by Janice Marquardt | Apr 8, 2025 | Creative Solutions, Supply Chain Career
So you’ve been invited to a meeting with the consultant your company just hired. Ugh. What do they even know? They’re going to come in with their glossy PowerPoints and get everyone riled up, and then they’re going to leave you holding the ball. It doesn’t have to be...
by Janice Marquardt | Mar 18, 2025 | Creative Solutions, Processes
Some months ago on LinkedIn, I saw an account rep run a poll about all the questions he had to answer for a Request for Proposal (RFP), asking his fellow sales team peers about their experiences with long question lists. This struck me because my reaction was: why is...
by Janice Marquardt | Mar 11, 2025 | Contracts, Creative Solutions
Contract exclusivity clauses are interesting. Suppliers almost always like them, but some companies use them and some don’t. Today let’s talk about what they are, when they are used, ways to structure them, how to negotiate using them, and enforceability. Note: This...
by Janice Marquardt | Mar 4, 2025 | Creative Solutions, Definitions, Processes
Item numbers can be so powerful. An item number for a part provides a common spec/description, a way of tracking a part across time and different suppliers, and increases the efficiency of a supply chain. Item numbers, also known as part numbers, material numbers,...
by Janice Marquardt | Jan 7, 2025 | Creative Solutions, Processes
There is an episode of the TV show “Archer” that always crosses my mind when I think of bureaucracy. In this scene (season 12 episode 7), the character Cyril Figgis is trying to infiltrate an enemy spy agency. He tells his partner he will get them past the guard, and...
by Janice Marquardt | Nov 26, 2024 | Creative Solutions, Supply Chain Career
In this season of gratitude here in the U.S., I’m reminded of one of the best pieces of professional advice I ever received: Don’t say “I’m sorry,” say, “Thank you.” The anecdotal wisdom is that women apologize more than men, but research shows it’s a little more...
