3/3/2010

Question: What are best practices for timing of Legal contract approval in the requisition process? Obtain Legal approval on 'final' contract version prior to requisition submission? Or Is it to obtain Legal approval on 'draft' version and submit with the requisition? (i.e. run parallel work streams: Legal finalizes the legal T&C's. Once the requisition is approved, Procurement coordinates the submission of the 'final'contract version). Is there any best practice documentation available?

A Three Bears scenario: too early, too soon, or just right. I am not aware of best practices but I can speak from experience. If you get legal involved too early nothing will be accomplished and the deal may never materialize. If you get them in too late the deal may be significantly damaged by too much work after the fact. My experience tells me to bring them in at the framework stage. They can help with contract development especially during the offer / acceptance stage. Getting them involved at the SOW level may help as well if there are any specific issues that need to be addressed. Of course, this also depends on your relationship with legal and remember that outside counsel will bill accordingly.

9/23/2009

Question: I am in need of the definition of a supplier contract to include in a policy I am writing. Can you point me to the right place?

By definition (in this case, APICS), a contract is an agreement between two or more competent persons or companies to perform or not to perform specific acts or services or to deliver merchandise; a contract may be oral or written. A supplier contract is really what you make it out to be, based on cost /price, on-time delivery, quality, or a host of other pertinent and objective criteria that you establish in cooperation with your supplier. Id also look at the boiler plate on the back (and front!) of your current purchase order for a place to start relative to terms and conditions. Your legal folks want these to be the basis for any contract.

7/13/2009

Question: Hi Rich. I'm looking for an RFP for security card reader systems and services for my national buildings portfolio but cannot locate one. Can you help?

Check out rfpdb.com. This is a pretty comprehensive site for requests for proposals. If what you are not looking for is not there I think the site's community can help.

7/6/2009

Question: Hello, Do you have or know where to get category sourcing knowledge for a data center? Are there construction, installation, IT,... consultants, service providers with expertise and focus on data centers? Do you know any other Fortune 500 companies which has built one recently? Much appreciated. Marc

I am a big fan of trade associations as a starting point on information gathering. Check with AFCOM (afcom.com), a trade association of data center professionals. I'd start with the executive director's office.

6/3/2009

Question: Hi Rich - I have been studying the job boards for the past several months, and I get the impression that the demand for qualified Procurement staff is quite high despite (or maybe because of) the economy. I see evidence that more and more companies are changing from a tactical approach to purchasing to a strategic one. Is this a new trend, or has it been ongoing for a while now? Do you foresee this increased demand continuing? Any other thoughts you might have about this topic would be of great interest. Thank you.