Today’s Post is by Eli Razov an Account Manager at SafeSourcing.

What is your procurement process? How do you find the products that are required to keep your company operating? Weather it is the raw materials to create your products or the packaging you use to ship it out, there are multiple places to choose these products from. But how do you choose the best? Is it based off of price or maybe the quality? What do you consider value? From sugar to corrugated cardboard there will always be options. Maybe you go with the simple approach, call vendors you hear of from word of mouth. Or perhaps a friend or co-worker works with someone from a particular company and can get you that “in”. You can also take the tech approach and become best friends with Google or a similar search engine.

Great now you have found a few companies, so what to do from here? You call or email for a quote. You talk to someone on the sales side of things and get the information you need by divulging every aspect of your business to try and get a lower price. It doesn’t end there because now you have to do that maybe five more times because you’re not doing yourself any favors by stopping at the first price you get. So now you maybe have five or six quotes. What is the next step? Not sure? Maybe you haven’t gotten this far before or maybe you have and are a seasoned vet.

Well the next step is to discuss terms and nail down specifications. Now what? Where do we go from here? Do you choose the lowest price or maybe look up some reviews? The next logical step is to get samples and compare them to what you have, want or need. Excellent! Now maybe you found the right one but wait, it’s the most expensive! Do you go back to the drawing board or just fork over the dough? All of this process can take weeks and a lot of time out of a company’s already hectic schedule

That is where we come in! Here at SafeSourcing we take the headache out of the procurement process. From start to finish we help with it all. We will find the vendors for you; tailor the specifications to your exact needs. On average, across all companies in many different markets, we drive down pricing around 21% on average. We will do the leg work for you and open up your schedule to do what matters, your business.

Contact us please.

Today’s blog is by Margaret Stewart, Manager of HR and Administration at SafeSourcing.

Many of you may have noticed stores beginning to stock up on decorations and goods for the next big holiday. While it may seem a bit early for your Christmas shopping or buying Halloween candy, you may be surprised that most businesses plan for these holidays months in advance.

Generally, companies begin sourcing holiday goods about six months before the actual holiday. This means that they already have a plan of what and how much will be purchased. Accurate planning and forecasting is of great importance when trying to predict an upcoming holiday, so researching what and how much was sold historically must be done first.

This general rule of 6 month plus prep work not only applies to holiday goods purchasing, but for other seasonal items and services. If a business will need its lot cleared of snow during the winter, it may need to begin sourcing in the spring or summer. Likewise, if mowing and landscaping are needed, the plan should begin during fall or winter.

Next time you are browsing your local shopping spots and see holiday goods out a couple months before the holiday, remember how long the planning must’ve been and how much prep work went into getting all those goods ordered, sourced, shipped, and displayed.

For more information on SafeSourcing can help with your holiday or seasonal sourcing needs, or on our Risk Free trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service representative. We have an entire team ready to assist you today.

Today’s post is written by Ivy Ray, Account Manager at SafeSourcing Inc.

As we approach the end of the third quarter of the calendar year, many of us are reflecting and assessing how we faired this year.  Did we accomplish what we had resolved to do?  Statistically, the top ten (10) New Year’s resolutions made, involve making better choices, whether it is for a healthier lifestyle, spending more time with family, or making better financial decisions.1

The end of the fiscal year is the time when businesses take an accounting of how well the company is performing, financially, and making an effort to finish the year strong.  Planning and forecasting financial goals for the next year also focuses on a plan for making better choices.

This calls for better financial management, cost control and less organizational waste.  Many organizations are beginning to re-evaluate their purchasing processes, and identify new ways to control spend.  We have e-procurement tools that will meet their needs.

Identify Opportunities

Opportunities are usually triggered by a business requirement for a product or service.

• Equipment
• Components
• Raw materials
• Completely finished products
• Hazardous waste handlers
• Transportation carriers
• Maintenance service providers

Supplier Evaluation

In-depth evaluation is required for major purchases of products and services. It begins with a list of potential suppliers. Existing suppliers with good track records should not be ruled out.

SafeSourcing helps buyers save considerably on costs by providing tools that enhance the ability to do business in a better, smarter, more streamlined and cost effective way. To learn more about SafeSourcing’s innovative products and services that have been developed exclusively by retail professionals for retail professionals, please visit the SafeSourcing website.

A goal without a plan is just a wish. (quote: Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

For more information on how SafeSourcing can assist you in exploring your procurement solutions 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.

1 http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/

Today’s post is written by Ivy Ray, Account Manager at SafeSourcing Inc.

