Smart-Purchasing.com: Best Practices:Management

Best Practices: Process Management
Design Horizontal Information Systems

Traditional	Best Practice
Vertically focused functional systems Business-unit-specific systems Multiple unlinked databases "Pontoon bridges" to move between systems Can not answer: What items are purchased from supplier x companywide? What is supplier x's on time performance? Etc.	Business unit transactional level systems Networked "data warehouse" and decision-support tools accessible companywide

Rationale
Recognize information that enables cost reduction and service improvement Recognize the need to share information across the acquisition process
Details
Companywide decision support network in place allows for effective and expedient application of purchasing best practices, and provides buyers with information useful in negotiations with suppliers

Best Practice | Case Study | Commentary