What can the Amazon Echo do for me?

August 18th, 2015

There are a lot of gadgets out there that are designed to make your life simpler and fun

 

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

There are a lot of gadgets out there that are designed to make your life simpler and fun.  I recently purchased such a device from Amazon called the Amazon Echo.  The Echo is a smart Wi-Fi device that you can give commands, ask questions, listen to streaming music and control other smart devices.  There are seven built-in microphones so that you can talk to the device from anywhere within the room it is located.  A remote control can be purchased separately and can be used for communicating from other rooms within your home.  The interface that is used to communicate with the device is called “Alexa”.  To communicate with the Echo you must first say the wake work Alexa.  The Echo only starts listening when this wake work is heard.

One of the reasons I purchased the Echo was to control appliances within my house.  So far I have purchased and installed two Belkin Wemo Light Switches.  Now I can control the lights in my kitchen and family room by asking Alexa to turn them on an off.  For example to turn on the kitchen lights you just say “Alexa turn on the kitchen lights”.  You can also setup up a group and by saying, “Alexa turn off the downstairs lights“ and it will turn off all of the lights that are configured within the “downstairs lights” group.

Besides home automation, there are numerous things that can be done by communicating with Alexa.
•  Get News Feeds
•  Get Weather Updates
•  Get Traffic Updates
•  Get Sports Updates
•  Create To-Do lists
•  Create Alarms and Timers
•  Check Upcoming Events on Google Calendar
•  Play AudibleBooks from Audible
•  Listen to Music from Various Streaming Services

If you would like some help finding a smart device, we can gather all the necessary information for you and help you decide which device 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.

We look forward to your comments.

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Considerations when Sourcing Globally

August 17th, 2015

According to Wikipedia, Global sourcing is “proactively integrating and coordinating common items….

 

Today’s post is by Tyler Walther; Account Manager at SafeSourcing. Tyler details important considerations when sourcing with global suppliers.

According to Wikipedia, Global sourcing is “proactively integrating and coordinating common items and materials, processes, designs, technologies, and suppliers across worldwide purchasing, engineering, and operating locations.” Global sourcing offers many benefits, including lower pricing, quicker delivery times and wide-ranging supply groups. Here are a few factors to consider when sourcing globally.

1. Product Quality: The most important aspect to consider is the quality of the product being sourced. If the quality is subpar or not up to standard, the cost is effectively immaterial. It is important that quality and specification standards are defined so that the supplier and buyer understand and are in agreement. If there are issues with the quality of the product, it is much harder to address with a vendor through different cultures, time zones and geographies.

2. Cost: Assuming the lowest cost is the best route is not always correct. There are other aspects to take into consideration such as transportation, customs and duties, brokerage services (both at origin and destination), banking fees, financing and insurance.

3. Logistical Capability: You must be able to receive the products. What type of international transport is available? Is there reliable transportation infrastructure in the country of origin? Weather and seasonal variations should also be taken into consideration. Events such as the tsunami of 2004, earthquakes and hurricanes can have lasting effects on suppliers located in the affected region.

These are a few factors to consider when making global sourcing decisions. Once an informed decision is made, there is opportunity for profitable business in the global market. 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.

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Paper or Electronic – The Future of Your Documents

August 14th, 2015

With the world moving closer and closer to everything being electronic; have you developed a strategy for document management?

 

Today’s post is from the  SafeSourcing Archive.

Faxes, letters, catalogs, whitepapers, newspapers, and books are all things that are in the process of becoming extinct or have been converted to a newer electronic version of what used to be.  The world has been electronic for decades and will continue to move in a direction where nothing gets printed on paper any more.  Whether you support or fight this trend, it is clear that the management of corporate documents is becoming a top priority as file cabinets become empty and hard drives get full.  Today we will look at some of the key points to developing a strategy for managing your digital documents and some details to keep in mind when looking for third party suppliers who can provide assistance to help you with the task.

Establish the starting point – One of first strategic decisions you will make in managing your documents electronically will be to decide how far back you are going to go in getting old documents converted to digital format.  Historical contracts, agreements, and other legal documents will likely need to be managed in this process but will not always have an electronic format.  Some strategic partners will recommend starting with all documents right now moving forward and develop a phase II strategy of converting historical documents later.  The strategic partner you select may also have a staff of employees and solutions that will allow for an easier conversion path as well.

