Blog

Conquering Procurement: A Guide for Logistics Entrepreneurs - 07/31/2024
In the cutthroat world of logistics, where efficiency reigns supreme, optimizing procurement is a sure fire way to surge ahead of the competition. This article equips logistics entrepreneurs with the knowledge and strategies to conquer procurement and propel their businesses to new heights.

How Long Will Supply Be Difficult - 01/19/2022
Some supplies are still hard to get, but certain places may have what you nceed.

Buyers Complaining About Delivery - 10/07/2021
Slow delivery causing out of stock problems reported by buyers.

New Online Courses - 07/24/2021
Three new online courses added by the American Purchasing Society.

Problems With Various Departments - 03/18/2019
Buyers and purchasing managers indicated that they have the most problems with internal operating or production departments, followed by accounting and finance. Let us know how any of these departments affect what you do.

Do You Consider the Amount of Time Used When Buying? - 01/02/2019
Most purchasing operations only compare bids from one to three suppliers. In practice, buyers may not get competitive quotes for small quantities of low cost items, but they should shop more when the investment required is high.

How to Improve Purchasing - 12/26/2017
Look at the data to improve purchasing activities.

Is Your Company Paying On-Time? - 08/24/2017
Do you ever have a supplier tell you that your company is paying its bills late? Most suppliers will not tell the buyer unless the situation is flagrant, but late payments still reflect poorly on the buyer as well as the company.

The Advantages of Purchasing Paperwork Reduction - 06/14/2017
Paperwork can be reduced by using the computer, but the buyer must still do the negotiating and enter unique information.

Solicit Opinions, Measure Performance - 05/02/2017
Ask users for their opinions about suppliers' performance and their products but actually measure those factors.

Lithium demand stirs supply, price concerns - 07/07/2016
Financial observers call it the “the world’s hottest commodity.” Goldman Sachs has reportedly dubbed it the “new gasoline,” according to a recent expose in The Economist. Most of us could end up calling it “gone” in our lifetimes.

Vertical integration 2.0: This time, it's strategic - 05/17/2016
For years, academia and the real world have long preached about the value of outsourcing, part science and art, for its ability to give purchasing organizations a competitive edge by allowing them to focus internally on core strengths, i.e., what they do best. It’s also well-documented that those organizations that best command and have unfettered visibility of their supply chain are among the most nimble and successful.

Even as prices and risks rise, corporate travel still a booming business - 04/18/2016
It would take a lot to bring business travel to a grinding halt. Yet even rising fares in the midst of a global oil glut and multiple acts of terrorism this year alone have barely made a ripple. While that speaks volumes about the resiliency of commerce, corporate travel purchasing managers are likely a nervous and harried bunch right now.

One thing's for sure: 2016 will not be boring - 02/24/2016
When 2016 dawned, China’s economic instabilities sent shockwaves across global markets. Plunging oil prices only made the rollercoaster ride that much scarier. Buyers haven’t felt this much heat in a while

Can mergers lead to world class supply chain organizations? - 02/08/2016
The near collapse of our economy in 2007 set in motion a historic and sustained high level of merger and acquisition activity unrivaled since the Internet bubble at the end of the 20th century. And while such activity dipped to around 1,000 separate deals this year, brace yourselves: according to the Institute of Mergers, Acquisitions & Alliances, the rate could nearly double in 2016.

Looking back: A year of challenges for purchasing - 01/21/2016
Last year the U.S. economy continued its healthy rebound – the silver lining in an otherwise cloudy year for many buyers. Among the hardest hit then and now are those in the oil sector.

Buyers respond to merger frenzy with consortium-level clout - 12/10/2015
As 2015 draws to a close, the purchasing world is a little smaller than it was a year ago. Consolidation is sending shockwaves through the profession. Not since 2007 (the most robust year in a quarter century) have the levels of mergers and acquisitions been so brisk – 40,000 worldwide by early fall, according to the Institute of Mergers, Acquisitions & Alliances.

2016: A Year of Challenges and Silver Linings? - 11/11/2015
In a matter of days, the American Purchasing Society will release our 2015 salary and benchmarking reports. It’s an annual event here that always generates a lot of discussion and interest. Our salary report last year uncovered some slightly unsettling news: • Average salaries had declined for nearly every job title – from buyers, purchasing agents and purchasing directors to vice presidents of purchasing. • For nearly a quarter of you, raises evaporated. • Three-fourths of you worked in departments with hiring freezes.

PeopleTicker selected by American Purchasing Society to provide best practice tools for procuring contingent labor - 05/12/2015
AURORA, Ill., May 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- American Purchasing Society long known for its certification and training programs continues to drive innovation through its endorsement of PeopleTicker as the clear leader in providing procurement professionals with best practices tools for the purchasing of contingent labor.

Free Price Index Meeting - 01/02/2015
Free BLS meeting for Society members about Price Indexes and Export Price Indexes.