You go to two different grocery stores – Store A and Store B. Which product do you buy? Store A Store B Beyond price, which one of the two provides the best value? Now, how would you respond if you were told that you could only buy from Store B because they are a preferred store? Vendor Irrationalization Before answering that question, read the following excerpt from an April 2009 paper, “Utilizing an Intelligent Filtering Platform to Enhance Contract Performance (A Procurement Insights Knowledge Leadership Publication).” “A 2004 automotive study by the Power Transmission Distributors A ..read more

EDITOR’S NOTE: Today’s post is inspired by an energized discussion on LinkedIn prompted by a post by Michael Lamoureaux. Join in using the following link. Michael Lamoureux, you make excellent points. We are not even talking about the companies that are not on the radar screens but have been out there for 20 to 30 years and have a solid and loyal client base. Let’s take ESG providers (see image below). How many different company logos do you count? So, let’s say you have an analyst specializing in ESG providers. Have that one analyst choose his top 10 providers from the “Ecosystem Map.” In th ..read more

Earlier today, I attended a LinkedIn Event hosted by Evalueserve. I came across it by accident, but I am glad that I did. Titled “Revolutionize Your BI: Digital Transformation Stories from the Real World,” the panel included Whirlpool’s Gowri Namboodiri, Caterpillar‘s Ben Newman, and Coyote Logistics‘ Director, Supply Chain Engineering & Analytics Jay Zaleski. The moderator was Evaluserve’s Vice President, Gabriel Keeler. Not long after I signed in, I posted the following question: “I noted that Gowri Namboodiri said that her team led with ascertaining the collective KPIs before introduci ..read more

EDITOR’S NOTE: According to some reports hashtag#cocoa output is likely to shrink by 11% this season and contribute to the 40% increase in costs per kilogram seen by some manufacturers. – David Bateman, Mintec LinkedIn Post Do you like chocolate? Perhaps a better question would be, “Who doesn’t like chocolate?” As a chocolate lover and consumer, when I read the above post, I had a few thoughts: How will this affect pricing? With four teenagers, the cost of groceries is always a point of interest. Will it have a negative impact on availability? Will my favorite treats become nothing more than ..read more

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following post was originally published on the Scoutbee Blog on April 15th, 2024. At first glance, you might think today’s question is somewhat whimsical, and perhaps it is a little. However, an undeniable, underlying connecting thread runs through the title. Regardless of each car’s year, model, and technology, they are only useful with an experienced driver. The lack of an experienced driver would negatively impact each vehicle’s optimal performance. The AI connection “AI will not replace humans; humans with AI will replace humans without AI.” Joe Gibson interview&nb ..read more

Before watching this short 11-second video, answer this question: What do AI and grizzly bears have in common? @nathanmacintosh We were doing fine without it! Am I crazy here? Full special ‘Down With Tech’ out now on youtube #comedy #tech #jokes #funny #ai ♬ original sound – Nathan Macintosh If you have 6:39 to spare, here is the link to the entire comedy bit: Nathan Macintosh Stand-Up: Tech Nerds Run the World | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 30 ..read more

On April 23rd, Vineet Khanna, the former Global Head of Supply Chain at Nestlé, will share his roadmap to Supply Chain Orchestration Success. In the meantime, these are my thoughts; please share yours. Here is an excerpt from a post I wrote in 2007 about Supply Chain Orchestration – back then, we referred to it as agent-based modelling within a dynamic Metaprise – https://bit.ly/3Q2fLpQ “In short, a Metaprise is a synchronized versus sequential architecture (private hub) that simultaneously links or incorporates the unique operating attributes of all transactional stakeholders on a real-world ..read more

This week, I received an email from TealBook regarding “the first iteration of their Supplier Data Platform (SDP), helping customers enrich and improve their supplier data across all of their systems and tools.” Here is what they sent. What are your top takeaways from reading this? By the way, I share my thoughts at the end and hope you will share yours in the comment section. Hello jon, Welcome to Foreword, a monthly newsletter to keep you informed about all things TealBook. It’s been an exciting time around here; in February we launched the first iteration of our Supplier Data Platform (SDP ..read more

EDITOR’S NOTE: It is always encouraging and exciting to see procurement professionals’ success in finding their path to the C-Suite. These trailblazers remind us of what is possible and available in terms of opportunities and impact. Here is the brief story about Harris Teeter’s Xavier Hare, who started out in the company as a part-time cashier and became the Director of Procurement and, in 2023, the company’s Director of Own Brands. It is so exciting to see how former buyers have elevated their careers and impact to new and exciting levels. Earlier this year, I wrote about Frito-Lay and Pepsi ..read more

A ..read more