Let the Games Begin – The Sequel – Part I of II

December 8th, 2014

What if you could develop new ways to train incoming procurement professionals that fit the talents they already have?

 

Today’s post is by Mark Davis; Sr. Vice President of Operations and CTO at SafeSourcing.

Last year Paul Teague published a blog about the possibility of developing a video game type of training program to train new procurement professionals more about the industry. So with the 20th anniversary of what is arguably the most popular video game family ever, the Sony PlayStation, we will explore a few of the ways a game like that would need to work in order to be an effective training tool.

Analyzing the spend – The beginning part of any procurement professionals journey with a company and thus the beginning of this game would need to focus on understanding the company spend.  This includes direct as well as indirect expenses as they may apply.  This phase would focus on where different company types spend their money and what types of criteria make one category a better one to focus on than another (Hint: it’s not always about the size of the spend!).  Criteria such as approaching contract deadlines and diversity of a categories incumbent supplier base can also factor into this process.   The key to passing this level is to gain an understanding of how to prioritize the projects for what will surely be an understaffed and over worked procurement team in order to get the best results.

Understanding complex categories – As the game progresses, like any game, it will progress in difficulty the longer you play and this procurement training game would be no different.  Eventually it would get to very complex categories such as fuel, temporary labor, heavy equipment with dozens of options, etc.  With each complex category mission there would be challenges the user must overcome in order to even get the company executives to even pursue it.  Another key would be to understand not only how to execute the project but how to communicate internally what the project goal is so that time invested is not wasted because the right people weren’t engaged.

Engaging the suppliers – One of the aspects that would pop up in the projects a user must complete, but especially for the complex categories, is the management and engagement of suppliers.  There would obviously be several levels to master in this area because managing suppliers with a $100M company is altogether different than managing those same suppliers for a $100B company.  The game would need to help develop the skills to manage both incumbent vendors when there is only one incumbent, when there is more than one incumbent and when a category is brand new and has no incumbent supplier.  This would also be one of the most frustrating areas for users to master because of the dynamic nature of suppliers and how they react to a given scenario and how the user communicates with them as the game/project progresses.

Until a training module gets developed you can contact SafeSourcing for ideas on how to bring new resources up to speed.  For more information on that, our procurement Wiki 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.

Stay tuned for the second part of this blog series tomorrow.

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Master Lease Agreements

December 2nd, 2014

There are a number of important elements that should be captured in your Master Lease Agreements.

 

Today post is by Ryan Melowic, Director of Special Projects at SafeSourcing Inc.

When negotiating a Master Lease Agreement for Fleet Vehicles, it is important to include all the negotiable elements that make up the monthly lease payment.

Master Lease Agreements should include a monetary discount off the MSRP by class of vehicle.  This dollar amount can be applied to any vehicle at the time of lease initiation.   Depending on the number of vehicles needed, the manufacturer or the dealer will offer a MSRP discount. 

Inception fees, such as security deposit, acquisition fee, first month’s payment, taxes, or title fees per vehicle, can be due at lease signing or included in the monthly lease payment.  These fees should be addressed in the Master Lease Agreement. 

The percent of value retained at the end of the lease term can be negotiated.  A percentage of MSRP can be collected and used by vehicle class to determine what part of the value will be paid on during the term of the lease.  These percentages can be static elements within a Master Lease Agreement. 

The Money Factor should be collected by duration of lease term.  This is a variable rate that must be identified in a lease agreement and can be captured in the Master Lease agreement.

Administrative Fees can also be included in a Master Lease Agreement. This fee can be as much as $20 a month.  A fleet with 200 vehicles can equate to almost forty thousand dollars a year of spend for this item alone.  These fees can also be negotiated.

All the items listed above can make up a monthly fleet lease payment.  Therefore, they should be negotiated as well as captured in a Master Lease Agreement.  For more information on Master Lease agreements and making sure you are not overpaying on your fleet leases, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service Representative.  We have an entire customer services team waiting to assist you today.

We look forward to and appreciate your comments

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Why do people run marathons?

November 24th, 2014

They’re even crazier than you think

 

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.

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Here’s some useful information that your IT Team May Need

November 19th, 2014

"Has it been a while since you updated your website?”

 

Today’s post is by Troy Lowe, Director of Development at SafeSourcing.

If it’s been a while since you updated your site, you may want to consider giving it a new look and feel.  There are plenty of things that you can easily do to improve your site, from updating content to making small visual enhancements.  Here are few things that you should keep in mind when creating your site.