Storage Location– Where you store your electronic versions of documents is the most important decision you will make for the security and protection of your company.  Your IT department will likely have input to lend on this matter and a corporate policy on sensitive documents will also come into play here as well.  Whether they are stored digitally in a database, as files in a folder structure, on computers within your company or  by a 3rd party, the location of your files and the backup procedures to ensure they are safe are important pieces that will dictate the solution, process or partner you choose.

Workflow integration – Document storage and management are one piece of this process, the other piece will be how those solutions/processes integrate with the productivity tools you are using today.  Many document management systems have links into the major office suites of tools like Microsoft Office that will allow for links into the document management system within the tool you are using.  This makes checking out and editing files by multiple people much easier.  Worklflow aspects of a document management system are very important as the majority of documents will have multiple people all working together on them and the capability for a system to allow this without overwriting existing edits is critical.

Version Control & Audit Trail – Along with workflow integration the capability of a document management system to allow users to lock files for changes, create new versions and to provide audit trails for all edits should be one that is required in any implementation.  Being able to track and rollout back to previous versions of a document is an important aspect to protecting companies in situations that arise years after an activity was conducted.  Automated alerts and change subscription features are other aspects to link directly to version control and should be investigated in any solution you review.

Managing corporate documents should be a top priority for every company and the keys above should be considered when evaluating current processes and new vendors to help with the process.  For more information on how SafeSourcing can assist your team in sourcing Document Management Solutions 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.

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Paper or Electronic ? The Future of Your Documents

August 14th, 2015

With the world moving closer and closer to everything being electronic; have you developed a strategy for document management?

 

Today?s post is?from the ?SafeSourcing?Archive.

Faxes, letters, catalogs, whitepapers, newspapers, and books are all things that are in the process of becoming extinct or have been converted to a newer electronic version of what used to be.? The world has been electronic for decades and will continue to move in a direction where nothing gets printed on paper any more.? Whether you support or fight this trend, it is clear that the management of corporate documents is becoming a top priority as file cabinets become empty and hard drives get full.? Today we will look at some of the key points to developing a strategy for managing your digital documents and some details to keep in mind when looking for third party suppliers who can provide assistance to help you with the task.

Establish the starting point ? One of first strategic decisions you will make in managing your documents electronically will be to decide how far back you are going to go in getting old documents converted to digital format.? Historical contracts, agreements, and other legal documents will likely need to be managed in this process but will not always have an electronic format.? Some strategic partners will recommend starting with all documents right now moving forward and develop a phase II strategy of converting historical documents later.? The strategic partner you select may also have a staff of employees and solutions that will allow for an easier conversion path as well.

Storage Location? Where you store your electronic versions of documents is the most important decision you will make for the security and protection of your company.? Your IT department will likely have input to lend on this matter and a corporate policy on sensitive documents will also come into play here as well.? Whether they are stored digitally in a database, as files in a folder structure, on computers within your company or? by a 3rd party, the location of your files and the backup procedures to ensure they are safe are important pieces that will dictate the solution, process or partner you choose.

Workflow integration ? Document storage and management are one piece of this process, the other piece will be how those solutions/processes integrate with the productivity tools you are using today.? Many document management systems have links into the major office suites of tools like Microsoft Office that will allow for links into the document management system within the tool you are using.? This makes checking out and editing files by multiple people much easier.? Worklflow aspects of a document management system are very important as the majority of documents will have multiple people all working together on them and the capability for a system to allow this without overwriting existing edits is critical.

Version Control & Audit Trail ? Along with workflow integration the capability of a document management system to allow users to lock files for changes, create new versions and to provide audit trails for all edits should be one that is required in any implementation.? Being able to track and rollout back to previous versions of a document is an important aspect to protecting companies in situations that arise years after an activity was conducted.? Automated alerts and change subscription features are other aspects to link directly to version control and should be investigated in any solution you review.

Managing corporate documents should be a top priority for every company and the keys above should be considered when evaluating current processes and new vendors to help with the process.? For more information on how SafeSourcing can assist your team in sourcing Document Management Solutions 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.

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Part II of II. What type of savings should we see when we source Private Label items?

August 7th, 2015

Should it really be any different than expense related items?

 

Todays post is by Ron Southard, founder and CEO of SafeSourcing.

In part one of this post we discussed the fact that the use of e-negotiation tools should be just as beneficial in the private label area as they are in expense related areas. Quite frankly there is no area of the business that should not benefit from modern negotiation strategies and tactics.

