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

Are you using a Cloud offering to share data between devices?  If so you may want to consider purchasing a Network Attached Storage Device (NAS).  A NAS is a device that contains one or more hard drives and is plugged into your current router.  Once it is attached, you can then store all of your files directly to it and access them from all of your devices.  This gives you a central location to save all of your data.  The device can be accessed on many platforms, such as Mac, Windows and LINUX devices.  With a NAS you are provided with software that allows you to access your data via the internet as well.  This means that you can access all of your data from anywhere an internet connection is available.  Another benefit that you receive with a NAS, is to know that your data is protected.  This is accomplished with what is called RAID protection.  If one of the drives in the NAS fails, you simply replace the bad drive with a new drive and the data is replicated to the new drive.  This kind of technology has been used within businesses for years and is now very cost effective for home use. 

Below are some benefits of owning a NAS.

• Sharing Files, Media and Photos
•  Media Streaming
•  Sharing USB Printer
•  Remote Access
•  Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) to protect against Hard Drive Failures
•  Auto Backup

There are several things to keep in mind before purchasing a NAS such the number of users and the amount of space you will need.  At SafeSourcing, we can gather all the necessary information for you and help you decide which NAS fits 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.

We look forward to your comments.

Today’s post is by Michael Figueroa, Project Manager at SafeSourcing

If I had to name my top 3 role models, they would be:

• Elon Musk
• Greg Plitt
• Steve Jobs

I would choose each one for different reasons, but they each represent some aspect of the ideal self I want to achieve. Steve passed away October 5, 2011, and Greg January 18th 2015. Greg died in an accident during the filming of a commercial stunt, and in light of that tragedy it was difficult for many to understand why so many looked up to him. Greg was best known for his time as a fitness icon, retired Army Ranger, actor and motivational speaker. And while Steve deeply understood innovation, Greg deeply understood inspiration. Steve made people want to be him, but Greg made people want to be the best version of themselves, and he started with believing in those willing to follow him. Counterintuitively, believing in someone else can’t begin with doing anything for or in place of them; it has to start with equipping them.

Equipping someone means giving them the tools to do the job themselves. Have you ever tried to help someone, only to be resented for it? Helping someone who doesn’t believe in themselves or doesn’t feel they’re reaching their full potential simply sends the message “I don’t believe in your capabilities either, so I’m going to do this for you”. The defensive reaction comes off as being ungrateful, but if you look deeper, it’s actually a self-defense mechanism of someone looking for the opportunity to believe in themselves.  People tend to fill the expectations placed upon them. What I loved about Greg, is he thought you and I were capable of anything we put our mind and heart into, and it was evident in his own words:

   •  “Behind your every fear, there’s a person you want to be… When you destroy that fear you’ll realize “my God, what else was I capable of? What else has been holding me back?”
   •  “It’s not the guy with the greatest genetics who wins, it’s the guy who’s got the greatest perseverance, willing to fail and get back up again and again”.
   • “The hardest things in life are done the least but provide the most reward”.
   • “Give yourself 90 days to meet your goal, today is 1/90’th of that opportunity”.
   • “Time is the most valuable asset on Earth, a depreciating asset, don’t waste another moment of life where you are not at your fullest potential getting the most out of the time you have in life”.
   • “It’s the heart of a champion, not the ego of a champion or the bicep of a champion; it’s the heart that dictates success”.
   • “If you don’t check your pride at the door, forget about growing that day, or any day”.

Do you ever feel like you’re carrying the teams you’re trying to lead, instead of being supported by them? Equip them to do what you need them to, and then give them permission to succeed on their own terms. Most people will work twice as hard with a little autonomy, but do just the bare minimum to get by when they know their leader will predictably always swoop in to micromanage them one way or another. The highly skilled have confidence in themselves, the highly respected have confidence in the people around them, and the highly effective have confidence in both, because you’ll always accomplish more as a team than as an individual.

We’ve worked with a large variety of businesses, and love the challenge of becoming a part of your team and accomplishing your organizational goals together. For more information on how SafeSourcing can assist your team with this process 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.

Todays post is by Michael Figueroa an Account Manager at SafeSourcing Inc.

What kind of business can convince its customers to PAY to go through excruciating pain, has 10 times more volunteer staff than paid staff, and has everyone who witnesses its operations talking about it for weeks afterward? Marathons of course! And the overwhelming participation rate says a lot about leadership, and what it takes to move people to perform almost super-human tasks zealously.

