The importance of keeping your company’s e-procurement efforts consistent throughout the year.

April 23rd, 2014

Every year we see the same thing as summer vacations and holidays approach.

Today’s Bog is by Ryan Melowic Vice President of Customer Services at SafeSourcing.

Every year we see it as  summer vacations and holidays approach, activity for sourcing events slows down quite a bit.  It is unfortunate to see because; there are so many lost savings opportunities.   What procurement departments need during vacation season is someone to fill in for their staff that is out of the office. 

SafeSourcing does the heavy lifting on e-procurement events.   The heavy lifting consists of the following:

1. Providing category knowledge to our customers that help them better understand the trends in the particular markets.
2. Identifying suppliers that are the right fit for each event category.
3. Delivering consistent communications to the vendors.
4. Consolidating and responding to questions during the project.
5. Training for event participants.
6. Support for the participants throughout the live event.
7. Detailed reporting on the e-procurement event.

With all this valuable support, the SafeSourcing team can be your company’s fill in during vacation season.  And, with a fill in, your company’s e-procurement will not slow down during vacation season and maximum savings potentials can be realized.

For further information how SafeSourcing can help your company realize savings twelve months a year, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service Representative to assist you today.

We look forward to and appreciate your comments

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The importance of keeping your company’s e-procurement efforts consistent throughout the year.

April 23rd, 2014

Every year we see the same thing as summer vacations and holidays approach.

Today?s Bog is by Ryan Melowic Vice President of Customer Services at SafeSourcing.

Every year we see it as? summer vacations and holidays approach, activity for sourcing events slows down quite a bit.? It is unfortunate to see because; there are so many lost savings opportunities.?? What procurement departments need during vacation season is someone to fill in for their staff that is out of the office.?

SafeSourcing does the heavy lifting on e-procurement events.?? The heavy lifting consists of the following:

1. Providing category knowledge to our customers that help them better understand the trends in the particular markets.
2. Identifying suppliers that are the right fit for each event category.
3. Delivering consistent communications to the vendors.
4. Consolidating and responding to questions during the project.
5. Training for event participants.
6. Support for the participants throughout the live event.
7. Detailed reporting on the e-procurement event.

With all this valuable support, the SafeSourcing team can be your company?s fill in during vacation season.? And, with a fill in, your company?s e-procurement will not slow down during vacation season and maximum savings potentials can be realized.

For further information how SafeSourcing can help your company realize savings twelve months a year, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service Representative to assist you today.

We look forward to and appreciate your comments

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The Art of Supplier Selection!

April 22nd, 2014

How are you selecting your suppliers to review for RFIs, RFP, and RFQs?

Today?s post is by Mark Davis; Sr. Vice President and COO at SafeSourcing.

Each year companies spend millions of dollars researching markets and categories, and the suppliers that support them.? Some of this work is done internally and some of this work is performed by 3rd party strategic sourcing and research companies like Gartner or Forrester.? The goal of the research is always to understand who the players are, where they are strong, where they are weak and how they compare to other players in the space.? These results eventually help companies make decisions and are the basis by which presentations are requested and who should be invited to submit proposals for business.

The National Suppliers ? National Suppliers are essential for almost any sourcing project, especially for those companies with a nationwide presence.? National players are usually the leaders in the industry and have a better handle on trends from coast to coast as well as the experience to lead big projects.? The downside to National players is that they are not always right for ?niche? projects that need a very focused tool or service.? National players are also situated within the market and their customer base in a way that they are not always as hungry from a pricing perspective as some of their smaller competitors.? While National players can come with a higher price point, however, their experience and coverage usually make up for it.

The Regional/Sub-Category Suppliers ? The next tier of suppliers is one that contains large regional companies or companies who focus on a big portion of an overall category.? An example of the latter would be if a company was looking at Maintenance, Repairs and Operation spend and wanted to include some companies that specialized in only a few products that made up a large portion of the spend but nothing else.? Everyone wants to go with a single award supplier because it is easier to manage but the reality is that single supplier awards don?t always make as much sense as splitting the business geographically or categorically between 2-3 vendors.? This creates a great opportunity for this tier of suppliers to feel they have a legitimate shot at winning business and keeps them aggressive in their proposals.

The Local/Niche Suppliers ? Many people would believe that after the first two groups of suppliers, that it does not make much sense to include the smaller local or niche vendors.? This assumption would be wrong.? Procurement projects, especially those for large National companies, often see that huge portions of the spend can be found in only 2 or 3 locations.? In these cases, a local supplier may already be supporting the company very well and should be included in any sourcing project.? Also, in the case above with MRO example, if a company only wanted to focus on a section of parts like filters, they would likely start with being focused on niche suppliers but would also invite large regional and National players as potential secondary suppliers.? This process allows a company to leverage a potential existing deal with a National or Regional player while keeping a local incumbent honest.

For more information on how SafeSourcing can assist with helping you business find the right mix of suppliers to include in your next sourcing event?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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BOSTON STRONG!

