styrofoam coffee cups every year.Most of them are thrown away.

Thousands of U.S. companies have saved millions of dollars through their voluntary recycling programs. Recycling benefits the environment and the economy.  Recycling creates 1.1 million U.S. jobs, $236 billion in gross annual sales and $37 billion in annual payrolls.  It also benefits the air and water by creating a net reduction in ten major categories of air pollutants and eight major categories of water pollutants.

It is imperative that we all find ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle, because every little bit helps!

For more information on how 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.

References———————————————————–

http://recycling-revolution.com/recycling-facts.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling

Today’s post is by Gayl Southard, Administrative Consultant, SafeSourcing.

The world has gotten smaller with technology. You can be connected around the globe in seconds by computers and telephones. Businesses can reach people in seconds that were entirely inaccessible years ago.  The phone may be best tool available.  That being said, why are we so bad at it.  Here are some techniques to consider when making a call.

• When your call is answered, ask if this is a good time to talk. Get the name of the person that answers the call. Use their name when speaking with them.
• You want to answer the call on the second or third ring. Speak slowly and articulate what you are saying. If you switch to speakerphone, make sure your connection is still acceptable. Focus on the caller, do not interrupt. Make sure your cell phone ringer is off.
• Make sure you are not eating or chewing gum. Do not shuffle papers.
• Your voice should be pleasant when answering a call. Some people recommend smiling when you answer a call. You want to make sure your customers feel they are important.
• Try to start all calls with good news, even if you have bad news to report.
• Have an agenda that you wish to accomplish.
• Start early in your career to keep track of 100-300 most important people in your network. Keeping track of people’s birthdays can really help a sales person. People like to be acknowledged and remembered.
• Call ahead to make sure your customer is there before making a cold call.
• When leaving a message start with your name, day, date, and time and guarantee you will call back in 24 hours. Set aside a specific time to return calls each day.

Resources———————————————————

Harvey MacKay, AZCentral, 4/9/2018

For more information on SafeSourcing, or on our Risk Free trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service representative. We have an entire team ready to assist you.

Today’s post is written by Heather Powell, Manager of Major Accounts and Special Projects at SafeSourcing Inc.

McDonald’s announced this week that by 2020 all of the UK will use paper straws. In the US McDonald’s will be test alternative straws to the plastic version. Sea World already uses paper straws and has eliminated plastic shopping bags and A&W in Canada will offer paper straws only by the end of this year.

So why all the “sudden” changes? As you may know, even though oceans cover more than 70 percent of the Earth, humans have dumped so much plastic into them that animals such as pilot whales are dying from consuming it. By 2050, according to a prediction from the MacArthur Foundation, there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans unless something drastically changes in the meantime. Also, this past spring, reports came out that over 83% of our bottled water contains plastic particles.₁

Laws are changing globally to combat the single-use/disposable crisis to our environment. For example; styrofoam cups are banned in California and California is also looking to make new laws to include plastic straws.

Our landfills are filling up with plastics such as water bottles, coffee pods, ziplock bagies, cereal bags, and many more items that typically don’t get recycled. Think back to what you have thrown away in the past 24 hours, how much of it was a plastic that couldn’t be recycled?

What are your business practices to emlinate or reduce your use of single-use plastics? Have you looked at alternative products? Long term what are your company goals to reduce waste or your carbon footprint?

SafeSourcing offers a wide variety of business solutions to your purchasing needs and one of those solutions is research and market changes. We at SafeSourcing can do the leg work for you to find alternatives and give the current market pricing and fluctuating market trends.

Are you interested in more information on how SafeSourcing can assist you in exploring your procurement solutions for your business or on our “Risk Free” trial program for RFPs and RFQs, 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. _{https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/mcdonalds-plastic-straws-phasing-out-uk-britain.html}

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

A friend of ours recently used a local company to clean their dryer vent.  From being a fireman in the past, I know that clogged vents can lead to overheating and fires, but I did not know there are companies that specialize in this service.  I guess the reason I did not know this is because all of the places that I had lived in the past had the dryer located on an outside wall. Because of the location, the vent was usually less than a foot long because it went straight through the wall to the outside. To clean the vents, I would just move out the dryer twice a year and manually inspect the vent and use a vacuum to clean up any residue.  This isn’t the case in our new house. The laundry room is located in a central part of the upstairs so the vent is located in the wall and goes under the floor boards to an outside wall. Because of the length, there is a greater possibility of having a clog.  These clogs are not just fire hazards, as stated above, but can also cost you a lot of money by lowering the efficiency of the drying.  Clogged or partially clogged vents restrict the airflow which causes the dryer to take longer and be less efficient.  It also makes the machine work harder which causes wear and tear leading to costly maintenance repairs.  As you know, dryers do contain lint traps but these traps do not trap all of the lint that is produced when drying which leads to the possible build up within the vent.  So it is recommended that you clean the vents at least once a year.  Below are some common signs that you may need to clean your vent.

