It is Always Negotiable.

April 20th, 2022

 Yes. Always!

 

Today’s Post is by Patrick Quinn a Procurement Specialist at SafeSourcing Inc.

You, yes you, have a supplier that is screwing you over. The problem is you do not know which one it is. Inflation is hitting your books, and you have spent countless hours going over your spreadsheets to find out how your business is going to pay its bills. You could risk upsetting your clients and customers by trying to subtly increase your prices, but with the news tickers of rising prices flashing everywhere, more people now than ever are watching out for the latest price increases, and you could lose more business than you keep by doing so.

But what about the side of the business where you are the customer? You may think you have negotiated the best deals, found the highest quality suppliers for the lowest price when negotiation is not worth the time, and introduced cost saving tactics when even comparative shopping does not seem worth it, but how can your team alone possibly account for every penny-pinching method within the work week? The answers are often hidden right at the top end of your accounts payable sheet.

During times of inflation, your suppliers can increase prices without your complaint because they expect you to see cost increases. Inflation hit 8.5% so your costs increased. But, by how much exactly? And how much time will it take for you to find out which suppliers increased costs more than 8.5%? Stare at the spreadsheets long enough, and you will begin to wonder, is the 8.5% inflation rate real in any way? Or is it that way because your suppliers took advantage of your pre-conceived ideas?

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard incumbent suppliers tell our customers that they cannot lower their prices. And almost as many times, prices are adjusted to meet the competition. Competing suppliers in your industry want you to spend money with them just as much as your current supplier wants to keep you. Your current supplier has just had a seat at your table more often than anyone else. eRFQ tools ensure that your supplier knows that you also know that there are always more options out there. And if you let someone search hard enough for you, you will find a new supplier eager to impress you just as much as your current supplier did when they first made their way into your spreadsheets.

To help you find the source of your rising costs, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service Representative.

 

 

 

Are We Entering a Buyers’ Market Yet?

April 19th, 2022

After many quarters of vendor price increases, we are observing a shift. Are You?

 

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

For too long now, we have been experiencing a seller’s market and many organizations’ buyers have had to suffer through price increase after price increase. At SafeSourcing, we have talked with buyers that have reported continuous price increases every month and year-over-year price increases that add up to paying nearly 100% more from one year to the next for the same products.

The question is then is – when will this situation change?

We are noticing that a change is already taking place. The list of categories below is just a sample of the categories that we have sourced for our customers recently. What is interesting about this sample is that the average savings for the categories listed here is over 33%.

  • Windows and Doors – 14% savings
  • Labels – 32% savings 
  • Towels and Wipes – 64% savings 
  • Appliances – 16%
  • Cappuccino, Tea, and Hot Chocolate – 27% savings 
  • Concrete and Pump Cleaner – 64% savings
  • Hot Dogs – 24% reduction
  • Cigarette racks – 27% reduction 
  • Napkins – 56% reduction plus an increase in quality 
  • Refrigeration equipment – 31% reduction 
  • Creamer etc. – 20% reduction 
  • Waste removal – 24% reduction

 Another signal of a change in the markets is that we have seen an increase in the number of vendor participants in RFQs. That increase directly corresponds to a decrease in the number of vendors that are declining citing challenges such as capacity limitations.

For those that are watching closely, the opportunity to claw back against the recent price increases is right in front of you. For those that listen to your vendors, expect the price increases to continue.

For more information, please contact SafeSourcing.

 

 

 

Dead Net

April 15th, 2022

What concessions go into your dead net pricing?

 

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

What concessions go into your dead net pricing?

Dead net pricing is not always an obvious outcome of your suppler negotiations.

Dead net sales income refers to the income that a retailer earns after considering any discounts that they earn from their supplier. Some vendors will provide allowances, trade credits, and other deals, so using the suppliers list price to calculate income requires adjustments for these factors. The retailer adds the effects of these supplier concessions into the cost of goods sold, and it subtracts this net cost from its sales revenue to get dead net sales income.

If you’d like to learn more about how SafeSourcing goes about collecting information relaitive to  dead net pricing, please contact a SafeSourcing customers services associate.

Sources: http://www.ehow.com/info_8491288_dead-net-sales-income.html#ixzz2BOm9lhDW

The Horizontal Exchange

April 14th, 2022

Does your company know who and where the horizontal exchanges are that you can source from?

 

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

The Horizontal exchange is an e-marketplace that facilitates transactions for goods and services across several industries. A horizontal e-marketplace connects buyers and sellers across different industries or regions. A horizontal e-marketplace can be used to purchase indirect products such as office equipment or stationery.  Horizontal exchanges focus on leveraging expertise in a particular business process across number of industries. Service industries lend themselves well to a horizontal exchange. The most active horizontal exchanges today are competing in the realm of e-procurement.

The SafeSourcing Supplier Database with over 450,000 suppliers contains the information necessary to support all of your supply needs horizontal, manufacturer or specific vertical.

If you’d like to learn more about how SafeSourcing goes about sourcing vendors or other distribution options, please contact a SafeSourcing customers services associate.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3740530

EPA Green Power Partnership

April 13th, 2022

Does your company buy sustainable green energy? Should it?

 

 

Today’s post if by Ronald D. Southard, CEO of SafeSourcing Inc.

Does your company buy sustainable green energy? Should it?

The EPA Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that “encourages organizations to buy green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with purchased electricity use”. Currently the organization has over 1500 partners that voluntarily purchase billions of kilowatt hours of sustainable green energy every year. Organizations include Fortune 500 companies, medium-sized businesses, as well as government and educational institutions.

