Author Archives: Sonya Rowlands- Iasta
In Part 1, I discussed why some companies don’t have a solid control over indirect spend. Click here to read Part 1. In Part 2, I will cover some tips Sindewald shared on how to better manage indirect spend from his years of experience. First, procurement should partner with departments business owners to better understand their needs, supplier relationships and processes. It’s important to show them that you’re not just trying to come in and find a lower price at … More
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend ISM Orange County’s monthly dinner meeting earlier. Walt Sindewald, owner and principal consultant for Competitive Edge Procurement, spoke about how procurement can strategically attack indirect spend, which is anything not included on a bill of materials such as office supplies, MRO, marketing, print, telecom, software, and digital equipment. Services such as landscaping, janitorial, security, IT, and consulting can also be part of indirect spend. The topic resonated well with the southern … More
In Part 1, I discussed serveral companies discussed in the Gartner Webinar that recognize the importance of having a good balance of understanding product and opertional excellence. You can read Part 1 here. One of Burkett’s major points in this Webinar is that to realize value across a products’ lifecycle a company must consider the product, supply chain and demand from the beginning of the its life. They must anticipate challenges in early introduction and have created a supply chain … More
Michael Burkett, VP Research at Gartner conducted a compelling Webinar last week titled, “New Supply Chain Strategies to Maximize Product Value and Growth.” The key message of Burkett’s presentation is that product value is maximized when the supply chain is considered and integrated throughout the product’s lifecycle. New products fail 50% of the time. Why? Contributing factors include product cost issues, inventory shortages and poor commercialization process, to name a few. Profitable innovation is key to bringing new products to … More
