Sourcing Tips Inspired By Valentine’s Day<\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div>PurchTips edition #394<\/p>\n<\/div>
What Do Sourcing & Valentine\u2019s Day Have In Common?<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div>Valentine\u2019s Day is just about here. Those of us with school-aged kids \u2013 or who remember when our kids were school-aged \u2013 know all about the struggle of sending our children to school with appropriate Valentine\u2019s Day paraphernalia.<\/p>\n
Believe it or not, some tips for Valentine\u2019s Day parties can be applied to sourcing. Here are a few of those tips:<\/p>\n
Be Inclusive.<\/strong>\u00a0No kid wants to feel left out or unliked. So, teachers stress that students must come to class with a Valentine card for every kid in the class. A mistake in sourcing is that some procurement professionals only send their RFP\u2019s to suppliers they already know and like. That\u2019s a mistake because you are limiting competition (which usually results in higher prices) and ignoring opportunities for innovation. Casting a wide net for potential suppliers at the RFP issuance stage of the sourcing process is a good idea. It\u2019s easy to whittle potential suppliers to a short list. But not so easy to restart the sourcing process when you realize that the pool of suppliers who responded to your RFP is too small.<\/p>\nSend a Hopeful Message.<\/strong>\u00a0When selecting a supplier, you want choices. To be able to pick the best of the best. Suppliers loathe wasting time and resources. They only respond to RFP\u2019s when they feel they have a chance to win. Be sure that your RFP entices them by conveying that your sourcing process provides a fair proposal evaluation method and a legitimate chance for any qualified supplier to win. Think of those candy hearts given out on Valentine\u2019s Day. They say things like \u201cBe Mine\u201d and \u201cKiss Me.\u201d They don\u2019t say things like \u201cUse all of your effort to respond to me but I\u2019m just going to stay with the sweetheart I already have.\u201d So, make sure your RFP doesn\u2019t communicate a message like that either!<\/p>\nMake Sure Your Materials Are Up To Date.<\/strong>\u00a0In 2018, no kid is going to squeal with joy when getting a Valentine depicting Hannah Montana or the Titanic movie or New Kids on the Block, right? Both Valentines and RFP\u2019s need to be current to work well. Proofread your RFP before sending it. Look for outdated requirements like Y2K compliance or deliveries to a facility that no longer exists or the faxing of notifications. Outdated RFP\u2019s make it seem like you\u2019re unorganized. That scares suppliers. You want suppliers that keep themselves current, so set a good example.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Want A More Rewarding Procurement
\nCareer?<\/p><\/h5><\/div>
![](\"https:\/\/www.certitrek.com\/nlpa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/04\/success.jpg\" "\\"success\\"")
<\/span><\/div>Are you tired of not getting enough opportunities, respect, and money out of your procurement career? Well, guess what? Nothing will change unless you take action towards becoming a world-class procurement professional.
\nEarning your SPSM Certification is the action to take if you want to bring the most modern procurement practices into your organization and achieve your career potential.
\nDownload the SPSM Certification Infopack today to learn how to get started on your journey to a more rewarding procurement career!<\/p>\n<\/div>
PurchTips edition #394<\/p>\n<\/div>
What Do Sourcing & Valentine\u2019s Day Have In Common?<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div>Valentine\u2019s Day is just about here. Those of us with school-aged kids \u2013 or who remember when our kids were school-aged \u2013 know all about the struggle of sending our children to school with appropriate Valentine\u2019s Day paraphernalia.<\/p>\n
Believe it or not, some tips for Valentine\u2019s Day parties can be applied to sourcing. Here are a few of those tips:<\/p>\n
Be Inclusive.<\/strong>\u00a0No kid wants to feel left out or unliked. So, teachers stress that students must come to class with a Valentine card for every kid in the class. A mistake in sourcing is that some procurement professionals only send their RFP\u2019s to suppliers they already know and like. That\u2019s a mistake because you are limiting competition (which usually results in higher prices) and ignoring opportunities for innovation. Casting a wide net for potential suppliers at the RFP issuance stage of the sourcing process is a good idea. It\u2019s easy to whittle potential suppliers to a short list. But not so easy to restart the sourcing process when you realize that the pool of suppliers who responded to your RFP is too small.<\/p>\nSend a Hopeful Message.<\/strong>\u00a0When selecting a supplier, you want choices. To be able to pick the best of the best. Suppliers loathe wasting time and resources. They only respond to RFP\u2019s when they feel they have a chance to win. Be sure that your RFP entices them by conveying that your sourcing process provides a fair proposal evaluation method and a legitimate chance for any qualified supplier to win. Think of those candy hearts given out on Valentine\u2019s Day. They say things like \u201cBe Mine\u201d and \u201cKiss Me.\u201d They don\u2019t say things like \u201cUse all of your effort to respond to me but I\u2019m just going to stay with the sweetheart I already have.\u201d So, make sure your RFP doesn\u2019t communicate a message like that either!<\/p>\nMake Sure Your Materials Are Up To Date.<\/strong>\u00a0In 2018, no kid is going to squeal with joy when getting a Valentine depicting Hannah Montana or the Titanic movie or New Kids on the Block, right? Both Valentines and RFP\u2019s need to be current to work well. Proofread your RFP before sending it. Look for outdated requirements like Y2K compliance or deliveries to a facility that no longer exists or the faxing of notifications. Outdated RFP\u2019s make it seem like you\u2019re unorganized. That scares suppliers. You want suppliers that keep themselves current, so set a good example.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Want A More Rewarding Procurement
\nCareer?<\/p><\/h5><\/div>
<\/span><\/div>Are you tired of not getting enough opportunities, respect, and money out of your procurement career? Well, guess what? Nothing will change unless you take action towards becoming a world-class procurement professional.