I have a lot of friends and co-workers who run 1/2 or full marathons. So, I decided it was a milestone I wanted to achieve once in life, but after completing my second half marathon at the Nationwide Children’s Half Marathon in Columbus Ohio, I find myself wishing I could race every week. I am convinced, however, that no one would care to run that far without engaging the same inner drives that are at work both on the track, and in the office. 
 
When people believe in why you do something, they will go out of their way to help you get where you’re going. This particular marathon’s beneficiary was a children’s hospital, and every mile had former patients with giant orange foam hands giving high fives, some looking very healthy, some clearly disabled, some with walkers or crutches, most of them being kids. No matter how exhausted the runners were though, all 18,000 of us went out of our way to cheer for them, give high fives or hugs, leaving runners and patients alike in tears. We went out of our way to shout encouragement to every Wheelchair Division participant we passed. My brother saw a man tumble and fall short of the finish line, and other runners stop to help him cross. Motivation is contagious, and there was an unspoken consensus of purpose among the runners and spectators that moved them to go far out of their way to help each other see it through. 
 
Business consultant Simon Sinek has famously said, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” It’s no coincidence that everyone wants to be involved in Elon Musk’s quest to save humanity through the elimination of fossil fuels, Google’s mission to organize the world’s data, or Wikipedia’s mission to make an encyclopedia available to every human being on earth. But how do we get buy-in of the “ordinary” things we all have to accomplish within our organizations? Here are four things I’ve learned about what motivates runners as universal principles applicable to your organization:
 
Significance
Engage your workforce’s sense of importance by clearly defining a mission that contributes to the greater good of your community in some way. How does what you do make the world a better place, or better yet, how could it? Do you manufacture cars? Make them well to keep their passengers safe. Do you work for a bank? Identify your vision for how your product makes your customers lives better and potentially improve their financial health. This “gut check” is a great way to keep your business agile and adaptive to your customer’s needs as well.

Tangible Milestones
How often does your company identify major milestones and accomplishments? Can you think back through the year and identify 3 accomplishments that your company celebrated as “wins”? Or is every successful project just seen as a continuation of one infinitely recurring loop of fulfilling fiscal expectation? If you don’t identify where you’ve progressed from point A to point B, it will feel like you’re stuck at the starting line no matter how far you’ve gone. 
 
Autonomy
Running a race is a choice, but most of what we do in our work life isn’t. When people have the ability to choose or at least provide input into how tasks are accomplished, and what strategy to engage, they are much more likely to perform well because it is their idea. Sometimes just having permission to run with an idea is enough to motivate a workforce.  In this case you don’t have to convince anyone to do what you need them to; they’re already pushing their task along on their own. However, employees whose input is blocked/not listened to, will require a lot more pushing and prodding.

Ability
People do difficult things to prove to themselves and others that they are able. When people are given the opportunity to perform well in an achievable objective, they are more likely to excel. If your corporate culture is argumentative or adversarial, people tend to lose the belief that it’s even possible to excel at their job, because achievements are belittled in an environment where no one is allowed to be “right”.

How can we help you achieve your milestones? For more information on how SafeSourcing can assist your team in this process or for detail about 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 by Mark Davis; Sr. Vice President and COO at SafeSourcing.

This weekend I had a few incidents with my two dogs that made me stop and think about how some of our most basic behaviors in life and in business can be learned from little things.   It should me how we hang onto things, we learn new tricks and we find out that covered up mistakes almost always get found out.

Not letting go  – The first incident happened when one of my dogs would not let go of his favorite toy.  He had to go outside and he was going to get the toy back but he wouldn’t let go and finally the toy (it was an old one) ripped in half so instead of letting go of the toy and doing what he needed do in which case if he wanted it back he could have had it.  It reminded me of how strongly we hold to processes and relationships, refusing to let go for just a moment and examine the options, doing what we need to do, and then deciding whether we want to keep those things we hold onto.  Not letting go causes tensions and in some cases forces management to look at that process or relationship and ending or changing it so that the option of going back to it isn’t even there.

Learning new tricks – With some time my other dog learned a new trick.  It was not something he ever knew how to do before but when he was able to do it, he got rewarded and we got a dog that was much more pleasant to be around.  New tricks are the way business advance and succeed.  They take time and effort but usually the effort benefits the team or process and the business itself.  Take for instance a process that requires a team to look at historical spend and vendor relationships and attacks a category in a new way that benefits the company and the supplier.  It takes time and it generally doesn’t happen on the first try but in the end it benefits everyone.