Simplify Your Navigation:  Having more options available to your visitors can make your site seem clunky and confusing.  Go through all of your menu options and see which ones can be grouped together and place them under one heading that can accessed by a dropdown menu.  This will give a much cleaner look and feel to the site and make navigation easier for the visitors.

Add or Improve Content to Increase traffic:  One way to do this is to make sure that you are creating good headlines.  The headlines will be the first thing that your visitors will see.  They should draw your reader’s attention and make them want to continue reading.  Keep your website fresh by posting your articles frequently.  This will keep your site more inviting to frequent visitors.

Company Logo:  Make sure that you have a professional looking logo and that it is located in the top left corner of your site.  This is the first place that a visitor usually looks when they view sites.  Create a link for the image that will allow the user to easily return to your home page.

Contact Information:  This is one of the most important items on your site.  Make your contact information easy to find.  Include your address, phone number, email address, and hours of business.  Everyone communicates in different ways, so give them options when it comes to connecting with your business.

If you would like more information on how SafeSourcing can help your business improve your website, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service representative.  We have an entire team ready to assist you today.

We look forward to and appreciate your comments!

 

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Retirement Party for….Your Spreadsheets Part 2 of 2

November 18th, 2014

Is it time to trade in your spreadsheets for web-based enterprise solution?

 

Today’s post is by Mark Davis; Sr. Vice President of Operations and CTO at SafeSourcing.

Yesterday we began a two part series on the reasons your procurement staff should be looking at moving away from spreadsheets and toward an enterprise online solution toolset.   We looked at the accessibility and security advantages of using an enterprise system and today we will look at a few additional reasons to ditch the spreadsheets and embrace an online set of tools.

Industry friendly – Spreadsheets are great tools for smaller projects where the type of analysis and data storage is known and the eventual conclusions are determined for the most part.   There are tools and templates that support certain industries; however the spreadsheet tool itself was not designed with specialized functionality the way online enterprise solutions can be.  In the enterprise model the tool can be configured to be used and to report on data that is specific to the industry using it, stripping away the confusing functionality that is not needed nor be used.

Scalable – There are two types of limitations a spreadsheet has.  The number of tabs (tables) and the number of rows (records) within that tab.   For most people, the limits of their spreadsheet application will never be reached as they work on individual projects that will never exceed those limits.  Depending on the dataset you are reviewing, exceeding those limits is an easy thing to do especially when looking at retail, shipping or manufacturing data that can contain millions of records and complex datasets.  No matter how big the data being reviewed becomes, an enterprise solution will be able to grow with the company and accommodate the storage and analysis of billions of rows of data.

Version Control – Another big problem many organizations have with using spreadsheet tools is that users have numerous spreadsheet program versions and sometimes the documents of one version cannot be opened by another.  By moving to an enterprise solution that is accessible through a web browser, the version can be controlled so that everyone is using the same version of the tool at all times.   This reduces training time, technical support resolution time and ensures that data created by one user will be accessible by another.

Integration with other tools – Companies will often find that they have data in numerous formats of various types all over the organization.   This data is useful and could prove even more useful if other applications have access to the trends that it reports.  Spreadsheets are not easily integrated and in some cases can never fully integrate either with each other, or with external business tools the way an enterprise solution could do.  Having one solution that can be the gatekeeper of this data can allow the tools the organization has already invested in to operate on an even higher level.

It is difficult sometimes to let go of tools that have been used for a long time and that users are comfortable with, however as the industry continues to advance and technology with it, looking for more effective solutions is an important step for companies to take.  For more information on how we can assist with helping you find a replacement for your spreadsheets 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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Retirement Party for…Your Spreadsheets Part 1 of 2

November 17th, 2014

Is it time to trade in your spreadsheets for a web-based enterprise solution?

 

Today’s post is by Mark Davis; Sr. Vice President of Operations and CTO at SafeSourcing.

It is no secret that when an organization gets comfortable with a tool or process that works for them, that they are very hesitant to move away from it.  The problem with this thought process is that many times the disadvantages and potential risks that can come with these tools and processes sneak up on an organization leaving them vulnerable without them even knowing it. 

This is especially true with spreadsheets because companies have begun to take this tool that they feel comfortable with and use it in ways it is not optimized for.  Today we will be looking at a few of the advantages for moving away from spreadsheets and towards stable enterprise online solutions.

