Archive for the 'Costing' Category

CEOs Split on Economy, But Certain of Higher Prices

Earlier this week, I logged my picks for what supply management executives can expect this year. Number one on the list: “You will pay higher prices.” The latest Conference Board Chief Executives’ Confidence Measure lends credence and clarity to my claims.
The quarterly survey of 100 CEO’s put the confidence index for North American business executives [...]

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A.T. Kearney: Where the Deals Are…and Aren’t

Yesterday’s post provided recommendations on how to assess supply markets and where to find the best sources for information on supply market trends, pricing, and cost drivers. I shared that A.T. Kearney Procurement Solutions was among my favorite sources for supply market intelligence.
Today, I’m happy to report that some of this company’s experts have agreed [...]

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Hidden Supply Costs and The Importance of Agility

Thanks to rising energy costs and raw-material hogs like China, India, and Boeing, supply markets these days have more faces than Sybil.
Supply managers received good news this week as oil and gas prices continued to decline, with oil slipping below $68 per barrel for the first time since June. Industry experts also downgraded earlier concerns that a [...]

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Counterpoint: In Defense of Reverse Auctions

Straight to the Bottomline co-author Doug Smock’s recent post on product costing has drawn a lot of attention and comments. I have elected to reprint those of Jessica Dunlop, head of ITT Industries’ e-sourcing program. As noted in previous posts, reverse auctions are a key tool in ITT’s sourcing tookit. Here Jessica offers an alternative view on how reverse auctions are [...]

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More on Harley and How to Rev Up Product Cost Management

Thanks again to Doug Smock for igniting the discussion around product costing and the convergence of design and supply. 
I agree with Doug: Harley-Davidson was indeed a supply management innnovator before its time. As a senior editor at Purchasing magazine in the pre-Internet boom, I had the opportunity to do a cover story on Harley’s advanced [...]

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Smock’s Tips on Costing: Start by Getting (Re)Organized

Today, I’d like to welcome back Supply Excellence guest blogger, Doug Smock. Co-author of the supply management best-seller, Straight to the Bottom Line, Smock will continue his findings on new strategies and systems for product should- and future costing.
In a recent post on Spend Matters, Jason Busch briefly reviewed a CAD-based costing technology from a [...]

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