• Longer drying times
• Damp or moldy smelling clothes
• Lint visible in the opening outside
• Outside vent flap not opening during use
• Outside of dryer and clothes are very hot
• Noticeable burning smell

If you need help with your dryer vent maintenance, we can gather all the necessary information for you and help you decide which company 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.

Today’s post is by Dave Wenig, Vice President of Sales and Services at SafeSourcing Inc.

Chances are, at some point, that you have had to face some unwanted changes in your life. Some changes are personal and some are professional, but they aren’t always fun. You may have been advised by friends or loved ones to embrace change. I’m not trying to tell you that at all. I am telling you that you should learn to accept change.

In eProcurement, change is usually the name of the game. That holds true for the vendors that participate in our online Request for Quote (RFQ) events and it is also true for our clients who are the hosts of these RFQ events. I thought I would share my perspective on change as it relates to vendor and client in eProcurement.

Vendors 

Change comes with the territory for vendors in an eProcurement RFQ. Whether you are an incumbent vendor or not, the results of the RFQ event are likely to bring change. This can be a very positive change. Vendors invited to participate in an RFQ event have an opportunity to secure new business through their participation. The host of the RFQ event might be one that the vendor has been calling on for years, or the host may be a net new sales opportunity. Either way, the potential for a positive change is there. Incumbent vendors might be more reluctant to the change. Certainly, there is risk in any such process that the incumbent vendor may not be awarded after the RFQ. That’s not always the case. Either way, it’s best to accept the change and make the most of the opportunity.

Clients 

The client who is hosting the RFQ event must also accept change. As a result of the RFQ event, their award decision may mean that they will be awarding to a new vendor. This might not be a vendor that they have worked with in the past. For this reason, there are always steps in the process which will allow this change to be managed by the client. One of the most common ways to manage this change to ensure that it is successful is to request and review samples. There are many other ways as well. This is meant to be a positive change. While savings is important and one of the largest benefits of the change that comes with this process, it is not the only benefit. Change can also come in the form of product or process improvements or in service levels. Accepting change and being open minded is very important.

I don’t view change as positive or negative. There are definitely times when change falls pretty directly into one of those categories, but the concept of change doesn’t imply either. In eProcurement, change should be accepted and managed. Perhaps through acceptance, you might even find you’ll be able to embrace it.

For more information as to how SafeSourcing has been able to assist its clients adapt to the ever changing world of procurement best practices, please contact a SafeSourcing customers services account manager.

We look forward to and appreciate your comments.

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

If you have never utilized e-procurement or used a procurement partner, you may not know what to expect when first beginning. Typically, a procurement partner works with your team to assist with the procurement process. This can mean a number of things, and could include e-procurement tools, like those offered by SafeSourcing. These tools and the expertise of a procurement partner can greatly help with the success of your own efforts and can help your organization realize more savings, more opportunities, and a more streamlined and quicker process.

When working with these tools and your procurement partner, it is important to outline what you hope to achieve from the process. Making your expectations known can help direct those procurement efforts to produce the results most sought. For example, if an organization is seeking to use a new product in store, a procurement professional can help research that product, list potential suppliers, and provide a market estimate of costs to implement that product. If an organization is expanding into a new region, your procurement partner can source everything you might need, from construction companies and building supplies to products to fill the new stores. Even if a company is looking for a private label product from a certified green vendor, that is what your procurement partner would focus on finding.

Ultimately, utilizing e-procurement, and especially a procurement partner, can help you attain the results you hope for. However, if expectations aren’t known or aren’t relayed, the outcome may not align with what was wanted. A procurement partner’s job is to help your organization get the results it desires and works with you and for you to ensure the outcome is a success, because when your organization succeeds, so does your procurement team.

For more information on how SafeSourcing can help 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 by Gayl Southard, Administrative Consultant, SafeSourcing.

According to a study by Dscout Inc., a mobile app research firm, the average person taps, swipes, pokes their phones 2,617 times each day. That adds up to 2 hours and 25 minutes everyday!  Chief Executive, Jason Brown, of Brown, Parker & DeMarinas, observed while giving a business presentation, the majority in attendance were all fiddling their phones.  He was so angered by this that he issued a company edict: “Don’t show up at a meeting with me with your phone.  If someone shows up with their phone, it’ll be their last meeting.”

Although smartphones allow people to get their jobs done remotely, they are also the leading productivity killers at the job. Research conducted by the University of Texas, revealed that the shear presence of a smartphone on the desk, untouched, the cognitive performance  was lower than if the phone was stored in a purse, pocket, or a coat hanging near the workspace.

Mat Ishbua, CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage banned phones from meetings two years ago, and recently requested that his executive team refrain from using their phones to and from meetings. He stated that you are never too important not to say hello to fellow employees or make eye contact.

For more information on SafeSourcing, or on our Risk Free trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service representative. We have an entire team ready to assist you.

References…………………………………………….

John Simmons, WSJ, 5/17/2018