ISM - Tools - Most Frequently Asked Purchasing and Supply Management Related Questions ISM's Information Center

Most Frequently Asked Purchasing and Supply Management Related Questions ISM's Information Center

Frequently Asked Questions – Purchasing and Supply Management
I need information on…	What's available?	Where to find / how to get..
Benchmarking Data	CAPS Research conducts Benchmarking Reports on various industries, and also compiles a Cross-Industry Comparison of Standard Benchmarks. The Benchmarking Network provides resources online, including a free benchmarking newsletter and links to industry- and process-focused benchmarking associations. Consult ISM's "Measuring Performance / Benchmarking" Resource Guide for articles and resources on the topic. Resource Guides are FREE to members.	CAPS http://www.capsresearch.org Choose "Research" then "Benchmarking Reports" Benchmarking Network http://www.benchmarkingnetwork.com ISM Resource Guides Index www.ism.ws/tools/guides/index.cfm
Best Practices	CAPS Research publishes Practix, a quarterly presentation of best practices in supply management.	CAPS - Practix http://www.capsresearch.org/Research/Practix.aspx
Bid Documents / Bid Specifications (RFP, RFQ, etc.)	ISM's Members-Only Bid Specifications Database holds thousands of sample bid documents, including RFPs, RFQs, and Invitations for Bid. Sample documents can be downloaded for personal use. Many government agencies post bids online. Before using a sample bid, check with the state or city agency to see if their bids are available for public use. Consult ISM's "Bidding Process" Resource Guide for articles and resources on the topic. Resource Guides are FREE to members.	ISM Bid Specifications Database www.ism.ws/tools/content.cfm?ItemNumber=7806 Most state Web sites can be found in the following format, where XX stands for the state's two-letter postal code http://www.state.XX.us ISM Resource Guides Index www.ism.ws/tools/guides/index.cfm
Colleges / Schools	ISM publishes a listing of institutions offering educational programs in Supply Management.	Supply Management Education www.ism.ws/membership/content.cfm?ItemNumber=4742
Commodity Pricing Information	Purchasing Magazine offers regular updates of commodity prices and a paid service called purchasingdata.com. The Producer Price Index measures changes in selling price over time.	Purchasing Magazine http://www.purchasing.com Producer Price Index http://www.bls.gov/ppi
Company History	There is a wealth of information available online. For the basics, try looking at the company's Web site for a press release center or an "about us" section. Or, try a business search engine, such as Business.com For detailed information, including financial reports, contacts, and competitors, good sources include Hoover's Online, Dun and Bradstreet, and Industry Watch.	Business.com http://www.business.com Hoover's Online http://www.hoovers.com Dun and Bradstreet http://www.dnb.com Industry Watch http://cnniw.yellowbrix.com
Consultants	IT Toolbox publishes a list of Supply Chain consultants, arranged alphabetically.	IT Toolbox – Supply Chain Vendors http://supplychain.ittoolbox.com/topics/s.asp?s=11&p=11&h1=11
Contract Samples / Contracting	eTool Agreements, available online at a reduced rate for ISM members, offers a wide variety of sample contracts. For articles on the contracting process, members can search ISM's Articles Database. There are several helpful resources in the Database, including the following: ISM InfoEdge: The Basics of Skillful Contract Writing ISM InfoEdge: Effective Contract Administration The ISM Resource Guides on "Contract Formation" and "Contract Management" also provide links to articles and resources. Resource Guides are free to ISM members. Other resources include: NCMA — The National Contract Management Association, provides resources and support for contract management. Findlaw.com - For a list of sites where you will find contract forms.	eTool Agreements www.ism.ws/products/ results.cfm?MetaDataID=487 ISM Articles Database www.ism.ws/search/search.cfm The Basics of Skillful Contract Writing www.ism.ws/pubs/InfoEdge/ InfoEdgeIssue.cfm?ItemNumber=10461 Effective Contract Administration www.ism.ws/pubs/InfoEdge/ InfoEdgeIssue.cfm?ItemNumber=10475 ISM Resource Guides Index www.ism.ws/tools/guides/index.cfm NCMA http://www.ncmahq.org Findlaw.com http://www.findlaw.com/16forms/collections.html
Cost of a Purchase Order	ISM does not conduct studies tracking the average price of a purchase order. CAPS Research has a study detailing the transaction costs of low value goods and services.	CAPS Research http://www.capsresearch.org Select "Research" then "Focus Studies" to find the report entitled "Reducing the Transaction Costs of Purchasing Low Value Goods and Services" and see page 25.
Economic Indicators	ISM's Report On Business^® (ROB) is published monthly and features important information for both the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors. The Bureau of Economic Analysis publishes economic information, including the Survey of Current Business. For other useful economic resources, see ISM's list of Economic Resources	ISM Report On Business^® (ROB) www.ism.ws/ISMReport/index.cfm Bureau of Economic Analysis http://www.bea.gov ISM- Other Economic Resources www.ism.ws/ISMReport/content.cfm?ItemNumber=14194
Employment / Resume Service / Career Opportunities	ISM's Career Center includes job listings from around the country, searchable by job title or region of the country. Refer to this section if you want to post your resume, post a job, or find other job hunting resources.	ISM Career Center www.ism.ws/CareerCenter/index.cfm