Covering up mistakes – A friend of mine had purchased a cinnamon roll that she was planning on having early Sunday morning.  When she woke up her dog was hiding and walking around the house with his tail between his legs.  He had obviously done something wrong and was feeling guilty.  Then she found an empty container behind her couch and realized her dog ate her cinnamon roll.  She was upset, the dog felt bad and then the dog eventually got sick.  This typifies behavior in the business world in so many ways.  Mistakes happen but attempting to cover them up leads to guilt by the offender and prevents the business from being able to reduce the damage or correct the mistake in a timely manner.  Helping to prevent mistakes comes with putting processes in place that help protect your employs from making the mistakes to begin with but that also have checks and balances to ensure mistakes are caught early.  The worst thing you can do is place an unprepared employee in a situation where they are not closely monitored.  It almost always leads to the cover up situation.

For more information on how we can help you develop “new tricks” or work with your procurement departments to development effective sourcing projects, 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.

Manager of the Center of Excellence and Project Manager at SafeSourcing, Inc., Heather Powell had been very active in the American Cancer Society?s Relay for Life.? Relay for Life events are a gathering of communities that come together to honor cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against a disease that has already taken too much. The funds raised truly make a difference in the fight against cancer, and typically stay in local American Cancer Society locations. Relay for Life teams camp out overnight and take turns walking or running around a track or path at a local high school, park, or fairground. Events are up to 24 hours long, and because cancer never sleeps, each team is asked to have at least one participant on the track at all times.

Heather had been active as the team captain of Team Gabby?s Angels, in honor of her Mother, as Entertainment Chair in 2009, and in 2010 she was the Event Chair Person.? From 2008-2012 Team Gabby?s Angels was in the top 5 teams of each year?s event, having raised money for the American Cancer Society.

Since 2013, as a caregiver to her mother Heather could not participate in the Relays concentrating on her mother?s health.? She recently lost her mother who battled colon cancer for 11 years and her paternal grandfather who lost his 4 year fight of cancer, both died on the same day.?

So, this Friday June 13th, Heather will again put on her walking shoes and participate in the Springfield/Clark County Ohio Relay for Life. She will walk the Survivor Lap, and participate in the Celebration Ceremony- a Relay event for survivors celebrate what they’ve overcome. Heather is in her 18th year of surviving cancer. She will walk during the dusk Luminary Lap and participate in the Remembrance Ceremony- to remember people lost to the disease, and honor people who have fought or are fighting cancer. The path is illuminated with paper luminaries with Names to remember or honor loved one.? Heather will participate in the Fight Back Laps and participate in the Fight Back Ceremony-?? inspires Relay participants to take action against a disease that has taken too much. This year Heather will walk with and for her family with no team or fundraising, however next year she will again form Gabby?s Angels and with family, friends, and co-workers pick up the spirit and fight against all types of cancers!

For more information about the American Cancer Society?s Relay for Life and how you can help, create or support a team, or donate your time, money, or resources, please visit: http://www.relayforlife.org/

We look forward to and appreciate your comments.

Manager of the Center of Excellence and Project Manager at SafeSourcing, Inc., Heather Powell had been very active in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.  Relay for Life events are a gathering of communities that come together to honor cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against a disease that has already taken too much. The funds raised truly make a difference in the fight against cancer, and typically stay in local American Cancer Society locations. Relay for Life teams camp out overnight and take turns walking or running around a track or path at a local high school, park, or fairground. Events are up to 24 hours long, and because cancer never sleeps, each team is asked to have at least one participant on the track at all times.

Heather had been active as the team captain of Team Gabby’s Angels, in honor of her Mother, as Entertainment Chair in 2009, and in 2010 she was the Event Chair Person.  From 2008-2012 Team Gabby’s Angels was in the top 5 teams of each year’s event, having raised money for the American Cancer Society.

Since 2013, as a caregiver to her mother Heather could not participate in the Relays concentrating on her mother’s health.  She recently lost her mother who battled colon cancer for 11 years and her paternal grandfather who lost his 4 year fight of cancer, both died on the same day. 

