You’d like to think you can trust the opinion of your friends and colleagues to tell the truth, but perhaps you might not be able to for much longer. “Word of mouth” selling is the latest PR craze, with agencies signing up "agents" to wax lyrical about their products and services to anyone who will [...]
Female CPOs in America’s top firms receive more in “compensation” each year than their male equivalents. A study reveals that men receive the equivalent of £185,000 while women make £211,000. The term “compensation” is defined as salary plus bonus and health premium benefits, with related variables. Another survey earlier this year showed that salaries for [...]
Brits Get Rich in China on Channel 4 last night was a lesson to many of us in the reality of trying to manufacture or source in China. There were many examples of the things buyers fear about overseas sourcing. Broken promises, poor quality products, non-existent factories. But some of the documentary’s participants took an [...]
If there is one question that always seems to elicit the same answer from buyers it is "how did you get into the profession?" And the answer? "Well, I just sort of fell into it really." Now it might be that it takes a certain kind of personality to be a buyer, and those types [...]
As Antony Barton writes in SM (24 May), for better or worse, the European Union shapes all our working lives. Officials and MEPs based in Brussels and Strasbourg would like buyers – among others – to realise that and get involved in the decision-making process. Afterall, directives they propose, such as the 2006 public sector [...]
In the next issue of Supply Management, out tomorrow – Featured Articles Retail with detail – How procurement has contributed to Tesco’s success Laying down the law – How EU law affects, and can be changed, by buyers Tales of the unexpected – Artifical limbs, chocolate eggs and bull’s semen – just some of the [...]
How tidy is your desk at the moment? If it’s anything like mine you are probably drowning in a sea of paperwork, but you might want to clean up if you want to win some business. A recent survey by wall covering supplier Muraspec has revealed that two-thirds of buyers would struggle to do business [...]
Following on from Friday’s blog on supplier excuses, how many suppliers have actually taken the time to apologise for their shortcomings? And how many buyers apologise when a deal they have arranged goes pear shaped? It may be more beneficial than you think. According to the British Standards Institute, more than a third of customers [...]
Have you ever said you would do something, then simply forgotten to take care of it?
Well worry no longer, just claim it was a force majeure that prevented you delivering.
It seems every day brings news of another company takeover or merger.
