Purchasing Blogs

High Tech Back Shoring for Procurement

DaveM — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 02:12:52 +0000

Good article from strategy + business about the case for back shoring. Here is an excerpt:

Moreover, some companies are amplifying materials and logistics savings from backshoring by modernizing their U.S. plants to outpace Chinese facilities. Such is the case with Diagnostic Devices Inc., a maker of blood glucose monitoring systems. In August 2009, the privately held company based in Charlotte, N.C., announced that it was moving the manufacturing of its Prodigy line of audible glucose monitors to North Carolina, ending a five-year agreement with a contract manufacturer in China under which Diagnostic Devices sent components overseas and then had the finished devices shipped back to the United States. By automating its U.S. factory with robots and other high-tech hardware and software, and by taking advantage of lower shipping fees for a mostly local customer base, Diagnostic Devices reduced its production budget by 40 percent. And there is an added bonus, according to a company spokesman: “We will also have far more control over and protection of our intellectual property, which you don’t have in China.”

Supplier Information from Bing

DaveM — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:39:20 +0000

Internet Explorer 8 has a helpful addon that provides company information by just typing the companies stock ticker. Bing displays company stock and new information that you can subscribe to as a web slice. A Web Slice uses simple HTML markup to represent a clipping of a Web page, enabling users to subscribe to content directly within a Web page.

Rather than using multiple RSS feeds, a Web Slice enables users to subscribe to content directly within a web page; a separate RSS feed file is not required. Users monitor content changes and view the updated portion of the Web page directly from the Favorites bar (the improved Links toolbar) of Internet Explorer.

Here is the link for the IE8 addon: http://www.ieaddons.com/en/details/finance/Finance_from_Bing/

If you have IE8 give Bing Finance a look using this link: http://www.ieaddons.com/en/details/finance/Finance_from_Bing/

The Fate of the Dollar

DaveM — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:23:45 +0000

Some great links and information from What Matters at McKinsey.

A What Matters Debate:
As the US economy emerges from the crisis, there’s little consensus on what lies ahead. Economic forecaster David Levy says chronic high unemployment will lead to, at worst, slight deflation. While former Fortune writer and financial adviser Al Ehrbar says, not so fast: with the Federal Reserve having flooded the market with dollars, massive inflation is likely.
Plus: What Matters continues the conversation on the fate of the dollar:
Geng Xiao: Why the Chinese will not bail out the dollar by allowing the renminbi to appreciate
Benn Steil: There are steep downsides to both a strong dollar and weak dollar policy
Gerard Lyons: Whether or not the dollar will topple isn’t in doubt, only its speed of decline is
Martin Gilman: Now that the United States is a debtor nation, its currency can no longer dominate
Charles Wyplosz: The dollar is the worst international currency, except for all the others
Tim Adams: The dollar’s share may shrink, but it will continue to dominate
Michael Mandel: Beware of a dollar crash if the United States loses its innovation edge
Jeffrey Garten: The question isn’t if the dollar will be replaced—it’s when and how

Are you ready for the upturn?

DaveM — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:33:56 +0000

Many buyers didn’t predict the downturn or act fast enough to take advantage of a great buying opportunity. It stands to reason that we might misjudge the potential for an upturn. Perhaps now is the time to plan for the future.

Here are five ideas to get ready for the upturn.

Upgrade systems and tools at bargain basement pricing
Ensure relationships are in good shape with highly dependent strategic suppliers
Lock suppliers into low cost long term deals
Implement index pricing and cost models to ensure fair price adjustment
Hire strategic sourcing professionals before there is a talent war

Purchasing Predictions for 2010

DaveM — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 01:57:34 +0000

A collection of articles about procurement and supply chain predictions for 2010.

PREDICTIONS FOR THE 2010 SUPPLY CHAIN

Bangkok Post - ‎5 hours ago‎

With a brighter future ahead, let me propose a collection of Supply Chain Predictions for 2010. With thanks to Chris Verstraete and his SCM blog, ...