The rules of the retail marketplace are changing dramatically. With the development of new technologies for bidirectional communication, consumers can get more information about retailers and their products more easily than ever before. Armed with knowledge gleaned from a multitude of sources, they are spending their money on the goods and services they value most and stipulating how they will interact with retailers. These rules certainly apply to printing processes.  There are many options when it comes to mass print materials.

Offset printing technology use plates, usually made from aluminum, which are used to transfer an image onto a rubber blanket, and then rolling that image onto a sheet of paper. It’s called offset because the ink is not transferred directly onto the paper.

Digital printing is popular across many markets because it can print multiple custom materials with each individual piece containing different information. This capability is known as variable data printing or VDP which opens up possibilities for customizing print media and printing multiple versions of the same product.

Digitally printed materials are vibrant high-quality products that can be used for practically any project. Some of the advantages of digital printing are:

1.  Quick Turnaround – Digital printing doesn’t require plates, so there is no need to have a different plate for each color on the label, which means a shorter setup time.
2. Quality – Digital presses print at a resolution of almost double that of traditional print methods which gives vibrant high-quality graphics with crisp, clear images and life-like colors.
3. Price – No plates and less press setup time means the costs for digital printing are relatively low for short run printing as compared to offset printing.
4. Lower Minimum Quantities – This cost benefit is maximized for relatively small quantities of custom print materials or “short run.” You can order only the amount you need right now, rather than ordering in bulk, simply to get the best price.
5. Design Flexibility – Variable Data Printing allows graphic or text elements to be easily and efficiently swapped out throughout a print job.

In order to be competitive, you should regularly examine whether or not your design works for attracting your target audience.  The production of personalized printed materials with unique information, can allow you to better target specific types of customers.For more information on how SafeSourcing can assist you in exploring your procurement solutions 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.

Today’s post is written by Heather Powell, Director of Customer Services & Project Manager at SafeSourcing Inc.

Many years ago, this author wrote a blog regarding being able to source and procure virtually anything, like 5-gallon bottled water for the office. Today, this still holds true, as this author’s previous blog was based on the mantra “If you buy it, we procure it”.

But what does that mean, you ask?

There is nothing we cannot help you purchase. If you buy it today from anywhere, we can run a Request for Proposal or a Request for Quote. These requests will help you determine if your purchase price falls within the market rates today, if you are paying too much in fees and freight, and through our proprietary services based web tools save you 10X ROI. Seriously, there is nothing odd about what we can procure for you. Here are a few examples of unique RFQs and the savings opportunities we achieved for our customers:

• Cotton Candy 16%
• Bundled Firewood 13%
• Ice Bags 29%
• Mud Flaps 34%
• Anti-Fatigue Floor Mats 54%
• Pest Control Services 41%
• Diesel Exhaust Fuel (DEF) 27%
• And yes, Baked Goods 37%

Essentially, this author is stating you can have your cake and eat it too, while saving your company money. SafeSourcing can work with your company to identify purchases and potential saving opportunities through our SafeSpend™ analysis. This presents your company with an overview of where not just the large purchases are but where the small purchases that add up to large purchases are and give you the view into saving potential through our company and various services.

“Life is too short to say no to cake”!

For more information on how SafeSourcing can assist you in exploring your procurement solutions 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.

The event is over, savings were good, and reports are almost done. What’s next?

Today’s post is by Robert Rice, Account Manager at SafeSourcing.

For me, I will spend the next couple of days reflecting back on what I could have done differently. Was all of the data correct and how will I use that knowledge to perfect the next event.

Reflect

I like to do an assessment on how the event went. I ask the project manager and our Director of Sales, Dave, their thoughts. Both have been at this awhile and have helped me better understand how the event went and address any issues. They ask me what I would have done different or did we have the right suppliers and enough coverage? I also like to hear the client and supplier feedback from SafeSurvey that is sent post event. This highlights specific things they liked or disliked.

Correct

The next step is to note where improvements need to be made and start implementing these changes immediately. i.e. Better vetting suppliers, better contacts, have I continued to update the documents, complete coverage from more than (2) suppliers, did I create a spreadsheet breaking down the numbers, are my specs correct, are the dates correct, is my checklist up-to-date, have I had my documents seconded eyed, third eyed?

Perfect

Finally, having a perfect event isn’t as hard as it sounds. If you follow the process, do your research, get complete data, ask the right questions, and get others input, your event should be a grand slam.

Robert, or any member of the experienced team at SafeSourcing, would be happy to discuss how SafeSourcing can help you with your eProcurement planning. For more information, please contact SafeSourcing.  

We look forward to your comments.