Security – Spreadsheets have become a popular tool because they make many jobs and tasks easier to track and report on.  Some organizations have even done a good job leveraging the capability to secure a spreadsheet with a password.  Where that becomes a problem, however, is when an individual just needs to restrict access to a portion of the data.  Spreadsheets do not offer this in the same way an online solution can.  With spreadsheets it is an all or nothing option, whereas with an online tool, access can not only be restricted to portions of the data but also down to individual groups and users for certain areas.   This gives an organization ultimate control of who sees and can manipulate the data.

Accessibility – Accessible data is one of the biggest complaints with projects and processes within an organization especially when that data is contained in a spreadsheet.  With thousands of individual spreadsheets being created there is no clean way to search through all of it at once or to access working copies.  There are always options like SharePoint and DropBox, but these solutions are already halfway to having an online enterprise solution that would provide 24/7 access to however needs it.  Why not take the process the rest of the way and embrace a solution that captures and stores the data from those thousands of spreadsheets in one location to be accessed and searched when needed?

Data Consolidation – Duplicate efforts and data within an organization that relies on spreadsheets is also a very common issue.  With so many people operating within a tiny technical sphere of data in their own spreadsheet they cannot see the other work that is being performed and often times are not able to draw more valuable conclusions because of the lack of insight they have to what other departments are doing.  With an online enterprise solution they can see what trends and experiences other parts of the company are dealing with and make better decisions for their department by having access to a consolidated set of data that is capturing everything.

Tomorrow we will conclude this two-part blog with some other advantages with moving away from spreadsheets towards enterprise online solutions.  For more information on 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.

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Dog Bites, Law, and Your Business

November 14th, 2014

What do these things have in common?

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

Research. These three especially require digging in and getting all the information available.

Recently there was an article  about a suburban neighborhood’s ban on Pit Bulls. Having never heard of such a ban before, it was surprising that one particular breed had been outlawed in an area. The news article talked about how the city officials issuing the citations did not have a formal way of testing what breed a particular dog was, other than visual, and the main story was about how a family was repeatedly cited and fined when their family pet was in fact a Boxer, not a Pit Bull.

Despite strongly disagreeing with this city’s policy of banning one breed of dog when there are many breeds of dog that bite (and are more likely to come from a small breed ) and that the behavior of an animal has a huge amount to do with how that animal is raised, one important lesson here is that there is very little to back this law. The notion that a family can be repeatedly fined over a “dangerous” breed of dog when their dog is neither dangerous nor of that breed, is reminiscent of mob mentality without due process. Perhaps mob mentality is a bit extreme, but the principal is the same. Fear should not dictate law and those making the laws ought to know better than to pass something with no checks or balances.

The purpose of bringing this situation to light is that if a business were to run its operations similarly, it would fail horribly (unnecessary expenses, delay in parts and production, perhaps even lawsuits). A business cannot start implementing policies without having knowledge and research to back it up. For example, when ordering manufacturing parts, a business has to know the specifications of a part before ordering it. Just like not knowing the difference between a Boxer and a Pit Bull, using a nail when you need a screw is going to cause problems. In other words, do your research.

One way to ensure that your business is doing the research it needs is by implementing a SME, or Subject Matter Expert. This is just one way SafeSourcing can help your business, by providing experience and knowledge on your supplies and the industry.

If you would like more information on how SafeSourcing can help with your business research or 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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Ebola

October 30th, 2014

I am sure I am not the only one a little worried here!

Today’s post is by Shelly Hayre, Project Manager at SafeSourcing.

I am sure I am not the only one a little worried here. Ebola is in the United States and not only has someone been diagnosed with it, but now someone has contracted it here in the States. Is the CDC prepared? Do we have the correct personal protection equipment to protect the nurses, doctor, paramedics, hospital staff, and anyone everyone else?

Many articles online state, “You should not be worried; it is highly unlikely you get infected.” If this does spread and become a bigger issue, are we prepared? Being prepared for an emergency small or big is crucial in the success of running a nation, and even a business.

Is your business prepared for an emergency?

Your biggest fear within the business is probably not Ebola, but what about a tornado, fire, or data breach? Providing emergency planning information to employees so they know what to do if there is an emergency and are prepared for the worst is usually missed by companies. Even if there is an emergency plan, does everyone required to execute it, understand it? Include emergency information in newsletters, on your company intranet, and train all employees for proper protocol.

Prepare for Utility Disruptions

Businesses require water, electricity, natural gas, telecommunications, sewerage, and other utilities. You should plan ahead for extended disruptions during and after a disaster. Evaluate options such as portable generators for backup power and strategies to deal with interruptions of other utilities.

