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Jul30
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One of the most anticipated things in Purchasing Departments is the Annual Salary Survey from Purchasing Magazine.
Every Procurement employee from Buying Assistants to Vice Presidents and beyond that I know has used that survey information for salary research before accepting a job and/or in salary negotiations at review times. Sometimes it was even used as direct reference source material with Human Resources Departments.
That's why it is essential that all Sourcing personnel take this survey so the information will be as accurate and representative as possible.
Purchasing Magazine could not have made it any easier for participants since the survey can be completed online. Take Purchasing Magazine's 2006 Annual Salary Survey here.
Read the 2005 Salary Survey results here.
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Jul30
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Time is reporting a big change in Dell Inc.'s (DELL) operating model. Business to business selling currently represents 80 % of Dell's sales. The remaining percent is business to consumer sales handled through telephone/catalog, online sales, and the more recent development of setting up mall kiosks where customers...
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Jul29
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Have you lost control of Purchasing in your company yet? You might as well start planning now, because, apparently, you will! How do I know this? One need only look at the plethora of articles written with titles such as, "Get...
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Jul28
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I don't know about your Procurement Department, but in those in which I have worked, Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) beverages were considered liquid gold. That is why I thought it would be worth mentioning that Ventana Research is giving away Starbucks Cards to some participants...
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Chemtura Corp. (CEM) is being sued for price fixing, allegedly for keeping the prices of materials used to make rubber artificially high. The most fascinating thing to me about this case is that the plaintiffs are asking for both damages and...
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Corporate Buyers may get a very different perspective on what goes on in a warehouse than manufacturing Buyers would get. When I was in a corporate atmosphere, I dealt only with the receiving aspects of the warehouse as they related...
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Jul27
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Quick quiz: What do you think the price of a gallon of E-85 (alternative fuel comprised of 85 % ethanol and 15 % gasoline) is these days? Remember your guess and read on. It's not only in my professional life...
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The reason I picked AT&T Inc. (T) to use in the headline is because when I worked in the call center industry ten years ago, we constantly heard that AT & T's call centers were the best in class. Many companies wanted to be like...
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Jul20
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I received an e-mail from a reader named Erin asking me how to become a Buyer. The reason I am posting this here rather just replying privately is that I also hope readers will comment with their own experiences and advice for...
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The last entry looked at supply chain security in reference to containers crossing borders. There is another interpretation of the phrase supply chain security. It can also mean the assurance of an uninterrupted supply chain. Businesses are no longer content...
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With all the unrest in the world, (both political and weather related) it's no wonder that articles on supply chain security are showing up because it is an issue on Buyers' minds. The article has five different bullet points, but...
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Jul19
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I received some information from the Environmental Protection Agency about a new tool that will be unveiled this week. You will undoubtedly be hearing more about this interesting program in the future. Direct from the EPA: EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment...
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Jul18
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Look around at the cubicles in your Procurement Department. You know your co-workers are Sourcing geniuses, but do they have some other hidden talents as well? A former colleague of mine (who knows Purchasing very well and was helpful to me when...
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In honor of the scorching weather affecting much of the United States this week, I thought it would be nice to do a Purchasing tie in with a summer staple - roller coasters. How does the RFP process resemble a...
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No doubt the rumors of the blog's (as a concept) death have been greatly exaggerated one too many times. It's safe to say that there are millions of blogs, maybe even tens of millions. Citing any particular statistic is just...
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Jul16
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What is one of the banes of the corporate Buyer's existence? Maverick Spending! For those not familiar with the term, "maverick spending" is another way to say off-contract purchasing or purchasing from a non-preferred supplier. Anybody in our business is...
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Webcasts and webinars are a great way to keep up with what is going on in an industry, including Purchasing. Make sure to tune in to the webcast being sponsored by Purchasing Magazine in reference to "How Best In Class Companies Achieve...
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Are you worried that serious inflation is about to rear its ugly head soon despite the best efforts of the Fed? Do you think the Consumer Price Index might just jump off the charts when the next set of monthly...
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Jul11
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I just saw the title of an article on the McKinsey Quarterly website called Tired of Strategic Planning? Admittedly, I have not read the article yet, nor do I know its content so my thoughts may not have anything to...
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Jul10
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You know this has happened to you: You go into a fast food restaurant and order what you want. You are invariably asked, "Want fries with that?" or :"Would you like to make that supersize?" You've been a victim of an annoying...
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I've talked about environmentally sound Purchasing policies before in this blog. You may even remember our guest blogger Scot Case and his contribution. Today, I want to discuss what happens on the other end of the Purchasing cycle - when Sourcing is...
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If promoting from within is not possible (though you know you might have a hard time convincing some of us of that if you read Finding the Best Buyers - Part 1), where next do you look when your Sourcing...
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Jul 9
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Look at your co-workers in your Sourcing Department. How did they get their jobs? Do you think they are qualified for the positions they hold? How did you learn the skills needed to obtain your rank in your office? These...
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Getting a new supplier and phasing out an old one are hard work. We tend to put the decision off much too long. Actually, the decision itself is separate from the action. We may decide that a new vendor is...
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Remember back in high school when you came to that fateful debate of whether it was time to dump your boyfriend or girlfriend? Remember how your friends all had their opinions, but you had to wonder if they had their...
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Jul 3
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Outsourcing the Call Center to India - Part 1 Here's the critical question: Is the pronunciation of employees at these foreign customer service centers adequate and acceptable? In my own recent experience with making three separate calls to a...
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Can any Buyer in the call center atmosphere claim that outsourcing the call center to India is not discussed at every meeting they hold these days? Check out the June 26th cover story and cover picture of Time Magazine for the...
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