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In 2000, Commerce One was to take the e-commerce market handily. Competitor Ariba was the only perceived rival, as IBM, Microsoft, and Oracle weren’t yet major players. The world had survived Y2K and the dot coms were taking over, the perfect playground for Commerce One to grow and prosper. So, what happened? What can we learn

In most cases, green initiatives cost more to implement than traditional methods of manufacturing. It’s one thing to make green decisions when you’re building from scratch, but most established businesses are holding off on new construction and expansion until it’s clear how the economic recovery is going to hold up. Converting power sources to alternatives

In April, Bangladesh garment factories captured worldwide headlines when a factory collapsed, killing 1,200 workers. Just one day before the collapse, an engineer was arrested for his allegations of unsafe working conditions there. The vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Shahidulla Azim, told the Associated Press, “Earlier it was not in

In 1993, Martha Cooper and Lisa Ellram co-wrote and published the Characteristics of Supply Chain Management and the Implications for Purchasing and Logistics Strategy. After more than twenty years of debate, trials, and errors, many supply chain professionals believed the practices described in the paper simply weren’t able to be put into effective practice.

Not long ago, people became supply chain employees through another outlet such as an MBA. Now, more schools are responding to job opportunities in the industry and are offering degree programs to fill the needs within the industry. Businessweek suggests that careers within the supply chain are “the next big thing.” Here’s everything you need

Nowhere is the failure of the dot comes more clearly illustrated than with the bankruptcy of Webvan. This company had everything it should take to be a success: a long list of large-pocketed investors, a bankroll of cash, and some of the most brilliant management minds money could buy. But without the right research and

Is security one of your primary concerns? It should be. In most cases, when security breaches occur within the supply chain, the situation could be thwarted. Here is a list of the primary places where security breaches take place, and how to prevent them.

VC Train is a consortium made up of 120 third sector organizations (TSOs). It is based in South Yorkshire, which happened to be in great lack of quality programs able to attract, educate, and retain disadvantaged and underprivileged youth and adults. Their goal was to secure contracts with the Learning Skills Council (LSC) to deliver

Does your head spin when you try to wade through the enormous offerings available for procurement software? Some companies almost give up trying to weigh the pros and cons of all the types of systems and employ an “innie minnie miney moe” approach. Don’t give up. Here is everything you need to know to make

Avenues Trust subcontracts work for a mid-size social care provider in and around London and South East. The care provider works on an extremely tight budget, employing 800 staff members to care for 900 people. They operate about 50 homes for those with learning disabilities and mental health issues. The program has historically been underfunded,

Many procurement professionals shy away from social media due to the overwhelming amount of information out there. It’s simply easier to manage if you avoid the up to the minute news and reports, and rely on the old newspaper or water cooler chat. However, with a few skills you can leverage this powerful tool and

Replacing HVAC units, electrical equipment, lighting, hardware, and cleaning equipment sounds like an expensive prospect, especially for businesses struggling to recover from the recent economic recession. However, those businesses taking advantage of Energy Star products save money and increase profits in several ways.

While a company is small, procurement is simple. As the organization grows, however, the process gets muddled and becomes less efficient. For example, the federal government has grown to the point of inefficiency at which it spends $800 per American per year on goods and services! If your procurement processes seem cumbersome and inefficient, here

If you conduct a Google search of “U.S. talent shortage” you’re going to get approximately 6.5 million results. What does this mean for your business? It means the talent shortage is real, and you need to take steps to assure your company’s success in the coming years. You can fill your offices with top talent

Truckers have a saying, “If you’ve got it, a trucker brought it.” To a large extent, this is true. Many finished products take several truck rides, beginning when the raw materials are brought to the supplier, then when the supplier sends parts to the manufacturer, again when the manufacturer ships the product to a distribution

Businesses build a number of vendor relationships over time, and it’s easy to stick with the same one for year after year, even when they’re not meeting your needs. Ask yourself these questions to determine if it might be time for a change.

There are tons of terms related to procurement, many of which are so commonplace or self-explanatory most people don’t need a glossary to understand them. Here is a list of key procurement terms, especially acronyms, that can be confusing without a definition.

Proper quality assurance measures are critical to reduce the return of goods and services to companies. When there’s an abundance of reverse logistics, it affects a number of facets of the organization, including inventory management, warehousing and storage, financials, and even losses and write-offs when you’re dealing with perishable goods.

Since the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act passed in July, 2010, procurement professionals have thought more than ever about the various metals within their supply chains, particularly if those metals may contain conflict minerals. The conflict minerals law added to the Dodd-Frank Act could have a widespread effect on supply chains in

The best procurement experts are continuously seeking out the most cost-effective procurement sources. Even when the supply chain runs seamlessly and achieves best costs, there are always alternatives that could offer better benefits to your overall operations and profits. If It’s Not Broke… Why would you actively search for new vendors and suppliers when there’s

Quality control standards have evolved to fit different production methods since the Middle Ages but it wasn’t until shortly after the Industrial Revolution that quality inspections and specialized departments for quality control came into being. Quality assurance as it is known today was first introduced in Japan in the mid 1940s. Q.A. found its place

Whether you have 20 years of procurement experience or you’re new on the supply chain scene, negotiating contracts with suppliers is often intimidating and stressful. Procurement professionals aren’t always trained in the art of negotiation, although the salespeople they’re working with are usually very well-trained. These easy steps will give you the edge you need

When operational dysfunctions occur, the source of the problem is usually linked to the supply chain. Effective supply chain systems integrate seamlessly into a company’s operations and need a great deal of teamwork for success. A dysfunctional supply chain can drag a business under very quickly. Here are some of the most common signs to

Supply chain experts and business analysts use many different models to forecast supply and demand. When it comes to forecast accuracy, no single technique gets it right every time, but the tips below can help you improve your projections.