By Mark Brousseau
One of the hottest topics at TAWPI’s Payments Capture & Clearing (PCC) Council meeting last month in Las Vegas was how organizations can get the greatest benefits from benchmarking and best practices.
That same question was put to a gathering of top supply chain executives at the Supply Chain Leadership Forum, an event hosted by the Supply Chain Consortium.
By comparing notes and taking a Consortium survey, forum attendees identified the Top 5 “Do’s” and “Don’ts” of benchmarking and best practices. The survey gathered information from participants’ real-life experiences, including supply chain areas that have achieved performance improvements and benchmarking information that has been used and interpreted by their companies.
The Top 5 Do’s:
1. Do align with key stakeholders.
2. Do succinctly summarize benefits for top management.
3. Do reduce your scope to actionable items.
4. Do maintain perspective of both your business and cultural model.
5. Do test multiple options before drawing conclusions.
The Top 5 Don’ts:
1. Don’t use competitors that match up poorly with your processes.
2. Don’t ignore your competition.
3. Don’t use the “boil the ocean” approach (focus, focus, focus).
4. Don’t use benchmarking and data analysis tools without understanding how they work.
5. Don’t work in a vacuum and think your organization knows it all.
Do you have any benchmarking "do's" and "don'ts" to share? Post them below.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Choosing a Staffing Provider
By Mark Brousseau
Partnering with a staffing service can help supplement your existing workforce during peak periods, allow you to pre-screen applicants for full-time positions, and even reduce your labor costs. That’s according to Brian Devine, division vice president at ProLogistix. Many industries are embracing the use of contingent workforce – which now accounts for 2 percent of the entire U.S. workforce, Devine notes.
But companies need to recognize that staffing is a strategic decision, Devine told attendees at the Warehousing Education and Research Council’s (WERC) Annual Conference in Chicago, May 4-7. That means choosing the right partner carefully, communicating effectively at the right levels, and being realistic in your expectations.
Devine said it’s a common misconception that all staffing companies are the same because they recruit from the same pool of people. However, there are several qualities companies should look for in a staffing provider, he noted. These include the thoroughness of the applicant screening process (including worker eligibility, drug testing, and criminal background checks), the competency of local recruiters (including industry knowledge and service-level expectations), competitive pricing, and a staffing provider’s financial stability.
And don’t turn a blind eye to undocumented workers. Devine said many companies mistakenly believe that it’s not their problem if the staffing service uses undocumented workers. He warned that the Department of Homeland Security’s revised penalties and automated e-Verify program make the risks associated with undocumented workers even greater. Also raising the stakes are stringent state laws, such as the one in Arizona.
Do have tips for partnering with a staffing service? Post them below.
Partnering with a staffing service can help supplement your existing workforce during peak periods, allow you to pre-screen applicants for full-time positions, and even reduce your labor costs. That’s according to Brian Devine, division vice president at ProLogistix. Many industries are embracing the use of contingent workforce – which now accounts for 2 percent of the entire U.S. workforce, Devine notes.
But companies need to recognize that staffing is a strategic decision, Devine told attendees at the Warehousing Education and Research Council’s (WERC) Annual Conference in Chicago, May 4-7. That means choosing the right partner carefully, communicating effectively at the right levels, and being realistic in your expectations.
Devine said it’s a common misconception that all staffing companies are the same because they recruit from the same pool of people. However, there are several qualities companies should look for in a staffing provider, he noted. These include the thoroughness of the applicant screening process (including worker eligibility, drug testing, and criminal background checks), the competency of local recruiters (including industry knowledge and service-level expectations), competitive pricing, and a staffing provider’s financial stability.
And don’t turn a blind eye to undocumented workers. Devine said many companies mistakenly believe that it’s not their problem if the staffing service uses undocumented workers. He warned that the Department of Homeland Security’s revised penalties and automated e-Verify program make the risks associated with undocumented workers even greater. Also raising the stakes are stringent state laws, such as the one in Arizona.
Do have tips for partnering with a staffing service? Post them below.
Businesses Want Supply Chain Services
Posted by Mark Brousseau
There is a market for integrated financial supply chain management services, according to Financial Insights’ 2007 North American Commercial Payments Study.
Areas of potential cooperation clearly emerge in accounts receivable (A/R) and accounts payable, Financial Insights reports. The full benefits of financial supply chain reengineering have yet to be recognized, the consulting firm notes, indicating prospects for businesses, bankers and vendors to work together more closely to realize joint benefits. Banks have not grappled with their own business processes, and they do not have an execution framework, Financial Insights found. Meantime, businesses do not see them as supply chain providers or, if they do, they see them in the same position as supply chain vendors.
“Businesses are receptive to supply chain services, and banks have everything to gain and lose. Transforming payments to business processes is the key,” says Maggie Scarborough, research manager, Financial Insights Corporate Banking Advisory Services.
Is your bank offering integrated financial supply chain management services? Tell us about it by posting your comments below.
There is a market for integrated financial supply chain management services, according to Financial Insights’ 2007 North American Commercial Payments Study.
Areas of potential cooperation clearly emerge in accounts receivable (A/R) and accounts payable, Financial Insights reports. The full benefits of financial supply chain reengineering have yet to be recognized, the consulting firm notes, indicating prospects for businesses, bankers and vendors to work together more closely to realize joint benefits. Banks have not grappled with their own business processes, and they do not have an execution framework, Financial Insights found. Meantime, businesses do not see them as supply chain providers or, if they do, they see them in the same position as supply chain vendors.
“Businesses are receptive to supply chain services, and banks have everything to gain and lose. Transforming payments to business processes is the key,” says Maggie Scarborough, research manager, Financial Insights Corporate Banking Advisory Services.
Is your bank offering integrated financial supply chain management services? Tell us about it by posting your comments below.
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