Want to Save Time In Your Workday?
Guest Post by K. Deneen
We all know with the onslaught of the 2008 Great Recession most large manufacturers saw their sales plummet rapidly. With that came the inevitable cutbacks and layoffs in production and administration. Most manufacturers had large purchasing departments with buyers segmented by category. Buyers were readily able to keep up with supplying and sourcing their products and services.
With consolidation and layoffs, responsibilities of buyers increased dramatically as did the time needed to do their jobs. We all know everyone wears many more hats these days than they did just a few years back. Obviously, time has become a very important commodity for buyers and finding solutions to increase productivity is a high priority.
In fact, recent manufacturing trends show that the human element is what sets apart a company for success. Providing buyers and employees with the necessary technology to increase their efficiencies in the workday in this era of “wearing many hats”, will open up time for them to innovate, they will feel less stress, be happier, and bottom line…they will be more productive.
Here Are 3 Easy Ways for Buyers to Save Time Budget, and Work Happier
1. Make Profitable & Effective Use of Warehouse and Fulfillment Services
In the realm of custom print procurement, suppliers that have warehouse and fulfillment services will let you put your time and space to more profitable use and are most effective when integrated with print e-procurement technologies. Product can be stored and released, as needed which prevents running out of critical documents that disrupt or stop production. Have you ever had someone walk into your office with an empty box asking if there are any more? For manufacturers with multiple locations, the advantages are even greater when you take into account logistics, leveraging added volume and consistent product quality across your enterprise.
2. Take Advantage of the Power of the Internet
Look for suppliers with print e-procurement and print on demand technologies like our Corporate Kiosk™. These technologies help businesses manage, control and streamline the entire process to drive efficiency, eliminate waste and manage costs – many times in the double digits. Today’s turnkey web-based systems like our Superior Business Solutions’ Corporate Kiosk are flexible and will be custom designed to meet your needs. They are easy to use and can be scaled up throughout the organization and when fully implemented, these technologies are powerful tools for managing overall procurement costs, inventory and fulfillment. You can’t beat the fact that the Internet is available 24/7/365 and if you have access, you’re prepared to have your operation running smoothly. How many times have you left on vacation and forgotten to order something or had a panic attack in the middle of the night?
3. Ask and You Shall Receive:
Leverage the knowledge and experience of the salespeople you see every day. Any good salesperson is eager to help fill in the gaps so you can free up time for other more important tasks. Not too long ago a purchasing agent asks if we sold microfiche readers. They no longer had a supplier and the process to approve a new one was too difficult and time-consuming. So we helped facilitate the sale from a company he knew and he had his readers in couple days. Salespeople are a unique resource for ideas, take advantage. You might find yourself happily saying “I didn’t know you did that”.
It’s Really the Human Element Isn’t It?
Look, I’m about people and long-term relationships. I like to find a fit with clients where I can collaborate on ideas, work together to find solutions and advance the relationship to both our benefit.
My goal at the end of the day is to find solutions to free you up so can go home and enjoy what you love to do. I love challenges. The mission critical label or document challenge to your organization? They may seem simple on the surface, but we know they are the life blood of your company. As part of your team, and with you a part of the Superior Family, we will keep your systems running smoothly with our technology and business solutions, helping you to work happier and live better.
