I posted a link to a Forbes article titled Five Character Traits of Innovation Leaders in one of the Linkedin discussion groups last week. I found this article very interesting. Here is a summary of the 5 things and how they could apply to purchasing…
If you attended the CAR Management Briefing Seminars this past August in Traverse City, perhaps you heard Tom Finelli from Fiat Chrysler, Steve Keifer from GM, and Robert Young from Toyota talk about buyer cost reduction objectives. They’re getting rid of them. What? No more…
Every once in a while, our long held convictions get challenged. That happened to me when Ton Finelli, Fiat Chrysler (FCA) vice president of purchasing announced that FCA buyers would not have individual cost savings goals in 2016. This occurred at the recent CAR Management…
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…