Vol. 1, No. 4
July/August 2008

Features

• Incorporating Project Management Principles Into Supply Management Practice
  
  In a team-oriented environment like supply management, applying project management principles can lend credibility and provide organization and direction. This article explains how to check your own leadership skills against the characteristics of a successful project manager for more effective, efficient supply management processes and team dynamics.
  Jo Anne Zingo
  
  
• Top 10 Errors When Drafting Service Contracts
  
  Drafting a services contract is never simple: It spells out the buyer's and seller's negotiated obligations and rights. If it is poorly drafted, a number of serious problems can arise:
  
  
  • The seller thinks it is charged with delivering one thing. The buyer thinks it should be receiving something else.
  • The buyer has limited options to rectify the situation in the event of a breach.
  • The supplier's attorneys can find plenty of loopholes for escape.
  
  Avoiding common service contract-writing mistakes goes a long way in preventing complications like these.
  Gerard R. Fernandez, C.P.M.
  
  
• Metrics 101: A Primer
  
  The Baldrige National Quality Award says metrics are needed, ISO 9000 expects them to be used, and Six Sigma and lean cannot exist without them. Metrics are encountered on all fronts.
  
  Yet, supply management professionals are often stumped on how to measure processes, contracts and statements of work. Here, we present a practical approach to demystify the measurement process.
  Keith Wagoner
  
  

Career ROI

• Right on the Money
  
  eSide recently sat down with best-selling author Daniel Pink, who believes those who harness their right-brain aptitudes will rule the future of business — even in left-brain professions such as supply management.
  
  His latest book, A Whole New Mind, asserts that artistry, empathy and big-picture thinking are the key factors which will decide who moves forward and who gets left behind in coming years.
  RaeAnn Slaybaugh
  
  

Sustainability & Social Responsibility

• Go Green to See Green
  
  Released in May, Colgate-Palmolive's online sustainability report, Respecting the World Around Us: Living Our Values for Sustainability, details the efforts executives are making to achieve their major environmental goals — and saving the organization money at the same time.
  RaeAnn Slaybaugh
  
  
• The Future of Sustainability Looks Green
  
  Today, organizations are overwhelmingly focused on the development of sustainable supply chains that are robust enough to not only support themselves, but also actually improve the environment.
  Patrick C. Penfield
  
  
• It's Not Easy Going Green
  
  A benchmark report by Aberdeen Group, Improving Productivity and Profitability through Fleet Service Management, highlights common complications involved with the transition to green fleet management.
  RaeAnn Slaybaugh
  
  

CPSM^® Update

• ISM Awards First CPSM®
  
  Fueled by a desire to maintain a competitive advantage in the workplace and a commitment to carry others to the next level with him, Michael G. Haynes of Siemens Building Technologies is the first person to earn the coveted qualification.
  
  "You're only as good as your last success — and that doesn't last too long," he says. "Getting my CPSM® shows a certain passion for the job. I think that's probably the best word for it."
  RaeAnn Slaybaugh
  
  

Research & Surveys

• The Pursuit of Professional Success — Today and Tomorrow
  
  As baby boomers retire and a younger generation of workers takes over, they inherit an increasingly global marketplace and must learn to succeed professionally in a knowledge-based economy. This requires a different set of aptitudes — ones researchers at The Conference Board recently set out to identify when they surveyed more than 400 employers across the United States.
  RaeAnn Slaybaugh
  
  
• Leading the Way
  
  Now in its fifth year of publication, the AMR Research Supply Chain Top 25 report recognizes organizations that personify how supply chain excellence contributes to economic value. The analysis uses basic public data as a foundation — return on assets, inventory turns and growth — and incorporates expert and peer assessments of future potential.
  RaeAnn Slaybaugh
  
  

Around the World

• Doing Business in Eastern Europe
  
  Although low-cost-country sourcing typically conjures thoughts of China and India, with more than 20 countries — and corresponding on-the-rise per-capita income indicators — Eastern Europe is popping up on the radar as an emerging market. This month, we zero in on Poland, one of the fastest-growing Eastern European economies.
  RaeAnn Slaybaugh
  
  

Check Out This Issue's Advertisers

• GreenSupplyChain.org — Certified Green Supply Chain Professional Program Now Enrolling
  
  
• University of San Francisco — Earn Your Master Certificate in Supply Chain Management — 100% online!
  
  
• University of San Diego School of Business Administration — Advance your career with the ISM-approved MS in Supply Chain Management