by Janice Marquardt | Mar 24, 2026 | Definitions
I came back early from lunch on a Friday afternoon and there it was, sitting on the desk next to mine. An already-opened pay stub. From the new Design Engineer we had hired two months prior. No one was around, everyone was still at lunch or in the workshop. I knew I...
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...
by Janice Marquardt | Feb 10, 2026 | e-Auctions
One of my client e-auction teams is going through a transition right now. Half their number is moving on to bigger, better things within the company and so they are hiring replacements. This is great! And it’s happening sooner than expected. Typically I see turnover...
by Janice Marquardt | Jan 20, 2026 | Definitions, Supply Chain Career
This topic is sticky. It’s ugly. It feels dangerous to talk about. And it’s an issue that impacts multiple departments, not only the supply chain. Worst of all, it’s an “ism.” Today I’m going to tackle the big ugly topic of nepotism: where it tends to show up, what it...
by Janice Marquardt | Dec 30, 2025 | Supply Chain Career
The most common question, especially at conferences and networking events, is “What do you do?” In casual settings, my answer is “I solve supply chain problems.” At networking and professional events it’s often, “I bring negotiation back to procurement” or “I elevate...
