A recent scandal in Quebec around the awarding of construction contracts - almost certainly awarded via an RFP process - brings back memories ("deja vu already") of a similar Quebec centric scandal flushed out by Justice Gomery.
Quebec 2012 Scandal
Quebec 2004 Scandal
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Selling Warm Over-Priced Pop Door to Door
True story.
Yesterday two slightly unkempt urchins in bathing suits and flip slops about 6 or 7 years old came to the door of our house and asked if I wanted to buy their cans of pop for $1.00 each. They had four flavours – all no-name knockoffs of the major brands which go for about 13 cents each at Super Valu. 7 cents if there is a sale.
No talk about supporting a charity or helping them buy school supplies - just one question – “Do you want to buy our pop for $1.00 each?”
“No thanks I think we’re good for pop today.”
Silence.
“OK”
And with that they turned and ran across the lawn to try and hock it to my neighbour next door.
This is the third time in a week the urchins have found something in their home to try and sell to the folks on my street. The last sales call was for candy – some sort of jujube type of thing, un-packaged and melting in their bare sticky hands. It was so gross.
The time before was some sort of unidentifiable part to a broken toy. Or maybe it was a crushed battery they found on the street. I’m not quite sure. It was garbage day so it might have been anything fallen from the truck.
The reason I am e-mailing is that if any of you are going to need two sales people in about 11 years I would suggest you track down the urchins and sign them to a deal right now. Motivation doesn’t seem to be an issue for them, they are obviously relentless, and it looks like they take rejection well. They also don’t appear to be fussy about what they sell.
They just sell, sell, sell.
Yesterday two slightly unkempt urchins in bathing suits and flip slops about 6 or 7 years old came to the door of our house and asked if I wanted to buy their cans of pop for $1.00 each. They had four flavours – all no-name knockoffs of the major brands which go for about 13 cents each at Super Valu. 7 cents if there is a sale.
No talk about supporting a charity or helping them buy school supplies - just one question – “Do you want to buy our pop for $1.00 each?”
“No thanks I think we’re good for pop today.”
Silence.
“OK”
And with that they turned and ran across the lawn to try and hock it to my neighbour next door.
This is the third time in a week the urchins have found something in their home to try and sell to the folks on my street. The last sales call was for candy – some sort of jujube type of thing, un-packaged and melting in their bare sticky hands. It was so gross.
The time before was some sort of unidentifiable part to a broken toy. Or maybe it was a crushed battery they found on the street. I’m not quite sure. It was garbage day so it might have been anything fallen from the truck.
The reason I am e-mailing is that if any of you are going to need two sales people in about 11 years I would suggest you track down the urchins and sign them to a deal right now. Motivation doesn’t seem to be an issue for them, they are obviously relentless, and it looks like they take rejection well. They also don’t appear to be fussy about what they sell.
They just sell, sell, sell.
Friday, July 13, 2012
The Consultant with Pink Hair
It must have been some kind of voodoo or divine intervention that unexpectedly put me in the audience of a presentation by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles a few years back. It was their presentation that inspired the format of this book and gave me the insight to finally start and complete it.
On Friday June 8, 2012 Friesens Printers of Altona, Canada delivered the first 545 copies of The Consultant with Pink Hair. About 70 are in limited release right now with folks that helped with the production of the book or to whom I promised a copy to at some point over the last 10 years of telling people I was writing a book. Once the new BR website is in place it will be released for sale on Amazon and in select bookstores across North America - likely this September.
The hardcover book is 198 pages and e-versions will be available for most e-readers as well.
In case you're interested the book tells the story of Andrew Braun and Lou Di Angelo partners in a fictional management consulting practice struggling with the real life challenges of being "just another consulting firm" in a crowded market place.
They battle low margins, late nights responding to crazy RFPs, confusing branding advice, and the pressure of too much revenue coming from one big client - and the disaster when that client walks away.
As usual there is plenty of RFP bashing and as promised in an earlier post the bashing isn't limited to the buyer side of that process.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
2012 A Shift in Perspective
For almost 25 years I've been beating up on the professional services RFP - the last decade especially.
