The Strategic Source
Volume 1

Welcome!

You are receiving the inaugural issue of The Strategic Source. Several months ago, Global Supply Management, Inc. (GSM), was established to provide operational excellence in consulting, training, coaching and support services in the areas of strategic sourcing, lean supplier development, logistics and group purchasing around the world. “As our business and scope of offerings continues to grow, we are excited to now offer all non-legal support under the GSM brand,” says Jim Bergman, CEO of GSM, and the CEO of Purchasing Law and Negotiations, Inc. (PLAN).

As an integral part of this continued growth, we are now proud to introduce The Strategic Source - a complimentary, commercial-free source of information. We feel strongly that the personal connection we have with you - our clients and friends - through GSM and PLAN has been instrumental in the continued growth of our offerings. With this in mind, we are launching a monthly newsletter to share tips, informative articles and cutting edge information about our profession.

Our goal is that you will be able to read it in less than ten minutes, find all the information useful and have the opportunity to share it with your colleagues. We hope you will choose to continue receiving The Strategic Source. Feel free to visit us at www.thestrategicsource.com.

Tip of the Month: World-class supply management functions view their processes as cyclical, rather than linear. "Category Spend Strategies" feed into "Strategic Sourcing", which feeds into "Supplier Performance/Relationship Management", which then feeds back into "Category Spend Strategies". If you look at the graphic of your process and it is a linear picture, consider revising it. This simple change can lead to significant increases in your supply management effectiveness.

Upcoming Articles:

Pro-cure-ment - the act of procuring; obtaining; attaining.

Is it an art or a science? Procurement means different things to different people. One thing is certain - Procurement is a process and not an isolated event. The danger to those who do not understand this concept, is that they could be paying more for the goods or services being acquired. You will pay more without a process!

Comparisons Aren't Odious - They're Necessary!

How do you evaluate supplier proposals..do you have guidelines and a process? You will learn more about effective comparison guidelines for your supplier evaluation process. Plus, you will gain some insight into effective evaluation templates. Improve your forms used in evaluating, rating and ranking your suppliers' RFx responses.