Natural Disaster

When your office or store-front suffers a disaster and the building is exposed, you will need to have protocol on protecting the valuables (money, merchandise, etc.). You will want to call in a professional to temporarily cover the damage to avoid risk to customers and protect valuables. In addition, call a security guard on-site until the damage is repaired. You are at risk when your building is exposed at all times during the night. 

Security Breach

Protecting your electronic data and information technology systems may require specialized expertise, but even the smallest business can be better prepared. Protect networked computers with firewalls, install anti-virus software, and keep software up-to-date. Back up your computer data off-site.

These are only a few of the disasters to be prepared for. Having the right equipment and suppliers ready to service you when needed is important in an emergency. If you do not have a contact for security guards, emergency disaster maintenance, and equipment readily available, you are not ready for an emergency.

Let SafeSourcing help you gather the suppliers and equipment you need to be prepared. We will make sure you are prepared for any disaster and provide reliable suppliers to meet your needs.

We look forward to and appreciate your comments.

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There is much ado about new retail supplier or vendor scorecards.

October 29th, 2014

Scorecards are not a new subject. The problem is that organizations try to make them so complex that they end up becoming useless.

Todays post is from Ron Southard, CEO at SafeSourcing Inc.

Do you remember bringing home your report card from school as a child and maybe even receiving an early warning that you were having problems a couple of weeks before the actual report card arrived. You worried and worried but ultimately it took you just a minute to view it and determine if you were in trouble when you got home or not. Some parents even gave rewards for good performance. These were your first look at scorecards. They were simple, easy to react too and easy to measure against over time.

The first goal of a supplier scorecard is to use the KISS method and keep it simple. Know what you are trying to measure and measure it. Don?t go adding things that have nothing to do with what your original goal was.

An example of a scorecard for a new supplier or vendor that was just awarded business from a reverse auction or other e-RFX event might include the following and not much more.

1.?Objective Elements
2.?Quality Elements?
3.?Delivery Elements
4.?Quote or Pricing Accuracy Elements

Unfortunately too many companies in attempting to simplify analysis create tools that support the phrase that a camel is a horse created by committee? The simplicity of the statement just emphasizes how ineffective a committee can be by having too many conflicting opinions that influence, grow or make unwieldy a potentially simple project like designing a new supplier or vendor scorecard.

Included in the four elements above for a new vendor are the following.

1.?Did the award of business take place as described within the terms and conditions?
2.?Did a contract get executed as described within the terms and conditions?
3.?Were samples viewed, inspected and approved if required?
4.?Did the supplier deliver the specification as bid?
5.?Did the supplier deliver the product or service on time?
6.?Did the supplier deliver the product or service at the price quoted?
7.?did the product or service work as promised?

Don?t fall into the trap of measuring more than you need to. At the end of the day a score of 90-100 is still an A and a score of below 60 is an F. A quick look should still tell you if you are in trouble or not.

If you’d like to learn more about SafeSourcing’s dashboard and scorecards, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Services Account Manager.

We look forward to and appreciate your comments.

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The Pros of Offering Educational Benefits for Employees

October 23rd, 2014

Are you debating about offering educational benefits for your employees?

Today’s post is by Alyson Usserman; Account Manager at SafeSourcing.

In the modern business world of 2014, employee benefits play a huge factor when it comes to potential employment candidates, hiring, firing, and the overall company bottom line.

Potential employment candidates, as well as other established employees, are always looking to further themselves. You want your employees to maintain the “go getter” attitude that keeps them motivated and working for your company, but what drives this attitude? Of course ambition; that is a given, but if you offer incentive to keep learning, will they do so? If your employees continue their education, does it benefit your company as a whole? The answer is yes. Having employees that have multiple degrees can benefit the company greatly because, in theory, the employees should then take their learning from the classroom to the workplace and improve the company.

Educational benefits are becoming more common across the United States, but what are the potential ramifications? One of the largest issues that Forbes discusses is the fact that the employer puts monetary value on their employees, they invest in them. When the company makes an investment in their employees they are looking to reap the benefits of that investment. Many companies are offering educational benefits with “strings attached,” Basically forcing the employee to sign a contract that says, “if we, the company, pay for your education, you cannot take that knowledge elsewhere.” Many companies put minimum grade point average expectations, service requirements, and any other “strings” they can because they want to protect that investment from leaving to go to a different company.

SafeSourcing can help you lower your overall company spend so that way you are able to offer more employee benefits to attract more employees and can grow your company. 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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