SafeSourcing is an procurement company with many tools that are free for use form our SafeSourcing Wiki to our  SafeSourceIt™ Query Tool and many others. By using our site, you can conduct the research that allows you to operate with business partners that support you goals of being a carbon neutral company as well.

If you’d like to learn more as to how SafeSourcing can help you accomplish your green initiatives, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Services Associate.

Second Tier Sourcing

April 12th, 2022

How does your company achieve minority owned spending goals?

 

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

Second Tier Sourcing is a procurement policy that is used by various Fortune 500 corporations. This is a practice of rewarding suppliers for attempting to achieve minority-owned business spending goals of their customer(s).

The program was created by the Chrysler Corporation in 1993 and now extends throughout the Fortune 500. In 2005, Toyota set a goal of 10% for their suppliers and holds an annual matchmaking event to help their suppliers achieve those goals.

The SafeSourcing Supplier Database with over 450,000 suppliers contains the information necessary to support your minority-owned supplier search criteria.

If you’d like to learn more about how SafeSourcing goes about holding your supply chain accountable, please contact a SafeSourcing customer services associate

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or (LEED)

April 8th, 2022

If you have construction projects on your books or are currently working with general contractors, are you asking the right questions

 

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

If you have construction projects on your books or are currently working with general contractors, are you asking the right questions in support of our global environment. Today’s post which is also listed in our wiki and originates from techtarget.com. It is also another certification we hold our suppliers accountable too.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system is the nationally accepted benchmark for design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings. LEED is an ecology-oriented building certification program run under the auspices of the U.S. green building Council (USGBC). LEED concentrates its efforts on improving performance across five key areas of environmental and human health: energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, materials selection, sustainable site development, and water savings.

LEED has special rating systems that apply to all kinds of structures, including schools, retail and healthcare facilities. Rating systems are available for new construction and major renovations as well as existing buildings. The program is designed to inform and guide all kinds of professionals who work with structures to create or convert spaces to environmental sustainability, including architects, real estate professionals, facility managers, engineers, interior designers, landscape architects, construction managers, private sector executives and government officials.

On its Web site, the USGBC says that LEED defines “a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance Green Buildings” and “provides building owners and operators with the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance.” According to the American Institute of Architects, the 69 LEED points that make up the program’s specific design points and considerations can be reviewed in a two-hour meeting, during which time the design team and the owner can decide what level of LEED compliance is desirable for their building project.

State and local governments around the United States are adopting LEED for public buildings of all kinds, and LEED initiatives at the US Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy and State drive activity at the federal level. In addition, various types of LEED projects are currently underway in over forty other countries, including Canada, Brazil, India, and Mexico.

If you would like to learn more about our supplier certifications, contact a SafeSourcing Customer services associate.

If you’d like to follow the source for this post, please click the link.

Source: http://searchdatacenter.techtarget.com/definition/LEED-Leadership-in-Energy-and-Environmental-Design 

 

Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment

April 7th, 2022

 

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

With the supply chain being in the turmoil that it is today does this process still work and can mid-market companies even afford it.

Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment (CPFR) is a type of software system that enables businesses to interactively share production, inventory, and order information online with their partners. Its main concept aims to enhance supply chain integration by supporting and assisting joint practices. CPFR seeks cooperative management of inventory through joint visibility and replenishment of products throughout the supply chain. Information shared between suppliers and retailers aids in planning, satisfying customer demands through a supportive system of shared information.

What are your alternatives to Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment? SafeSourcing has written about this subject many times. You can find them in our SafeSourcing Daily Blog that has published over 3500 articles on a variety of topics. Please check into these three or research the rest of our archive yourself. What is Collaboration? Part I. What is Collaboration? Part II and What is Collaboration? Part III of III.

If you would like to learn more about our daily blog philosophy please contact a SafeSourcing customers services associate.

Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP)

April 6th, 2022

What is an environmentally preferable product?

 

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

With everything else companies must focus on these days, how can you ensure that you are still buying products and services that support the environment. And just what is an environmentally preferable product.

An Environmentally Preferable Product is a product or service that has a lesser or reduced impact on human health and the environment relative to competing products or services that serve the same purpose. Such products or services may include, but are not limited to those which contain recycled content, minimize waste, conserve energy or water, or reduce the amount of toxins either disposed of or consumed.

As you might imagine part of the reason we chose the name SafeSourcing was in order to insure not only that the products and services you source were safe for you, your associates and your customers, but also to insure that they have minimal impact on the resources of the planet we all share. Our SafeSourceIt™ Supplier Database includes over 25 certifications that we hold our suppliers accountable to during the vetting process and that support your socially responsible initiatives by holding your supply chain accountable to the same strategies.

If you’d like to learn more about how SafeSourcing goes about holding your supply chain accountable, please contact a SafeSourcing customers services associate

Inventory Management Program and Control Technique (IMPACT)

April 5th, 2022

Especially In today’s world you should be paying attention to this? If not, you’ll be glad to know that SafeSourcing does.

 

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

Especially in today’s world, you should be paying attention to this. If not, you’ll be glad to know that SafeSourcing does.

The Inventory Management Program and Control Technique (IMPACT) is a way to maintain the stock keeping items at desired levels, whether they be raw materialsgoods in progress, or finished goods.

Inventory Management and Control is a scientific method of determining-

  1. What to purchase
  2. When to purchase
  3. How much to be kept as stock for a given period

Efficient inventory management and control means, never falling short of anything, never overstocking of anything and never dispatching too many small orders too often.

The SafeSourcing Wiki is an excellent source of information and educational content for procurement professionals and organizations. Better than that, its free to use. Even better than that, if your company is  looking for education delivery programs and certifications, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Services Associate to discuss our programs.