[Skip to content]

Supply Management logo

The purchasing and supply website

.

Q&A

  • The way forward after warrantyWhat is the law regarding a latent defect on a product that is outside the warranty period? 10 May 2012
  • Ensuring a pilot takes offI am about to tender for a provider to run an innovative pilot project. Do you have any advice or wording I could use to ensure I give the 
right emphasis and am transparent about the contract's life? 12 April 2012
  • Paying for performanceWhat deliverables can be used to determine whether a consulting firm has performed to the required standards? If you do not follow the consultant's advice, can this be used as a reason to reduce the fee? 15 March 2012
  • Seeing into the IT futureI have been tasked with presenting a strategy on how to cut costs on the procurement of IT products and services, a new commodity for me. Can 
you give me some tips on how to cut back on these areas of purchasing? 16 February 2012
  • The benefits of a contractI am searching for benchmarks on the difference between spend managed through a contract against off-contract spend. Is there a rule of thumb to say if spend was via a contract you expect x per cent better value for money? 11 January 2012
  • Starting from scratchWhat do I need to consider 
in the writing of a procurement policy or procedures' manual? 08 December 2011
  • Cooking up a new dealWhat are the key criteria to consider when 
carrying out a catering contract tender? 10 November 2011
  • Avoiding costs when changing contractsI am migrating a number of small service contracts to one large facilities management contract. The contract terms state I could be liable for high termination costs if I cancel existing deals. What advice can you give? 06 October 2011
  • The real cost of changing vendorWhat costs do I need to be aware of when switching from one supplier to another? 08 September 2011
  • Calling in the SMEsDo you have any tips on how I can structure my tender to encourage the participation of small- to medium-sized businesses in the process? 11 August 2011
  • Sorting out software licensesWhat is your view on negotiating for software licenses? What is the best way to get a good deal? 14 July 2011
  • Put it in reverseHow should I fit reverse auctions into my organisation's overall procurement strategy? What factors will influence the outcome of a reverse auction? 09 June 2011
  • Assessing suppliers that double as distributorsI'm running a number of supplier appraisals and have hit a snag in that a few of our critical vendors are distributors. Which areas should I focus on in an assessment since they do not manufacture or own the design? 12 May 2011
  • Finding the appropriate cost modelOne of my suppliers prices cleaning on a cost per person basis. He knows how much each person costs within the business and applies this to cleaning. How would I calculate cost per person within our business? 14 April 2011
  • Room for manoeuvre in a monopolyWe are about to enter negotiations with a monopoly supplier. Can you suggest any ways in which we could win better terms? 17 March 2011
  • Challenging inertiaI have been asked to find cost savings from an incumbent supplier providing telecom hosting. There is little appetite internally to move this spend. How should I approach this? 17 February 2011
  • Controlling interestI am preparing a tender for a multi-site maintenance, repair and overhaul procurement and supply and need some tips, especially on putting in controls to monitor supply/usage and spend. 03 February 2011
  • How to plan recruitment spendWhat do I need to take into account when buying permanent and temporary recruitment? Is there any current or future legislation that is pertinent? 20 January 2011
  • Investing in e-sourcingWe are a medium-sized business with an annual spend of around £20 million. We want to invest in e-sourcing to cover spend analysis, RFx management, SRM, risk, etc. What should we look for to find the right solution and avoid large upfront investment? 06 January 2011
  • Looking at the risksWe are trying to come up with between three and five key risk indicators for our suppliers. Are there common identifiers that 
are applicable to most suppliers? What should we look at? 09 December 2010
  • Bringing it all togetherI've been asked to write a process for creating synergy benefits via contract novation. I have never done this before. Can you give me a guide of the steps this should involve? 25 November 2010
  • Presenting the factsWe are looking to attract global suppliers to tender. What's the best way to position ourselves to do this? 11 November 2010
  • Streamline decision-makingOur business has a long-winded and low-threshold sign-off process. How can I convince bosses this can be done faster and more efficiently, while retaining oversight and control? 28 October 2010
  • Put direct spend through its pacesWhat are your thoughts on applying a formal tendering process to direct spend? I think it is a tool for indirect spend and we should proceed carefully. What should we be aware of? 12 October 2010
  • A polished cleaning proposalI have been asked to investigate outsourcing the cleaning service within my organisation. Could you advise how I would go about doing so while ensuring that I get value for money? 30 September 2010
Page: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [+11]
[ Next » ]
Q&A icon

Fill out the form below to send us a question

Advertisement

Q&A contact form

Do you need some advice on a procurement and supply chain or a work-related matter? Why not contact us to get some free advice from experts in the profession. Just fill out the form below and click submit to send us a question.

The questions will be anonymous, although we may need to contact you for further details, so please provide your name and email address

» Indicates required fields

Advisor Q + A

Configure your Portal

  • Main (left)
Configuration

Follow us:

Michael Page logo
Guide to salaries
Guide to Salaries
ADVERTISEMENT:
Proxima
Redefining procurement. Powering business.
CPO QT debate
Click here to watch video highlights of the CPO Agenda cost cutting panel discussion and debate
CIPS SM Awards Logo 2012

The deadline to enter this year's CIPS Supply Management Awards has now passed. The shortlist of nominations will be announced on 21 June.

Click here for details of how to book your table.
WHITE PAPER


"Shape up with NRI - prepare and plan your negotiations better"

Reading Lines
Click here to download this whitepaper
Buyography blog logo
  • Here comes the sun
    Summer seems to have come early in the UK, but how many people will be skipping work to enjoy it? 25 May 2012
More blog posts
PMI reports logo

COMMODITY PRICES

Check out the latest commodity prices.

View latest prices

  • Main (right)
Configuration
WHITE PAPER:
"Top Ten Technologies - Industry Report"
Top 10 Tech Supply Management_UK
Click here to download this white paper
WHITE PAPER:
"Driving Lasting Savings with Spend Compliance"
lasting savings
Click here to download this white paper
SM job site logo

More purchasing and supply jobs

SAP

FREE WEBINAR


"Practical steps to strategic sourcing"

Click here to view the webinar

Q & A icon

Need advice on a procurement & supply chain or work-related matter?

Click here to get free expert advice.

HOW TO

strategic sourcing

Read our Guide to Strategic Sourcing

Click here to subscribe online now using our secure subscription service
Comments
Please enter your comments below
Fill out the all the boxes and click the 'Submit comments' button to make a comment on this page
*Comments are added to the bottom of the page. They are moderated and will not be published until approved by the Supply Management team. They may be edited. Please note unless marked “confidential” your feedback may be published on our letters page