Events
If Spend Management has a limiting axiom, it might be the idea that there is a limit to how much cost you can take out of an item, service or process. After all, cost can not go to zero…can it?
With a slightly different perspective on things, it turns out that cost can nearly go to [...]
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With the outcome of what some are calling “the most important U.S. Presidential race ever” still uncertain, many business executives are fretting over the economic, tax, and trade policies of the eventual President No. 44.
Yet, savvy procurement and supply management professionals aren’t waiting for the election outcome. They know that, regardless of who wins the [...]
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Last week, I had the opportunity to present at the Sourcing Interest Group’s (SIG) meeting on Green/Sustainability in Sourcing in Seattle. Talking with the other speakers and attendees, I was once again struck by just how seriously companies are taking this issue. This is not a feel good effort by people in Prius’s (or is [...]
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Green supply chain has been a common theme on this blog, so I jumped at the chance to hear Kirk Eberhart, global director of supply chain at Material Sciences, present on the topic.
The difference in Kirk’s presentation versus others I’ve heard is that he has implemented green strategies and has results to show for his [...]
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From Lou Dobbs to Gartner, a panic surrounds offshoring and outsourcing. Yes, I am all for creating new jobs. As a worker and manager, I want the comfort of knowing my job is in demand and my team’s jobs are secure. However, as a consumer I am not willing to pay more for American-made products. [...]
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Welcome to (Rainy) Boston.
The CPO Summit kicked off this morning with welcome remarks from Stephen Gold, president, and Andrew Bartolini, director of global supply research at Aberdeen. To understand the power of those in the room at this year’s event, the combined spend under management is $1.1 trillion. To put this into perspective, this [...]
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Aberdeen’s annual CPO Summit will take place this week in Boston. The agenda for this year’s event includes a great line-up of speakers and panelists billed to provide a look into the future of global supply management and strategies for achieving a competitive edge. Among those taking the stage will be National City Corp CPO [...]
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In the latest Supply Now podcast, strategic sourcing and outsourcing expert Sarah Pfaff shares the do’s and don’ts of outsourcing. A founding partner at outsourcing consulting boutique Ariante – and recent contributor to Supply Excellence – the straight-shooting Pfaff gives tough advice on how to build a real business case for outsourcing and how to [...]
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Last week’s rant — “Putting an End to Patent Madness” — put the spotlight on a critical issue for enterprises considering supply management software investments. It also sparked some great debate among Supply Excellence readers looking to balance intellectual property (IP) protection with the insatiable need for continuous innovation and improvement.
I tip my hat [...]
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I regret to report that I’ve recently had a number of disturbing conversations with supply management executives from around the globe. Their comments clearly indicate that, despite all the blustering of bloggers, analysts, and even CPOs, the harsh truth is that, on the whole, the supply management discipline still has a long way to go:
Consider this comment [...]
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