The first hurdle that buyers and category managers have to get over is that the benefits are not only related to price. In fact that is a huge measure of success, but not the only one.  Other benefits that are more on the soft side are related to work flow and the amount of work that a category manager, buyer or other procurement knowledge workers can reasonably accomplish when trying to source a specific product or category. That level of reasonableness may in fact lead to unintentional results that are less beneficial to the company in terms of missed quality improvement,  missed pricing reductions and lack of adherence to  other company standards to name a few when sourcing traditionally.

A few questions one should ask when beginning to source a product or category are as follows.

1. Do I have a quality specification for this category?
2. Do I have a list of suppliers outside our incumbents?
3. Do I have clearly defined terms and conditions?
4. How many suppliers can I negotiate or deal wit at the same time?
5. How many individual bids can I receive and respond to during the time it will take me to source this category?
6. How will I consolidate and evaluate all of the responses once received?
7. How will I evaluate all of the marketing rhetoric supplied that has nothing to do with the specification but may hold nuggets of value we may want to explore?
8. Who will schedule sample reviews once I get to a best few decision point?

Even in today’s world with all of the phone, voicemail, text messaging, fax capability and other types of communication methodologies there is only so much one person can listen to, evaluate or respond to.

Here are a few event based statistics of what a quality SaaS based e-procurement eRFQ event or Reverse Auction can provide.

1. From as few as 1 to as many as 6,000 items managed in a single event
2. From as few as 3 to  greater 30 suppliers  managed in a single event
3. Average Length of a typical event is only  31 min
4. Average number of  bids submitted during an average event = to 198 unique bids
5. Average Bids Per Item during an average event = to  23
6. Average number of suppliers in an average event = to 6.
7. Average number of items in an average event = to 40.
8. Incumbent supplier is not the low bid > 50% of the time.

There is no single individual that can accumulate the same amount of data in this short amount of time let alone provide it in a reviewable format that is tailored to making an award decision. The clear advantage here is to the e-negotiation tool.

With all of the above to consider then should buyers try to continue doing this on their own and if they do, will they see the same type of savings as they did when they sourced there expense or indirect categories? The answer is they may see better savings and they won’t know if they don’t try.

In case you need some more ammunition, here’s just a few of the 100’s of examples of what type of  savings results you might see in Grocery and OTC areas.

1. PL Beauty Supplies – 10%
2. PL Vitamins – 31%
3. PL Windshield Washer Fluid – 28%
4. PL Pain Relief – 14.9%
5. P.L. Cotton Products – 7.6%
6. PL Shortenings & Oil – 12%

If you’d like to learn more about sourcing your private label categories, please contact a SafeSourcing customer services representative.

We look forward to and appreciate your comments.

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Part I of II. What type of savings should we see when we source Private Label items?

August 6th, 2015

Should it really be any different than expense related items?

 

Todays post is by Ron Southard, founder and CEO of SafeSourcing.

I was asked the other day if I would share some experience in sourcing private label items in the Grocery and OTC area, and if there were any differences in those areas that might make using e-negotiation tools less effective than traditional negotiation methodologies.

At first I chuckled because the answer is so obvious to me. Then I thought that it obviously is not to others. Further more, greater than 80% of companies still don’t use these advanced tools today even though they have been around for over a dozen years.

The more I continued to think about it, the more the answer did become somewhat complicated. That’s because the answer concerns raw materials, commodities, services (as an example printing) and all the other things that go into making and delivering a product to market that as a private label deliverable is supposed to deliver better margin contribution than a national brand. And unlike the evolution of private label, in today’s world also deliver the same or better quality than the national brand. Additionally the challenge exists to find enough suppliers to provide these products that understand the regulatory concerns for the market being considered. An example might be the U.S. versus the CANADA or MEXICO markets.

The above has to be formulated into a specification that defines the product or products to be delivered in the approved brand format that suppliers can understand. At the same time that specification needs to be unbundled from a bid perspective in order to take advantage of market fluctuations so as to mitigate too much movement in price over a reasonable period time such as quarterly.

With all of the above to consider then should buyers try to do this on their own and if they do, will they see the same type of savings as they did when they sourced there expense or indirect categories? Check back tomorrow for Part II in order to get the original answer before this one became a little more complicated.

If you’d like to learn more about sourcing your private label categories, please contact a SafeSourcing customer services representative.

We look forward to and appreciate your comments.

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IT Commodities – What Can Be Done?

August 3rd, 2015

What are you doing today to source IT hardware, software and services that people keep saying can’t be done?

