by Janice Marquardt | Jun 2, 2026 | Conferences, Creative Solutions
Welcome to part two of my notes from the Utility Supply Management Alliance (USMA) conference in Florida. If you missed the notes on a team’s success and on creativity, check them out here! Note they are NOT utility-specific or even supply chain-specific, and neither...
by Janice Marquardt | May 26, 2026 | Conferences, Creative Solutions
For a utility conference, the keynotes were shockingly (refreshingly?) non-utility. I just got back from the Utility Supply Management Alliance (USMA) conference in Florida, and what an interesting conference! I got done typing my notes from the four (!) keynotes at...
by Janice Marquardt | Apr 14, 2026 | Contracts, e-Auctions
I had the privilege of being part of a six-person procurement team late last year that was helping a client with their strategic sourcing. With 15+ years of experience in supply chain, I was the “baby” of the team, which was an absolute powerhouse of knowledge in how...
by Janice Marquardt | Mar 31, 2026 | e-Auctions, Processes
Ahead of the ISM World conference coming up, I asked my network: What do you want me to cover in my presentations on e-auctions? I received a variety of answers and feedback, and the one that sparked me most came from a supplier. Dan Lunoe at Bamko responded: “I would...
by Janice Marquardt | Mar 17, 2026 | Processes
Parenting is hard. Parenting well is harder. My very wise sister-in-law likes to remind me: We’re not raising good kids; we’re raising good adults. Why am I mentioning this in a post about procurement? Because parenting has major and valuable lessons for procurement...