\nEarning your SPSM Certification is the action to take if you want to bring the most modern procurement practices into your organization and achieve your career potential.
\nDownload the SPSM Certification Infopack today to learn how to get started on your journey to a more rewarding procurement career!<\/p>\n<\/div>
Valentine\u2019s Day is just about here. Those of us with school-aged kids \u2013 or who remember when our kids were school-aged \u2013 know all about the struggle of sending our children to school with appropriate Valentine\u2019s Day paraphernalia.<\/p>\n
Believe it or not, some tips for Valentine\u2019s Day parties can be applied to sourcing. Here are a few of those tips:<\/p>\n
Be Inclusive.<\/strong>\u00a0No kid wants to feel left out or unliked. So, teachers stress that students must come to class with a Valentine card for every kid in the class. A mistake in sourcing is that some procurement professionals only send their RFP\u2019s to suppliers they already know and like. That\u2019s a mistake because you are limiting competition (which usually results in higher prices) and ignoring opportunities for innovation. Casting a wide net for potential suppliers at the RFP issuance stage of the sourcing process is a good idea. It\u2019s easy to whittle potential suppliers to a short list. But not so easy to restart the sourcing process when you realize that the pool of suppliers who responded to your RFP is too small.<\/p>\n Send a Hopeful Message.<\/strong>\u00a0When selecting a supplier, you want choices. To be able to pick the best of the best. Suppliers loathe wasting time and resources. They only respond to RFP\u2019s when they feel they have a chance to win. Be sure that your RFP entices them by conveying that your sourcing process provides a fair proposal evaluation method and a legitimate chance for any qualified supplier to win. Think of those candy hearts given out on Valentine\u2019s Day. They say things like \u201cBe Mine\u201d and \u201cKiss Me.\u201d They don\u2019t say things like \u201cUse all of your effort to respond to me but I\u2019m just going to stay with the sweetheart I already have.\u201d So, make sure your RFP doesn\u2019t communicate a message like that either!<\/p>\n Make Sure Your Materials Are Up To Date.<\/strong>\u00a0In 2018, no kid is going to squeal with joy when getting a Valentine depicting Hannah Montana or the Titanic movie or New Kids on the Block, right? Both Valentines and RFP\u2019s need to be current to work well. Proofread your RFP before sending it. Look for outdated requirements like Y2K compliance or deliveries to a facility that no longer exists or the faxing of notifications. Outdated RFP\u2019s make it seem like you\u2019re unorganized. That scares suppliers. You want suppliers that keep themselves current, so set a good example.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> Want A More Rewarding Procurement Are you tired of not getting enough opportunities, respect, and money out of your procurement career? Well, guess what? Nothing will change unless you take action towards becoming a world-class procurement professional.
\nCareer?<\/p><\/h5><\/div><\/span><\/div>
\nEarning your SPSM Certification is the action to take if you want to bring the most modern procurement practices into your organization and achieve your career potential.
\nDownload the SPSM Certification Infopack today to learn how to get started on your journey to a more rewarding procurement career!<\/p>\n<\/div>
![](\"https:\/\/www.certitrek.com\/nlpa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/04\/nlpa-course-catalog-cover.jpg\" "\\"nlpa-course-catalog-cover\\"")
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