April 21st, 2014

NEVER GIVE IN! Never-in nothing, great or small.

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.”

Boston78

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Let us eat LETTUCE!

April 18th, 2014

Food costs are up. Are our retailers doing all they can to keep costs down?

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

I was doing some morning reading today and noticed an article attributed to Paul Davidson of USA TODAY titled ?RISING FOOD PRICES PINCH CONSUMERS?. It?s unfortunate we cannot survive on the lowest cost foods because that is exactly what Lettuce was with a -16.9% change in price over the last twelve months?based on?the governments Consumer Price Index for March from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Any guess as to what was the highest? Have you tried to buy Limes lately? If so you might have guessed Citrus Fruits which are up +17%. I?m not sure one could survive on limes alone either, but I am sure this author might do a pretty good job on Key Lime Pie (Yum!).

Here are some of the other categories.

1. Eggs +9.9%
2. Uncooked Ground Beef +6.8%
3. Pork + 5.3%
4. Peanut Butter? – 3.6%
5. Apples -3.0%

The question this author always has is what retailers are doing in order to compress and contain pricing in order to pass the lowest possible cost on to their consumers.? SafeSourcing has tools that help companies accomplish this and 99.9% of all sourcing projects in the last 6 years have returned savings or cost avoidance. Ask your retailer how they are doing this and if they are getting a better than 10X ROI from their procurement solution provider?

If you?d like to learn more how SafeSourcing can help your company reduce product and service realted costs so they are measureable in the current quarter, please contact a SafeSourcing customer services account manager.

We look forward to and appreciate your comments. HAPPY EASTER.

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When in doubt, collaborate!

April 16th, 2014

Have you thought lately about the concept of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts?

Today?s post is by Steve Schwerin, Account Manager here at SafeSourcing

Have you shied away from eProcurement because either you don?t think an individual spend is large enough to make a difference or you don?t want to go it alone?? The old saying about the whole being greater than the sum of its parts has a role even in eProcurement.? Take a second and think about how this concept could help you find savings in procurement.

  1. For one, coordinated effort leads to the benefits of scale.? SafeSourcing regularly runs events where multiple customers reap the benefits of going to market with a combined larger spend.
  2. Another benefit is that working together offers different things do different companies in different proportions.? Your company may not be buying all the exact items as your partner, but combined the similar items give a vendor the opportunity to offer greater savings to you both than otherwise viable.
  3. Collaborating may be exactly what has kept you from seeking different procurement solutions in the first place.? The benefits of working with others may go beyond the simple numbers you initially calculate.? Collaborating in and of itself might be a new procurement strategy, but you may still need a tool and expertise to facilitate the process.
  4. Finally, if you are concerned about an impersonal solution, time is revealing that the internet and electronic solutions are anything but impersonal.? They are different and they let us interact in ways that were not possible before due to communication and time barriers

We, here at SafeSourcing, would love to talk to you about how you can collaborate with your partners to all benefit more than you would if you were going it alone.? 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?or call ?888-261-9070 today.? We have an entire customer services team waiting to assist you today.

We look forward to your comments.

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Organic. FDA Approved. No GMO

April 15th, 2014

We are beginning to become more concerned with what goes into our body, but who else really cares?

Today?s post is by Shelly Hayre; Project Manager at SafeSourcing.

As I walk around the grocery store reading labels of my common purchases and avoiding ?known? bad ingredients, I wonder why it is allowed in our food if it is proven to be bad for our health. Only does it start getting removed from food when the general public is aware of the effects and will not purchase products with that ingredient.

This will lead you to the organic products, but these products can be very expensive at the grocery store. Grocery stores typically only carry a few organic lines and it does not cause enough competition on the shelf for lower prices.

BUT it gets better! Greek yogurt is my food of choice for breakfast. It has many benefits that are greater than regular yogurt, many consumers are aware of this. The problem is that consumers look for the word ?GREEK? and they assume it has all the benefits they read about in a magazine. This is not always the case. Greek yogurt, for example, does not have a standard for labeling your product ?GREEK? yogurt. So you could really be eating a yogurt that does not provide the extent of what that magazine told you.

Unless you are very educated on food products and have disposable money for true organic food it is hard to avoid these new food processes that cut cost for producers. I often wonder why this is not regulated more.

SafeSourcing does research, on your behalf, to verify the suppliers offer a good quality product and service to fit your needs. We understand the sales pitch can be so good that it is hard to understand how good the product or service will be. Let?s remove the sales pitch and get down to the quality and cost!

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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It’s OK to Try Something New!

April 14th, 2014

Are there opportunities you can be taking today that go outside of normal processes?

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

Change is inevitable.  We all know this.   No matter how much some people refuse to embrace that fact, it does not prevent it from happening.  The real question is whether a person is someone that waits and lets the change happen or runs in front  of change and determines the best route to take before the change occurs.  Taking advantage of new opportunities is one way to  get in front of change and position the company in a place to be proactive rather than reactive.