IDC: Globalization, Optimization, S&OP in Supply Chain's Future

Supply Chain Management Review - ‎6 hours ago‎

The analyst and research firm has released its list of top 10 predictions for the supply chain in 2010. In 2010, companies will be optimizing processes, ...

Spend Matters: Twelve Predictions for the Twelve Months of 2010

Enterprise Irregulars (blog) - Jason Busch - ‎3 hours ago‎

Obsessed with how companies manage, spend and save money, Jason writes about procurement, trade and supply chain issues @ Spend Matters. ...

2009 lessons and 2010 predictions

Energy Collective (blog) - ‎Jan 4, 2010‎

... plastic consumers on the retail end of the supply chain are interested in incorporating more of the compostable/biodegradable resin on their packaging. ...

Supply Chain and Logistics Predictions for 2010 :: Logistics ...

23 Dec 2009 by Adrian Gonzalez
Yesterday, we reviewed some key events from 2009, along with the most read postings on Logistics Viewpoints. Today, my colleague Steve Banker and I offer up a few predictions and things to look for in 2010. Steve's Predictions Demand ...

SCM predictions for 2010: Lessons from the retail world

The 21st Century Supply Chain - Perspectives on Innovative (blog) - Trevor Miles - ‎Jan 4, 2010‎

What is interesting about the list, in my opinion anyway, is that we will see a lot of retail behaviour begin to percolate down the supply chain. ...

Technorati Tags: Purchasing, Procurement, Supply Chain

Toyota’s Time to Squeeze Suppliers

DaveM — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:26:26 +0000

Toyota is making a renewed push to produce cars more efficiently and at lower costs. Per a recent WSJ article the world’s biggest carmaker set a target for supplier’s of 30 to 40% in three years.

The a program is called RRCI, which stands for

Ryohin (quality),
Renka (low-price),
Costs and
Innovation

Much has been written about Toyota’s lean manufacturing capabilities. Their ability to partner with suppliers to drive cost reduction and innovation is admired by many. But I have no idea how to provide a broader definition for “Renka”. An internet search provides no clues.

Real Time Supplier Monitoring is Now Possible

DaveM — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:00:11 +0000

Today Google announced real time search – here is an explanation from ZDNet.

It’s a very cool enhancement that makes search - just your regular everyday queries on the regular Google home page - much richer. In the demo, the company typed a search for “Obama” and came back with a number of results, as one might expect. But within the results is a real-time stream, if you will, that scrolls with the most-up-to date results - blogs being posted, tweets being sent, news articles being published.

It would be interesting to monitor your suppliers in real time… especially those with financial issues… or may this is just a cool gimmick.

To see it in action check out the YouTube video:

Cloud Computing – Supplier Collaboration Opportunity

DaveM — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:05:24 +0000

What’s the next “big thing” in Information Technology? Some may remember the hype around XML, Web Services and SAAS… but what about “Cloud Computing”? Be sure the check out Jim Berkowitz’s CRM mastery blog article on – Cloud Computing for some great insights.

What is cloud computing?

There is some confusion, even amongst IT professionals, about what cloud computing is, but from SunGard Availability Services’ point of view it is a network which uses virtualization technologies to allow computing applications and data to be flexibly provided from a pool of hardware resources. With cloud computing there is no longer a point-to-point connection between the user and the computing infrastructure. Data and applications are not held on one PC or one server or one network; they are held on a disparate conglomeration of computing resources.

For procurement, cloud computing provides a ready made platform for buyers and sellers including the opportunity to extend the supply chain to your supplier’s supplier. With players like Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Salesforce.com there are some fantastic possibilities. Cloud Computing is an opportunity to share information and resources to take your supply chain to the next level.

New Look at ThomasNet

DaveM — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:13:48 +0000

There is a new streamlined look at ThomasNet. The site is better organized and provides an easier path to critical content. The site now has many web 2.0 features that will help you get supplier data and information more quickly.