Archive for the 'SupplyWatch' Category

Buyer’s Market Opportunity (video): Indirect Spend

Last week, Mike Petro outlined the opportunities presented by direct materials. On a similar note today, regular Supply Excellence contributor Rachel Rutkoski explains buyer’s market conditions for indirect spend and identifies several hot categories, including:

Labor - Rising unemployment means “buyers should evaluate any category where labor is a main cost component.” There is a glut […]

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Buyer’s Market Opportunity (video): Direct Materials

Metals Category Manager Mike Petro makes the case for why “right now is the time to source direct materials”…

If you’d like a closer look at the facts and figures Mike cited - as well as information on other categories that provide immediate strategic opportunities - you can find them in the mid-quarter SupplyWatch update here. […]

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Suppliers Pessimistic as Steel Prices & Demand Fall

Global steel prices are dropping fast and starting to approach the magical $650-per-ton mark, which is the estimated total cost of producing one ton of steel, according to steel industry consultants World Steel Dynamics. As a result of the sharp drop in steel prices and profits for mills, raw steel production is dropping […]

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Will a TNT Acquisition make UPS or FedEx Truly Global?

TNT has been the center of rumors that both UPS and FedEx may be interested in acquiring the company. While all companies involved deny these rumors, similar rumors surfaced between Exel and UPS right before Deutsche Post World Net bought Exel to form DHL Exel Supply Chain.
If the rumors prove to be true and TNT […]

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Remembering One of Ariba’s Finest

It is with a heavy heart that I tell you we lost a friend and colleague suddenly last week. Justin Falgione, a father, husband and friend, passed on Wednesday. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette obituary and guest book are here.
Over 9 years with FreeMarkets and Ariba, Justin earned the love and respect of his colleagues and customers. […]

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Yahoo! CPO Interview: Ron Carcamo Changes Things Up

This quarter’s SupplyWatch report hit the virtual shelves Friday (print edition will go out to subscribers shortly). In addition to the Core Category Details, this issue includes an interview with Yahoo! CPO Ron Carcamo, a man who was brought into the company 18 months ago to get their spend under control and chart a course […]

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