Author Archives: Erica Wanous
Iasta has hit the road to attend ISM’s annual International Supply Management Conference as an exhibitor. The four-day event is at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando and kicked off yesterday evening. For those of you attending ISM, be sure to stop by Iasta’s booth #512 and say hi. The conference aims to help industry professionals find out what works, who is best-in-class, and how to gain a competitive advantage. Workshop presenters represent successful practitioners and experts in the field. … More
Welcome to Iasta’s newly designed eSourcingForum. With a fresh look, new authors and more content, eSourcingForum aims to keep sourcing professionals sharp through industry news, best practices and dynamic perspectives. Iasta’s eSourcingForum has more than just a new face. The depth of content has been enhanced by adding several new authors, such as PRGX. In addition, there are more posts scheduled out for the year, nearly double the amount produced last year. Subscribers may also enjoy the trendy design of … More
Iasta is hitting the road this week for the Procurement Leaders Forum in Chicago on Wednesday, March 30. As an exhibiting sponsor, Iasta will network with global procurement executives and share our insight on how to move towards next generation sourcing. “Next Generation Sourcing: the Route to World Class” is the conference theme. The conference is focused on helping CPO’s conquer global economic challenges, diversify their supply chains and grow business. Agenda topics include: • Advanced metrics for measuring procurement’s progress … More
Iasta announced today their event lineup for 2011. They are sponsoring five major industry events this year along with hosting their annual Euro reSource user goup conference in the United Kingdom. Iasta’s 2011 conference schedule is as follows: • March 2, 2011 (London) eWorld (stand #23) • March 30, 2011 (Chicago) Procurement Leaders • May 15-18, 2011 (Orlando) ISM (booth #512) • September 20-21, 2011 (UK) Euro reSource ’11 • October, 2011 (Vienna) Procurement Leaders • November 15-16, 2011 (TBD) Aberdeen CPO Summit “Attending the conferences … More
Iasta’s unsurpassed growth and development has caught the attention of many in the eSourcing world, particularly Jason Busch of SpendMatters. Check out the 4-part series written by Busch titled “Iasta Morphs and Grows,” which takes a strong look at Iasta’s background and ingredients to their continued success. 4-part Series Includes: Iasta Morphs and Grows (Part 1) “How did three guys from Indy create a thriving business in the Spend Management world without outside investment and with little or no initial … More
“Procurement Training: The Dumbest Reason To Not Invest In It” With highly-skilled procurement pro’s raking in $1m+/yr in savings for their company, procurement training is clearly an investment… and one worth making. So why do some mangers consider it an expense? This blog identifies the benefits of procurement training and why it’s “dumb” to not invest in training because of the perception of employee loyalty risks.
“Industry Week July 2009 Manufacturing Business Challenge” Recovery signs for businesses are beginning; do you know how you’re going to react to the new challenges that come along with the upturn? This blog takes a look this issue, which is the latest Manafacturing Business Challenge (by IndustryWeek), and offers a few strategies to help deal.
“Lawmakers Review Trading Regulations Which Could Impact Futures Markets” The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is attempting to increase the visibility and reporting of trades and possibly even limit them. This article explains why the CFTC is now taking action and determines what kind of influence the new regulations may have on metal markets.
“Don’t Get Your Procurement Project Cut- Ask For Help From Your CFO” A recent study finds that 40% of CFO’s are seeking to reduce their R&D costs and project funding. This blog suggests how procurement can keep their projects from getting axed by showing CFO’s that they can work together to maximize returns collaboratively by balancing projects, funding, and resources.
“Personal Spend — A Dearth of Trust & Visibility” With companies “going out of business,” consumer haggling has more than doubled, 80% of attempts being successful. But who really has the upper hand? This blog demonstrates the mistrust that results from an overall lack of spend visibility between suppliers and buyers in the corporate world versus retailers and consumers.
“Innovation networks – are they procurement’s responsibility?” Should a division head be the owner of innovation processes since they have ownership of the item being developed, or should procurement, considering their role in Supplier Relationship Management? This blog attempts to answer that question while identifying the conflicts and grey areas of innovation networks.
“Can 6-sigma really help execute an effective sourcing process?” Six Sigma tools “make measurable what cannot be measured.” How effective is 6-sigma in a sourcing environment? This blog takes a look at the methodology of 6-sigma and how to use it to determine if your organization is ready for extensive outsourcing initiatives.
“Union Pacific Greens Its Refrigerated Boxcar Fleet” A train of 100 Union Pacific Railaroad’s new refrigerated boxcars take the equivalence of nearly 400 trucks off the road. This blog takes a look at U.P.R.’s sustainable supply chain efforts and demonstrates, once again, how a company’s “green” objectives can positively impact other strategic and financial goals.
“Opportunities Exist During a Slowdown…If You Seize Them” Traditional methods of supply chain planning were not designed to handle the level of volatility companies are currently dealing with. This blog demonstrates how conventional tools and approaches could be letting you down and how the current business climate could present opportunities for improvement.
“You Must Be Strong to Overcome the Sexy Sirens of Procurement” A procurement pro is a “jack of all trades,” required to fully understand their customer’s business to source the appropriate goods/services. However, this deep level of customer involvement can sometimes lead the procurement pro to believe that they’re qualified to do what their customer does; and may even make a destructive career change. This blog offers the warning signs and symptoms of this trap and points out the brighter … More
