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Procurement decisions don’t fail inside procurement. They fail when real-world conditions hit them. That’s what we assess.
How does Wall Street and Venture Capitalist money influence service provider transparency?
January 27, 2016
I have been getting a lot of interesting feedback regarding my last post about Zycus. In one discussion, I had expressed my surprise regarding how frank they were about the market, the competition, where they are weak, and where they are strong. I could not help but wonder why they were so open. The response I received was […]
Posted in: Commentary
Referring to themselves as the last of the great independents, Zycus call was unexpected and interesting
January 26, 2016
I must admit that I was a little surprised when I received an e-mail from Zycus indicating that they wanted to talk with me to provide an update on their company. It is not because I am not a good conversationalist. I think that I can be an interesting, delightful, and perhaps even entertaining contributor to any […]
Posted in: Commentary
3 Tips On How To Avoid Collaboration Burnout
January 25, 2016
Originally posted on The Remarkable Leader:
Generally speaking I have found that women are more open and willing to collaborate than men. I am not by any means suggesting that men don’t collaborate, because they do. It is just not to the same degree, nor is it for the same reasons. Whether it is the…
Posted in: Uncategorized
Why a vendor’s values are more important than their technology
January 20, 2016
As reader interest continues to shift from technical specifications and Magic Quadrant ratings, to focus instead on real performance indicators such as assessing the people and values behind a company, covering our industry requires an entirely different set of skills than it did in the past. Given the increasing level of comfort and competency that today’s […]
Posted in: Commentary
Procurement and social media . . . is it a pairing made in heaven or the other place?
January 19, 2016
If this will be the first time that you have tuned in to one of our Point-Counterpoint broadcasts on Blog Talk Radio, then you are in for a real treat today. At 1:00 PM EST this afternoon, Kelly Barner and I will be talking – okay maybe arguing, about the impact that social media has had […]
Posted in: Commentary, Social Networking
But You Can’t Say That, or Why Do I Write What I Write?
January 15, 2016
Someone recently asked me why I write what I write? My initial response was to say something reminiscent of the sentiments expressed by George Leigh Mallory regarding why he climbed Mount Everest . . . because it is there. In short, I write because I love to write. However – and this is just my viewpoint, […]
Posted in: Commentary
A Quick Thought: Has the Top 30 Under 30 Gone MIA?
January 13, 2016
I was, like many in our industry, delighted when ThomasNet and ISM teamed up to launch the Annual Top 30 Under 30 program. I even did a radio segment on it shortly after the campaign was launched in early 2014. By focusing on a group of 30 “rising”supply chain stars who, as the name suggests, […]
Posted in: Commentary
Musings For A New Year: Do vendors have to make it in the U.S. to be successful?
January 12, 2016
Editor’s Note: The following are musings from a mind with too much caffeine, a computer, and observational inclinations. As such, beyond what is plainly written, there is an underlying message. Do you know what it is? If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere . . . – Lyrics from the song New York, New […]
Posted in: Commentary
Is Ford’s AutoXchange the “Real Deal?” (8 Years Later)
December 8, 2015
Originally posted on Procurement Insights:
In an excerpt from my March 18, 2008 post titled Optimization Modeling and the Modern Supply Chain I made the following statement: “The key starting point is to recognize that the term supply chain is a misnomer in that it implies a sequential order of events (in the spirit of your…
Posted in: Uncategorized
Procurement Insights 
Does PayStream Report on Coupa Really Matter . . . To Anyone?
February 1, 2016
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Editor Disclaimer: Before anyone – okay Coupa – thinks that I am picking on them, I want to state that the reference to them in this post is purely a matter of timing. Had I received a press release about the PayStream report featuring another vendor, we would be talking about them right now. In short, the vendor […]