 

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

It is no secret that for years procurement departments have been trying, most of them unsuccessfully, to work with their IT departments to structure sourcing events that will deliver the products or services IT needs at price that everyone can be confident is a good as they could achieve.  There are reasons for this that IT teams will communicate and because no one tends to understand what the IT team does as well as the IT team, they are usually left to operate in their own bubble operating within predefined budgets without necessarily paying attention to getting the best deal for the company.  Today we will look at some of those objections and how you can overcome them with your team.

We are a {Insert Manufacturer Name} House – This is a very common objection from IT teams everywhere and is not without its point.   It takes companies months, sometimes years, to fully evaluate and decide on a manufacturer of hardware they want to standardize on so considering change can be one that is not always easy to do.  Because no vendor should be allowed to hold a business captive, regardless of how locked in with them they are, there are some strategies to ensure the best agreement is in place.  For manufacturers that are supportive of strategic sourcing projects it is easy because they help level the playing field and give their representatives an equal shot at winning or keeping the business.  In other cases, working with the Value Added Resellers to understand what other services or value they can offer in replacement of better pricing will be the way to approach a new event; giving new VARs an opportunity to win the business with better services.

We already have an enterprise license with {Insert Software Company} – This objection, too, is not without its merit.  Companies development arrangements with suppliers like Oracle, IBM and Microsoft to take advantage of their overall spend.  There is no reason that this should mean they automatically get every piece of business they can supply a company with.  The fact that there may be an Enterprise License in place doesn’t mean that their module for something like managing inventory is the best on the market.   It just means that they, as a partner, offer a tool that is needed and that they should be given a chance to earn the business just like everyone else.  Once everything is collected, if their tool is strong, using the Enterprise Agreement as leverage is the appropriate time to evaluate whether it makes sense to give the business to that company.

No one has the same pricing model – The third objection in this trifecta of IT objections.  The reality is that when it comes to IT services and software especially this is very true.  One of the most difficult thing to do is evaluate pricing received from an enterprise software RFP.  Cloud-based, client-based, named license, concurrent license, enterprise license, maintenance & support included or a percent of the licenses are all potential differences in pricing models from companies offering the same solution.  The reality is that the customer has more power than they know.  After (or even before if enough is known) the customer should be taking the elements of a pricing and SOW model they like the best and ask for updates based on that model.  EVERY software company I have ever known or worked for will tell you their model but when pressed will also confirm they can give bids however the customer wants them.  Lay it out and get common quotes.  Evaluation of the tools and the value they provide will be easier at that point.

For more information on how SafeSourcing can assist with sourcing IT projects 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.

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IT Commodities ? What Can Be Done?

August 3rd, 2015

What are you doing today to source IT hardware, software and services that people keep saying can?t be done?

 

Today?s post is post is from our SafeSourcing?archives.

It is no secret that for years procurement departments have been trying, most of them unsuccessfully, to work with their IT departments to structure sourcing events that will deliver the products or services IT needs at price that everyone can be confident is a good as they could achieve.? There are reasons for this that IT teams will communicate and because no one tends to understand what the IT team does as well as the IT team, they are usually left to operate in their own bubble operating within predefined budgets without necessarily paying attention to getting the best deal for the company.? Today we will look at some of those objections and how you can overcome them with your team.

We are a {Insert Manufacturer Name} House ? This is a very common objection from IT teams everywhere and is not without its point.?? It takes companies months, sometimes years, to fully evaluate and decide on a manufacturer of hardware they want to standardize on so considering change can be one that is not always easy to do.? Because no vendor should be allowed to hold a business captive, regardless of how locked in with them they are, there are some strategies to ensure the best agreement is in place.? For manufacturers that are supportive of strategic sourcing projects it is easy because they help level the playing field and give their representatives an equal shot at winning or keeping the business.? In other cases, working with the Value Added Resellers to understand what other services or value they can offer in replacement of better pricing will be the way to approach a new event; giving new VARs an opportunity to win the business with better services.

We already have an enterprise license with {Insert Software Company} ? This objection, too, is not without its merit.? Companies development arrangements with suppliers like Oracle, IBM and Microsoft to take advantage of their overall spend.? There is no reason that this should mean they automatically get every piece of business they can supply a company with.? The fact that there may be an Enterprise License in place doesn?t mean that their module for something like managing inventory is the best on the market.?? It just means that they, as a partner, offer a tool that is needed and that they should be given a chance to earn the business just like everyone else.? Once everything is collected, if their tool is strong, using the Enterprise Agreement as leverage is the appropriate time to evaluate whether it makes sense to give the business to that company.

