Daily Archives: November 16, 2015

Even “Simple” Categories Hide Extreme Complexity!

Earlier this year, Mr. Smith asked what defines complex sourcing and why does it matter because complexity usually means there is inherent risk and opportunity in that category or sourcing event. That’s why we have to understand what complexity is, where it is, how to identify it, and how to capitalize on it to reduce risk and generate savings.

As clarified by Mr. Smith, complexity has nothing to do with the size of the spend, the importance of the spend, the inherent risk (which is supplier independent), the urgency of the spend, or even the number of suppliers. It has to do with a number of internal, external, or commercial factors that hide complexity, often in plain sight. The nine factors are:

Diversity of stakeholders
… with conflicting requirements
Number of suppliers
… and supplier variation
Number of lots
and variants
Diversity of requirements Alternative market solutions Capacity constraints
Number of lots and variants Pricing models Conditional options

These are all summarized in Sourcing Innovation’s latest paper on Complex Sourcing: Are You Ready which also goes on to demonstrate how even a simple print tender hides all nine factors of complexity within it. That’s right! Your standard print category, that you believe is so simple it’s best to hand it off to a GPO because it’s too trivial to deal with, not only hides more complexity than you realize, but hides more complexity than your first generation sourcing platform can handle. You’re leaving money on the table with every Sourcing event. Lots of money. Enough to hire more talent to do more events in house and save even more money.

Intrigued? Then download Sourcing Innovation’s new paper on Complex Sourcing: Are You Ready today, sponsored by Trade Extensions, and find out how even the simple categories can hide lots of complexity that, when properly addressed, provide savings and added value in the form of risk management, supply base consolidation, and new supplier identification.

Moreover, this paper will also tell you why your first generation sourcing platform is not up to the task of handling this complexity and what to look for in a second generation sourcing platform that is up to the task of handling the complexity. Download Complex Sourcing: Are You Ready today and find out why optimization is the plan.