Writing for anyone that will publish, speaking to anyone that will listen, the message has always been that the typical RFP for consulting services increases purchasing costs and risks for the buyer, while also decreasing selection accuracy.
The target of the message has typically been the large institutional procurement professional with encouragement from the consulting community.
January 1, 2012 I am shifting gears. The target for my message is now the consulting community.
Why? In the last few years I've seen the procurement community pull ahead of the consulting community on this issue.
How? I'll explain that in an upcoming article.
In the mean time enjoy 2012.
Writing for anyone that will publish, speaking to anyone that will listen, the message has always been that the typical RFP for consulting services increases purchasing costs and risks for the buyer, while also decreasing selection accuracy.
The target of the message has typically been the large institutional procurement professional with encouragement from the consulting community.
January 1, 2012 I am shifting gears. The target for my message is now the consulting community.
Why? In the last few years I've seen the procurement community pull ahead of the consulting community on this issue.
How? I'll explain that in an upcoming article.
In the mean time enjoy 2012.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Buying Local May Contravene the AIT
An article in the Winnipeg Free Press about a large local government ad account (Travel Manitoba) going to an out-of-province ad agency recently got my attention.
Although noone likes to see good revenue leave their local area, Manitoba is a participant in the Agreement on Internal Trade and had they demanded the work be performed locally they may have been in contravention of that agreement.
But agreements aside - this is one more piece of tangible evidence that the selection of professional services vendors is not a local endeavour. In my opinion, for a professional services firm in a smaller market like Manitoba this represents a greater opportunity than it does a threat.
Although noone likes to see good revenue leave their local area, Manitoba is a participant in the Agreement on Internal Trade and had they demanded the work be performed locally they may have been in contravention of that agreement.
But agreements aside - this is one more piece of tangible evidence that the selection of professional services vendors is not a local endeavour. In my opinion, for a professional services firm in a smaller market like Manitoba this represents a greater opportunity than it does a threat.
Exclusionary Clauses and The Supreme Court of Canada
Next week I will be speaking to the Canadian Marketing Association (Manitoba Chapter) and their guests on the subject of procuring professional services. Certain to come up during the discussion is the Tercon decision of the Supreme Court of Canada. To read about their decision around exclusionary clauses click here.
Lisa Stiver, a procurement expert from the law firm Thompson Dorfman Sweatman will be joining me and I'm sure she will provide some good insight into the ruling.
In the article attached, Paul Emanuelli, another RFP legal expert, suggests we "avoid the entire “Contract A” entanglement by using simplified procurement formats".
Sounds good to me.
Lisa Stiver, a procurement expert from the law firm Thompson Dorfman Sweatman will be joining me and I'm sure she will provide some good insight into the ruling.
In the article attached, Paul Emanuelli, another RFP legal expert, suggests we "avoid the entire “Contract A” entanglement by using simplified procurement formats".
Sounds good to me.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Applying Category Management to The Procurement Profession
I've recently been introduced to another Australian firm via my colleagues at ifindconsultants.com that is proposing the idea of using the category management structure (so often found in marketing organizations) within the procurement profession.
Overall I would say here in Canada we are still a community of procurement generalists (with some pockets of specialization) but I believe increasing returns from procurement will only be achievable through greater specialization.
As well, as we see the complexity of the procured goods and services increasing (such as with professional services), the procurement professionals here are being challenged to keep up with that complexity and have realized that generalization is not the path to get them there.
Apparently the same is the case in Australian procurement.
More on this category management development as it becomes available to me.
Overall I would say here in Canada we are still a community of procurement generalists (with some pockets of specialization) but I believe increasing returns from procurement will only be achievable through greater specialization.
As well, as we see the complexity of the procured goods and services increasing (such as with professional services), the procurement professionals here are being challenged to keep up with that complexity and have realized that generalization is not the path to get them there.
Apparently the same is the case in Australian procurement.
More on this category management development as it becomes available to me.
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