Subscribe:
RSS feed
Procurement decisions don’t fail inside procurement. They fail when real-world conditions hit them. That’s what we assess.
Manitoba Hydro Single Source “Controversy”: A Time For Answers Over Headlines
March 10, 2016
There is an old saying that “a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.” However, I believe that the real danger is in the inability or unwillingness to ask the right questions. Take for example the recent CBC News headline regarding the Manitoba Hydro deal with Tetra Tech. Under a suggestively accusatory $85M contract with Manitoba Hydro was […]
Posted in: Commentary
Manitoba PC Party Throwing Rocks From Glass House RE Untendered Hydro Deal?
March 8, 2016
Today it was revealed that a $85 million contract with Manitoba Hydro was not tendered. This is happening too often. Our Open Government Initiative will ensure that untendered contracts are truly the exception and are used only in exceptional circumstances. Sign your support:http://www.pcmanitoba.com/open_government The Manitoba PC Party’s opportunistic use of social media should be applauded. […]
Posted in: Commentary
Reader backlash leads to a new cover design for our book Procurement At A Crossroads
March 7, 2016
Maybe my mother was wrong? But she couldn’t be! I mean she always said that everyone liked me! Have I been living under the false premise of a mother’s biased and blinded love? Oh well . . . at least the Easter bunny is still real . . . right? Okay, so what is this all […]
Posted in: Commentary
Do single-source contracts really increase the risk of impropriety in procurement?
March 3, 2016
“Untendered contracts increase the risk of impropriety in procurement,” Ricard said, describing single-source contracts as a type of “higher risk” transaction. – from March 1st, 2015 CBC New article $85M contract with Manitoba Hydro was not tendered While Provincial auditor general Norm Ricard acknowledged that he had not evaluated the $85 million contract between Manitoba Hydro and Tetra […]
Posted in: Commentary
The $85 Million Manitoba Hydro Contract Controversy: A Case Of Looking For Phantom Monsters Under The Bed?
March 1, 2016
Earlier today, an old friend from Winnipeg posted a CBC News article on Facebook titled “$85M contract with Manitoba Hydro was not tendered” with the sub-title “Manitoba Hydro says contract was justified, but won’t say why for competitive reasons.” Based on a cursory view of the above headline, one might be inclined to jump to […]
Posted in: News & Updates
Life Outside of Procurement: A Sticky Gooey Dough
February 29, 2016
We all have a life outside of procurement. Some of you for example may like to golf or play any number of sports. Others may like to go for long drives while listening to their favorite music. It could be anything. The point is that beyond our passion for procurement, we all have personal interests. Mine happens […]
Posted in: Life Beyond Procurement
Wall Street And The Analyst Firms Are Dead . . . Long Live The New DO-ERS!
February 24, 2016
Not that long ago I wrote about Zycus and their proud proclamation that they are independent and free from the reliance on traditional money sources such as VCs and Wall Street. I have never been a big fan of Wall Street for pretty much the same reasons as most everyone else. If you have seen […]
Posted in: Commentary
No Deal: Why The Procurement World Has Gone Silent
February 17, 2016
“Oh, gotcha. But are the deals not happening or are they just not being announced? With SaaS, you can switch so easily, so why would you bother announcing who you’ve implemented this year/month/week? I think ease of switching has made win news go the way of press releases. It would be like announcing where you decided […]
Posted in: Commentary
Are women really on the losing end of government contracts? by Kelly Barner
February 11, 2016
Last week, Jon Hansen ‘tagged’ me in a Twitter exchange about women-owned small businesses and their rate of success in winning public sector contracts. The catalyst article, “Businesses Owned by Women Less Likely to Win U.S. Contracts, Study Shows” was written by Jackie Calmes, and ran on the NY Times on February 2nd. It documents […]
Posted in: Guest Posting
Procurement Insights 
What’s An EOI? More Insights From Hydro on the $85M Controversy
March 17, 2016
1
In my March 10th post Manitoba Hydro Single Source “Controversy”: A Time For Answers Over Headlines, I had indicated that I had two questions for which I would seek an answer from Hydro. With my first question, I had asked for further clarification regarding the debriefing process for the unsuccessful bidders. I wrote that this was important, because a […]