No one has the same pricing model ? The third objection in this trifecta of IT objections.? The reality is that when it comes to IT services and software especially this is very true.? One of the most difficult thing to do is evaluate pricing received from an enterprise software RFP.? Cloud-based, client-based, named license, concurrent license, enterprise license, maintenance & support included or a percent of the licenses are all potential differences in pricing models from companies offering the same solution.? The reality is that the customer has more power than they know.? After (or even before if enough is known) the customer should be taking the elements of a pricing and SOW model they like the best and ask for updates based on that model.? EVERY software company I have ever known or worked for will tell you their model but when pressed will also confirm they can give bids however the customer wants them.? Lay it out and get common quotes.? Evaluation of the tools and the value they provide will be easier at that point.

For more information on how SafeSourcing can assist with sourcing IT projects 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.

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The How and Why of Supporting STEM!

July 28th, 2015

What is your company doing to support STEM education and why is it so important?

 

Today’s post is the SafeSourcing Archives.

Companies have begun to put an emphasis on services suppliers offer as well as the commitment they are making to the environment and to the communities around them when making procurement decisions on top considering price.   One of the growing areas of focus for many companies is STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education at the junior and senior high school levels as well the college level.  As the workforce begins to show distressing signs of a shortage of skilled workers in the years to come, companies that make the commitment to the youth now can reap huge dividends later and can contribute to a stronger and more qualified workforce here in the United States.

This type of emphasis by suppliers shows that they want to make a commitment to partner with their local communities in a way that can make them valuable partners down the road.  This emphasis should also be a priority for their customers in much the same way “green” initiatives have become so important.   Today we will look at a few ways companies and organizations are working hard to strengthen our youth STEM education.

Make it fun – One of the challenges presented to companies like utility companies that need a level of skill to employ is that the STEM areas of study are perceived as hard or too difficult for today’s generations of children to pursue.  Companies like Pacific Gas & Electric, Gulf Power Company and Ameren have invested millions of dollars in attempts at the K-12 level to develop programs to make these areas of study “fun.”  With the perception changed and interest piqued, children can begin to grow comfortable with STEM studies to the point where they get excited and hungry to learn more.  The ability to generate this change is the key to the programs of training that will lie ahead.

Connect the Parties– STEMConnector™was created in 2011 to provide a link for those wanting to get involved with improved STEM education with those providers of education with students eager to learn skills that will help them and their future companies to create jobs. Providing this bridge allows companies that need highly skilled workers to begin to educate new generations of students with skills that they will need in the next few years.  These students will fill holes left by a large retiring workforce, and companies can create strong skills and habits before the future employees even come to work.

Volunteer the time – While some companies do not have a corporate mission to support STEM education there are plenty of ways for employees to still contribute to the growing movement of education.  Many universities and non-profit organizations such as A World In Motion, provide ways to volunteer time in a program to help educate youth in ways that make the application of STEM studies real and provide mentors that give students models of who they want to become.  The commitments

are short term and generally require 1-2 hours per week, preparing youth to become the skilled workforce of your company tomorrow.

At SafeSourcing we know companies are looking for ways to give back to their communities and in finding partners who do the same and are positioning themselves in a place to help build the workforce of tomorrow.  For more information on how we can help connect you with companies like this 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.

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Politics and Procurement

July 24th, 2015

What do they both have to do with each other?

 

Next year will be another presidential election and campaigns are already revving up their advertising efforts, but what does this have to do with procurement?

Today’s blog is by Margaret Stewart, Executive Assistant at SafeSourcing.

You have probably already seen presidential forerunners in the news lately, and if you are lucky enough not to, you likely will see them soon. The ads often demonize opponents while glorifying their own candidate, just as the next ad shows the opposite. Even if we ignore all the advertisements and rely on our own research and opinions, how does one know if any of the candidates will actually fulfill their promises?

This is where procurement comes in – your business is faced with suppliers and vendors from all over the place, similar to our government elections. One will say their business is best and competitors pale in comparison, just as the competitor states the opposite.  This is when research and your own values come into play.

SafeSourcing can help your business do the research and find the right fit for your organization based on the values you prefer. Whether you prefer local vendors or national chains, SafeSourcing can help you decide what would work best for price, value, and goal.

But, again, how do you know that SafeSourcing and the suppliers will do what we promise? First, SafeSourcing can help you with your vendor contracts so that everything promised is fulfilled. Second, SafeSourcing offers a risk free trial of our services so you can see what we can do for your company. We know we can help your organizations and believe that once you try us, you will see how much we can save you and how much help we can be.

For more information on how SafeSourcing can help with finding the right supplier candidate for you, 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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