So, this Friday June 13th, Heather will again put on her walking shoes and participate in the Springfield/Clark County Ohio Relay for Life. She will walk the Survivor Lap, and participate in the Celebration Ceremony- a Relay event for survivors celebrate what they’ve overcome. Heather is in her 18th year of surviving cancer. She will walk during the dusk Luminary Lap and participate in the Remembrance Ceremony- to remember people lost to the disease, and honor people who have fought or are fighting cancer. The path is illuminated with paper luminaries with Names to remember or honor loved one.  Heather will participate in the Fight Back Laps and participate in the Fight Back Ceremony-   inspires Relay participants to take action against a disease that has taken too much. This year Heather will walk with and for her family with no team or fundraising, however next year she will again form Gabby’s Angels and with family, friends, and co-workers pick up the spirit and fight against all types of cancers!

For more information about the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life and how you can help, create or support a team, or donate your time, money, or resources, please visit: http://www.relayforlife.org/

We look forward to and appreciate your comments.

To all of my running brothers and sisters that have endured this historical endeavor, CONGRATULATIONS! To all of? my running brothers and sisters that will run this race today and in the future, CONGRATULATONS. To all of those that have in the past?and will in the future?support us, THANK YOU!

Perhaps Winston Churchill?said it best in 1941.??”Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

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

The word green has been thrown around for years and driven  even further  and more detailed discussion relative to companies desire to reduce their carbon footprint. This has touched every segment of industry from producers to users and in trades a wide ranging as construction to energy.

I’m sure the term global warming is not new to anyone any more. It might be humorous if Jay Leno (it’s too bad he is gone) conducted one of his street segments to get passersby to try and define the term. Many don’t even care what your company is doing about it or that you have adopted triple bottom line accounting methods either. In fact most definitions as mentioned above would likely center around the crazy weather we have all experienced the last several years. (Know Your Audience)

Here’s an opinion for you. If your company’s buyers are vetting your supply chain for their green initiatives in order to support your own initiatives, you might not be getting what you think you are. The fact that a supplier is certified in some particular area such as LEED or The Marine Stewardship Council and you do business with them does not automatically transfer that certification or greenness or the savings associated with the process to your company or the specific product or project the vendor is supporting.

As an example, I was recently reading the Conversation Starters section of the Arizona Republic. A small blurb by Anastasia Swearingen a research analyst for the Environmental Policy Alliance titled MIS-LEEDING GREEN REFORM indicated that a comparison of buildings that were LEED certified vs. those that were non LEED certified showed that LEED certification has no bearing on buildings energy efficiency.

SafeSourcing maintains the SafeSourceIt™ Supplier Database and constantly VETTS our suppliers to insure that your green standards are adhered to and deliver the benefits you expect them to as indicated in your terms and conditions and specifications.

If you’d like to learn more as to how SafeSourcing can assist your sourcing in support of your reduced carbon footprint initiatives, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Services Account Manager.

We look forward to and appreciate your comments.

Today?s post is by Ron Southard, CEO at SafeSourcing Inc.

The word green has been thrown around for years and driven? even further? and more detailed discussion relative to companies desire to reduce their carbon footprint. This has touched every segment of industry from producers to users and in trades a wide ranging as construction to energy.

I?m sure the term global warming is not new to anyone any more. It might be humorous if Jay Leno (it?s too bad he is gone) conducted one of his street segments to get passersby to try and define the term. Many don?t even care what your company is doing about it or that you have adopted triple bottom line accounting methods either. In fact most definitions as mentioned above would likely center around the crazy weather we have all experienced the last several years. (Know Your Audience)

Here?s an opinion for you. If your company?s buyers are vetting your supply chain for their green initiatives in order to support your own initiatives, you might not be getting what you think you are. The fact that a supplier is certified in some particular area such as LEED or The Marine Stewardship Council and you do business with them does not automatically transfer that certification or greenness or the savings associated with the process to your company or the specific product or project the vendor is supporting.

As an example, I was recently reading the Conversation Starters section of the Arizona Republic. A small blurb by Anastasia Swearingen a research analyst for the Environmental Policy Alliance titled MIS-LEEDING GREEN REFORM indicated that a comparison of buildings that were LEED certified vs. those that were non LEED certified showed that LEED certification has no bearing on buildings energy efficiency.

SafeSourcing maintains the SafeSourceIt? Supplier Database and constantly VETTS our suppliers to insure that your green standards are adhered to and deliver the benefits you expect them to as indicated in your terms and conditions and specifications.

If you?d like to learn more as to how SafeSourcing can assist your sourcing in support of your reduced carbon footprint initiatives, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Services Account Manager.

We look forward to and appreciate your comments.