Preparedness

A strong call resurfaced from recent “environmental challenges” that visited the Philippines, and that’s the Filipino community’s ability to emerge from the rubble. While the painful experience gave “hard lessons” to all, it was also in the spirit of catastrophe that citizens across classes became more involved, synthesizing the essence of “preparedness,” when it comes to heeding industry experts’ warning. While timing a natural event cannot be predicted accurately within the confines of human behavior, “contingency planning” is an aspect we could all measure up to.

Within the corporate front, the essence of e-Marketplaces is greatly emboldened, especially when swift mobilization of resources becomes the prime objective. In fact, enterprises, which made a firm commitment to participate in an e-Marketplace, are quick with “re-channeling” initiatives, encompassing several cases. Here are some valuable pointers:

• More than selecting an appropriate supplier to fulfill requisition needs, the weight of understanding “supplier location” is underscored. Negotiation of contracts, whether these are made over the short- or long-term, can be viewed with greater ease and prudence, both for their immediate and long-term impact on operations. These days, it does not bode well to depend on a single source, especially for key raw materials used within the production stream, or when supplier partners are largely concentrated on a single area. Fast access is facilitated to equally competent players, especially whose operations work round-the-clock even with unexpected calamities.

• Communication is also streamlined, as specifics are relayed to “would-be” partners. In instances when a buyer, for example, is unable to get to their headquarters on time as a result of flooding, Web-based access to e-Marketplaces allows swift communication for required items. Referencing past purchased orders need not be made, as details are already captured via an integrated system.

• More time can be devoted to analyzing options for “temporary warehousing,” especially with regards to protecting expensive machinery investments. Some embarked in leasing necessary gadgets that can at least help elevate wooden pallets and crates, for example, especially when a specific warehouse location is prone to potential flooding or has high dependency on routes where flood risks may recur.

• Logistics support can also be managed in e-Marketplaces, especially in relocating finished goods toward higher ground. Because expert contractors are embedded in an e-Marketplace network, necessary repairs and other refurbishments are processed fastest. Negotiations covering specific repairs can also be made in advance, with considerations on acceptable “reservation fees,” than queuing up the line when the inevitable happens.

• When it comes to corporate social responsibility, relief mobilization and supplier-network support is also synchronized. This is made possible by enterprises’ access to a wide network of catalogues, especially when purchases related to relief goods are required.

• More time can be accorded in fulfilling an enterprise’s responsibility toward the environment, especially in “waste” disposal. e-Marketplace buyers can concentrate on arriving at necessary disposal procedures, especially step-by-step means to comply with their role and their counterparty’s task in the environment. In the end, it’s not simply reverting cash resources to the treasury, but becoming involved within the entire supply chain where buyers elevate their participation even in the “recycling” process.

In their own “little way,” e-Marketplaces have aided companies to save significant time, as people resources are channeled to more important duties. An e-Marketplace’s built-in features plus integrated network help minimize clerical functions and capitalize on the purchaser’s significant role in selecting alternative courses of action. This way, business activities are least likely to suffer disruptions without abandoning thrusts toward efficiency and transparency.

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The author is the general manager of SourcePilipinas.com. E-mail her at [email protected].