Research The Industry – New opportunities can come in areas where the company has current vendors and experience or new technologies, products or services where there is little to no background.  One of the ways to understand a new opportunity is by issuing RFIs to the strong players in the space.  Using tools such as Forrester and Gartner can assist with a starting point to identify the major players in the field and can be augmented with other research performed by an internal team or external strategic sourcing partners.   Once an understanding of the industry for the opportunity is identified strategies and plans can be formed for taking the next best steps.

Talk to suppliers – When opportunities arise in areas that a company has traditionally not done business it can be a wise task to reach out to incumbents and potential suppliers to get their thoughts on what the opportunities can mean for the industry and them.  Many times new technology, software, products and processes can change everything about how a business operates and the best source of information can be found in those companies who work in the industry every day.  Tempering the information collected this way with what a particular supplier has to gain or lose by the emergence of this new opportunity is also an important must.

Understand the Risk – The final piece to understanding any new opportunity is in fully understanding the risk associated with embracing it.  This can mean the risk in switching suppliers, switching technology, or embracing a process that changes how the business operates.  Another important aspect of understanding the risk associated with change is calculating the changeover costs or any potential cost associated with any leftover inventory from an incumbent.  These risks and costs will be the final piece to evaluate the total picture of a new opportunity.

For more information on how SafeSourcing can assist with any aspect of evaluating a new opportunity 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.

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It?s OK to Try Something New!

April 14th, 2014

Are there opportunities you can be taking today that go outside of normal processes?

Today?s post is by Mark Davis; Sr. Vice President and COO at SafeSourcing.

Change is inevitable.? We all know this.?? No matter how much some people refuse to embrace that fact, it does not prevent it from happening.? The real question is whether a person is someone that waits and lets the change happen or runs in front? of change and determines the best route to take before the change occurs.? Taking advantage of new opportunities is one way to? get in front of change and position the company in a place to be proactive rather than reactive.

Research The Industry ? New opportunities can come in areas where the company has current vendors and experience or new technologies, products or services where there is little to no background.? One of the ways to understand a new opportunity is by issuing RFIs to the strong players in the space.? Using tools such as Forrester and Gartner can assist with a starting point to identify the major players in the field and can be augmented with other research performed by an internal team or external strategic sourcing partners.?? Once an understanding of the industry for the opportunity is identified strategies and plans can be formed for taking the next best steps.

Talk to suppliers ? When opportunities arise in areas that a company has traditionally not?done business it can be a wise task to reach out to incumbents and potential suppliers to get their thoughts on what the opportunities can mean for the industry and them.? Many times new technology, software, products and processes can change everything about how a business operates and the best source of information can be found in those companies who work in the industry every day.? Tempering the information collected this way with what a particular supplier has to gain or lose by the emergence of this new opportunity is also an important must.

Understand the Risk ? The final piece to understanding any new opportunity is in fully understanding the risk associated with embracing it.? This can mean the risk in switching suppliers, switching technology, or embracing a process that changes how the business operates.? Another important aspect of understanding the risk associated with change is calculating the changeover costs or any potential cost associated with any leftover inventory from an incumbent.? These risks and costs will be the final piece to evaluate the total picture of a new opportunity.

For more information on how SafeSourcing can assist with any aspect of evaluating a new opportunity 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.

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Spoiler Alert!

April 10th, 2014

Are there similarities in spoilers in television and in your industry?

Today?s post is by Margaret Stewart, Executive Assistant at SafeSourcing.

With so many great shows out now, many of us have a TV series we love, be it Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead. Every now and then, things come up and we miss some episodes. When that happens, the last thing we want is to read something online that spoils the ending. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and all of social media can be great at keeping people connected, but can sometimes give away the details.

?I can?t believe he died at the end!? This is not what you want to hear from fellow fans nor do you want to see a meme about in online, and often the ?spoiler alert? warning comes a bit too late. You will probably keep watching the show even after hearing a spoiler, but you won?t be surprised by the ending. There are, however, some spoilers that are good and make you want to know more.

What if you read about a company down the street who saved 20% off their indirect spend at the end of the year? You would love to hear that spoiler and probably would want to know more about it. To add to it, what if that same company did the same thing as you? You would likely be even more interested. After all, the more money saved means the more money available to go elsewhere.

There are a number of companies out there just like this. They may be saving money on their costs that a business down the street pays full price for. So, how does that company do it? One way is by finding the best prices on the things they have to buy. They likely talked to a procurement specialist and found ways they could get the exact items they already buy, but at a lower price.? This saved money leads to more available spend, which in turn leads to additional growth.

Finding the right procurement specialist is the first step towards lowering costs and being the company that saves money in the end. You may be surprised at how much you can save, then your company can be the ?spoiler? other companies hear about.

We, at SafeSourcing, enjoy bringing this blog to you five days a week and hope you find value in it. For more information about how SafeSourcing can help your company lower its spend and increase growth 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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