Ethics	ISM's Code of Ethics, the Principles and Standards of Ethical Supply Management Conduct, is available free. Consult ISM's "Ethics in Purchasing" Resource Guide for articles and resources on the topic. Resource Guides are FREE to members. International Business Ethics Institute offers professional services to organizations interested in implementing, expanding, or modifying business ethics and corporate responsibility programs. Ethics Resource Center, Inc. a resource center for information, advice, and educational products and services, the Ethics Resource Center helps governments, companies, and associations establish standards of ethical conduct. Business for Social Responsibility Group is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping organizations implement and improve corporate social responsibility policies and practices. The Ethics Officer Association (EOA) is a professional association exclusively for managers of ethics compliance and business conduct programs	Principles and Standards www.ism.ws/tools/content.cfm?ItemNumber=4740 ISM Resource Guides Index www.ism.ws/tools/guides/index.cfm International Business Ethics Institute www.business-ethics.org Ethics Resource Center, Inc. www.ethics.org Business for Social Responsibility Group: www.bsr.org The Ethics and Compliance Officer Association (ECOA): www.theecoa.org
General Information on Supply Management	ISM Resource Guides are an easy source for information on specific topics and are FREE to ISM members. Resource Guides feature articles and resources on the topic. ISM's online Articles Database offers full-text articles from Inside Supply Management^®, the Journal of Supply Chain Management, and the Annual International Conference Proceedings. Search by keyword. Some supply management magazines offer articles online for free. Purchasing Magazine and Supply & Demand Chain Executive both have extensive online article databases. ITtoolbox SCM Knowledge Base provides the latest community-generated content from the IT market. Share knowledge with your peers and work together to form experience-based decisions.	ISM Resource Guides www.ism.ws/tools/guides/index.cfm ISM Articles Database www.ism.ws/search/search.cfm Purchasing Magazine http://www.purchasing.com Supply & Demand Chain Executive http://www.sdcexec.com/ ITtoolbox SCM Knowledge Base http://supplychain.ittoolbox.com/
Job Descriptions	Sample job descriptions are available online, free to members.	Sample Job Descriptions www.ism.ws/careercenter/jobdescriptions/?navItemNumber=13193
Names of Purchasing Professionals / Names of ISM Members	ISM does not share or sell its membership list. However, members can communicate with other members through ISM's Special Interest Groups and Forums, local affiliates and through the online Discussion Forums.	Groups and Forums — Members Only www.ism.ws/membership/content.cfm?ItemNumber=4739 Discussion Forums www.ism.ws/forums/index.cfm?navitemNumber=13249
Outsourcing	Consult ISM's "Outsourcing" Resource Guide for articles and resources on the topic. Resource Guides are FREE to members. For articles on outsourcing, members can search ISM's Articles Database. There are several helpful resources there, including the following: ISM InfoEdge: Getting Into Outsourcing "The Outsourcing Decision" Inside Supply Management®	ISM Resource Guides Index www.ism.ws/tools/guides/index.cfm ISM Articles Database www.ism.ws/search/search.cfm Getting Into Outsourcing www.ism.ws/pubs/InfoEdge/InfoEdgeIssue.cfm?ItemNumber=10854 The Outsourcing Decision www.ism.ws/pubs/ISMMag/ismarticle.cfm?ItemNumber=12098
Policy and Procedures	For articles on policy and procedures, members can search ISM's Articles Database. There are several helpful resources there, including the following: "Creating Effective Procurement Policies" NAPM Insights "Improving Procedures by Asking Simple Questions" NAPM Insights	ISM Articles Database www.ism.ws/search/search.cfm "Creating Effective Procurement Policies" www.ism.ws/pubs/ISMMag/ismarticle.cfm?ItemNumber=5078 "Improving Procedures by Asking Simple Questions" www.ism.ws/pubs/ISMMag/ismarticle.cfm?ItemNumber=5639
Salary Information	ISM publishes an annual Salary Survey. The full report provides breakdowns of salary by job title, years of experience, education level, certification status, buying responsibility, state of residency and other factors. Purchasing Magazine conducts an annual salary survey. The survey includes salary breakdowns by job title, industry, and geographic location. Salary.com provides salary averages for purchasing-oriented job titles. Averages are calculated by zip code.	ISM Salary Survey www.ism.ws/tools/Content.cfm?ItemNumber=20386 Purchasing Magazine http://www.purchasing.com Salary.com http://www.salary.com
Suppliers	ISM offers an online Supplier Directory. You can search by keyword, category, or location. Also, try a large company information registry such as the Thomas Register or Hoover's.	ISM Supplier Directory www.ism.ws/SupplierDirectory/index.cfm Thomas Register http://www.thomasregister.com Hoover's Online http://www.hoovers.com
Uniform Commercial Code	The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) is a joint product of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL) and the American Law Institute. Copies of the Uniform Commercial Code, along with more information, can be found online.	NCCUSL http://www.nccusl.org American Law Institute http://www.ali.org UCC Articles 1-9 http://www.law.cornell.edu/ ucc/ucc.table.html

Related Resources:

The Ongoing Quest for Excellence

Content Recommendations:

Journal of Supply Chain Management - Summer 2010

Supply Management, Supply Flexibility and Performance Outcomes: An Empirical Investigation of Manufacturing Firms

Do Competitive Priorities Drive Adoption of Electronic Commerce Applications? Testing the Contingency and Institutional Views

Job Types in the Supply Chain Management Profession

Outsourcing as Seen from the Perspective of Knowledge Management

Update Your Interest Profile

In This Section: