United direction, multiple results

Let us imagine a buyer purchasing an item with a bid-start price of P10 per unit, for example. Around eight suppliers were invited to participate by keying in their bids online, with one not opting to join the round for unknown reasons. During the online bidding process, the P10 starting price was reduced to around P8/unit at the close of an auction. The offline supplier who opted not to join the auction got hold of information on the lowest price quoted online, and offered the buyer, through phone, that he could sell his item at P7.50 apiece instead.

For an impulsive buyer – let’s call this Option A – P7.50 seems attractive compared to P8 per unit. For a thinking buyer – Option B – however, the fact exists that seven suppliers would be put in a grossly disadvantageous position, having accepted the bidding invitation, and not being accorded equal chance to either match or provide a better counter against the last offered price. Should the management side with Option A, chances are the integrity of the buying company has been compromised. These are often the repercussions when enterprises opt to go on "parallel bids," especially in testing which better platform to choose from.

By "parallel," e-commerce and traditional methods are either simultaneously done when buying the same item, or combined, when obtaining quotations and negotiations. Some embrace this concept, possibly to double-check the integrity of one system vis-a-vis the other. Set against this backdrop, it is interesting to note that very few are able to distinguish the element of comparing "oranges versus apples." Assessors of any new facility are often cynical of the word "change," especially with misconceptions that this would deprive them of their jobs. And when skepticism is at its peak, people lose focus on an enterprise’s call to further "evolve" when positive changes are introduced.

It’s a disappointing fact that for most businesses, skepticism proliferates. There are very few subjects within the learning arena that spell out the significance of appreciating an enterprise’s vision and mission, and team members go adrift with their key function because of daily routine tasks. Migration of processes to an e-Marketplace, in fact, is never synonymous to losing one’s job. People resources are still at the core of an exchange, although focus now shifts to elevating concentration and productivity to a higher plane.

e-Marketplaces help simplify purchasers’ workload and provide value-added advantages. By creating a system to harmonize clerical-related functions, buyers have more room to further improve their analytical skills, specifically on pre-selection/accreditation, awarding, contract formulation, and to a mature extent, societal obligations. In fact, those who faced the challenge early in their production and operations process, are more able to focus on larger aspects of effective cost management, on top of cohesively integrating critical members into the supply chain.

For any enterprise’s successful take-off in e-Marketplaces, however, directions must be resolute to better synchronize tedious administrative tasks. An enterprise’s top-level management and key implementers must commit to a singular resolve to promote transparency in their system and to level the playing field for all participants alike. This is the main vision that prompts the compliance team’s regulation disallowing parallel bidding.

Openness to change is synonymous to progression. For change to be effective, however, this should come in decisive, single and committed direction, beginning with the leaders’ staunch conviction. Change also means having to enhance systems that have yielded positive results over the years, and rectifying business gaps that have inhibited growth. Centralization of decisions also calls for respect, further reinforcing a company’s vision and mission. Applied within the broader picture, it is much impressive to see a united team than having members who wish to lead at the same time. The latter yields unconsolidated and abrasive results. Those who strive to excel by concentrating on the team and constancy of purpose rather than on self-motives emerge victorious, and avoid, at all times, being half-hearted champions.

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Grace Crisostomo-Cerdenia is the general manager of SourcePilipinas.com and chief operating officer of 2TradeAsia.com. E-mail her at [email protected].