Background The financial crisis of 2008 lent credence to the adage that “only the strong survive.” The balance of power between customer and supplier shifted to become more equal. The notion of annual price reductions baked into contracts was challenged. The concepts of early upfront…
We see it all the time: Software release 2.3 is replaced by release 2.4, with new and better functionality. Our ProcureForce flagship cloud solution is no different. We’ve been making lots of changes over time to make it easier for our customers to use…but frankly,…
Do you know which forces are threatening your job security? We’ve identified the top seven reasons purchasing executives are losing job security, which we reviewed in a cloud conference earlier this year. In the meantime, let’s look at one reason purchasing executives are losing job…
Back in January, Manufacturing Leadership Journal posted predictions for the manufacturing industry in 2015. Among the list of trends, one item in particular stood out to us: “The rise of cloud-based supply chains.” Now, with the first half of 2015 behind us, we couldn’t agree…
Recently, I was quoted in an Automotive News article on GM’s move to open book costing, which they call One Cost. The article prompted a number of conversations with CEOs and sales executives not only about GM and their move to open book costing but…
Crude oil prices are hitting record lows and are having a significant impact on resin prices. But the real question is: Have they hit rock bottom yet? The short answer is that timing and price movement will vary greatly by region and resin type and…
As the economy improves and manufacturing revenues rise, purchasing and procurement executives may be ready to make a job change. The process involves extensive research and finely honed negotiation tactics. What are the best strategies for upper-level executive negotiations? Research, Research, Research Before starting the…
It’s a question our purchasing and procurement experts are hearing more and more: How are world-class manufacturing enterprises eliminating waste and reducing costs in their supply chains? The answer can be found in one word: collaboration. Getting to the Heart of Collaboration When manufacturers can…
At the beginning of the month, I was fortunate enough to attend the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) briefings seminar. The CAR conference had a record 1,000 attendees. While attending world class networking in the evenings, it was great to interact with other executives in…
Last weekend my 13-year-old son brought a set of triplet brothers up to our cottage for a weekend. While my wife and I already know the boys, we had not interacted with them on a consistent basis in over 5 years. So the boys were…