Transparent way to select victors

Critical selection is a fact of life. Choices have, in fact, become more complex and varied, with almost all end-users aiming to come up with wise decisions based on informative advice. These views were emboldened when Filipinos went through another political exercise last month, and anticipation remains high for the final roster of new officials. Here, critical assessments begin to fulfill our unceasing objective to improve our way of life.

This is also exemplified in eMarketplaces. Trading partners are accorded a broader pool of prospective supplier-partners, there are available solutions that fit the appropriate supplier search, and additional competence is attained in benchmarking supplier scorecard references. In SourcePilipinas, internal evaluation mechanisms are in place, helping members evaluate delivery performance and cycle time improvement, among others. The aspect of quality is likewise measured relative to the delivery discrepancy rate and number of customers vis-a-vis quality complaints. The bottomline here is the era of e-commerce has expanded the list of avenues that improve an enterprise’s status quo, specifically in realigning procedures that yield more transparent and productive bottomline results.

For one, decisions on supplier selection are best tested when firms link their existing traditional or e-commerce-related business processes within exchanges. Within SourcePilipinas, trading partners are accorded options, depending on identified areas that will influence buying schemes. Some are likely to award based on the cheapest price; others opt for the added premium to support the quality of goods and/or services. There are other intangibles to consider such as after-sales service support, or possibly streamlining prospective partners for long-range product development.

Note, however, that not all eMarketplaces provide plus factors that make long-term partnerships viable. Prior to joining an exchange, here are some tips to aid your selection:

• Probe if measurement disciplines are outlined to achieve an equitable and consistent evaluation tool for your firm. Opt for one that can help you measure flexibility in terms of service, response rate and operational compatibility, among others;

• Market intelligence data such as historical tracking of purchases would assist in selecting preferred suppliers based on performance. Comprehensive performance data will be essential to develop partnerships with suppliers over an extended period of time. Here, one can rank suppliers accordingly to achieve optimum selection.

• The availability of third parties allows enterprises to optimize check-and-balance processes. Here, accountability of suppliers in transactions become more visible and would allow you to adopt control procedures. Buyers gain extensive knowledge in terms of developing awareness of non-price factors that can be controlled by suppliers which lead to a product/service’s aggregate cost.

• Partner with an exchange that clearly defines performance expectations by relying on its competency to communicate these expectations to suppliers. This helps dissuade abrasive relationships, and provide decision-makers a clearer grasp when and how to adopt borderlines.

• If fixed costs will be a concern, select one where you need not go the extra mile of incurring one-time asset costs. After all, it’s best to utilize cash resources in viable undertakings that help generate additional employment.

All told, sound and transparent decisions are made depending on how prospective victors are pre-selected and evaluated. More than selecting an appropriate technology partner, opt for linkages with eMarketplaces where support groups are available to communicate guidelines that fit your entire business process.

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Mariflor P. Santos is a senior applications associate of SourcePilipinas.com handling special projects, local and international linkages, ePayment and other value-added services. For comments or queries, e-mail her at [email protected].