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All posts by Tania Seary

Why Procurement Should Flex Its Muscle

Tania Seary

Tania Seary is the founder of Procurious – she is talking today at the Big Ideas Summit, the world’s first digitally-led procurement event. Join the Big Ideas Group to hear 40 of the most influential thought-leaders air their ‘Big Ideas’ on cost, risk, technology and people management.

Late last year, I was fascinated to see images taken from a low-flying aircraft in the far western Brazilian state of Acre (AH-cray), the images depict frightened tribal warriors brandishing spears and arrows as they peer up from palm-thatched huts in the middle of the jungle.

Brazil’s indigenous affairs agency, FUNAI, has confirmed the presence of 27 indigenous groups living in extreme isolation in Brazil’s vast Amazon region, making it the home of the largest number of uncontacted tribes in the world.

The exact meaning of “uncontacted” is a matter of debate, but experts agree that such communities have extremely limited contact with the outside world and that they survive in nearly complete isolation from the global economy.

Sometimes I worry that large portions of the procurement profession are “uncontacted”.

That is, working in isolation, unaware that there is a whole universe of knowledge available, to help them do their jobs better and learn.

Today we are faced with complex supply chain challenges. In fact, it is hard to think about an area of business that modern procurement doesn’t touch – employment law, climate change, human rights…and now social media.

Social media is at the epicentre of a storm created by the exploding digital landscape and the rise of ecommerce, which is causing many industries to pivot.

We are witnesses to a “social” force that is disrupting and enabling just about every type of business on the planet – recruitment, retail, banking, communications and entertainment… and we are now finding out what it means for supply chain.

As the complexity of our supply chains have increased – so too have the number of issues we need to deal with.

Most of these issues – child labour, unsafe work practices, exploitation and neglect for the environment, copyright – are too big for any one person – or even any one company – to solve alone.

We need to overcome our silo-thinking and competitive mindset and start focusing on what we can achieve for mutual benefit.

Harvard Professor Linda Hill says it’s a mistake to think that creativity is a solo pursuit (or perhaps more so, that innovations are usually a flash of individual genius).

When many of us think about innovation, though, we think about an Einstein having an ‘Aha!’ moment. But we all know that’s a myth.

She says, “Innovation is not about solo genius, it’s about collective genius”.

Pixar is used as an example of ‘innovation’ in the movie space.   But let’s think for a minute about what it takes to make a Pixar movie: No solo genius, no flash of inspiration produces one of those movies. On the contrary, it takes about 250 people four to five years, to make one of those movies.

To come up with the best ideas we need many, diverse perspectives. By involving more views, life and career experiences, demographics, cultures etc… we increase the pool of talent and therefore ideas that are working to solve problems.

Robin Chase (co-founder and former CEO of Zipcar, an innovative car sharing service) has some great thoughts on the benefits of building community resilience or community reflex.

She believes – the more community resilience we can build into things, the better.

She believes – we need to exercise our community muscle.

So when bad things happen, or when we’re looking for solutions to big problems, we turn first towards thinking that we’re going to solve it in a community way.

So… let’s just say there is a typhoon in your South East Asian supply chain, you don’t have luxury of days/weeks to travel there, talk to people and figure things out.

Why not go straight to your procurement community on Procurious and alert them for help?

You will be amazed how the community responds with alternate suppliers, solutions and on the ground contacts.

If we start, and maintain, this level of support, it will become an instant reaction – a community reflex – and if we keep repeating that action, then we will build community muscle. How powerful would that be?

It is very exciting to think of what the global procurement community could achieve if it started to flex its muscle… literally!

We need to achieve positive interdependence where every person in the profession perceives that they are linked with each other in such a way that one cannot succeed unless everyone succeeds.

We need to realise that each person’s efforts benefit not only him – or herself, but all other group members as well.

So, rather than being isolated, we could connect with other professionals and work together to use our collective commercial power to take procurement to “the next level” at the minimum, or to do something great for the world at the maximum.

Imagine if we could all work together for the collective good? But a call to action for the procurement profession…

Given all the benefits of collaboration that I have outlined here today, I think the procurement profession should take on the open source programmers’ mantra… or code of conduct if you like.

We need professionals who will be:

Egoless – The only way we can improve is to be open to feedback and give honest, non-judgemental feedback to others.

Team players – Share information that everyone can benefit from. We need to give back to the profession as it gives to you.

Learners – What’s relevant today didn’t even exist 5 years ago. We have to constantly learn new things.

T-shaped – It’s OK to specialise in one narrow field, but we need to have a general understanding of a broader range of business issues.

Relentlessly resourceful – You don’t have to be able to solve every problem yourself, but you should know where to go to find the answer.

Once we start to flex our muscle as a global community, the opportunities for procurement to make a difference are boundless. What is your BIG IDEA for our first collaboration project?

Winning the War for Procurement Talent with Social Media

How do we go about attracting the next generation of commercial leaders? That’s the question I have been asking myself recently – and today I wish to put forward social media as the magic solution to our waning talent pool.

How to use social media to attract new talent

Procurement needs to be brave; it’s in dire need of a bold, disruptive force to take us into a rich, exciting and prosperous future. I believe that social media is this disruptor, yet it’s still a blind spot for procurement and very much an under-utilised channel for attracting the best talent. As such it is imperative that we view social media as something we need to take very seriously.

With the exceptions of maybe Google+ and fad networks like Ello – the germ of social media is not going to go away anytime soon. Instead we must view it as a new way of doing business – an opportunity that we not only need to embrace, but one to be mastered.

To be the most successful CPOs, we need to have the most talented teams. So how can we best use social media to do that?

A new generation with new tools

Procurement is not only one of the fastest growing professions in the world, but we’ve entered an age where “the face” of procurement looks markedly different to before.

The next generation of procurement professionals are intelligent, possess a broad range of interests, have an appetite to learn, and driven when it comes to plotting long-term career goals.

This next generation already possess an affinity to technology and the digital world. They have grown up with broadband, smartphones, laptops and social media being the norm and expect instant access to information. This is the first generation to enter the workplace with a better grasp of a key business tool than more senior workers.

Be where the talent is

Whether you want to call them Generation Y, or the oft-coined term ‘Millennials’, the same techniques apply.

Once you’ve set out your store, it’s time to ‘go fish’ and build meaningful connections with your new audience. Use social media to identify the rising (and most-active) stars in the procurement and supply chain world – this new tool will very quickly provide you with an insight into the person and their knowledge.

Look towards LinkedIn for an up-to-date career history – you’ll be able to identify gaps before inviting them in for an interview, and reduce the risk of skeletons in the closet.

Scour Twitter and Facebook posts for cultural fit – will this person be a good fit based on their online profile and persona? You don’t want to associate your business with a candidate of questionable morals, or who rubs people up the wrong way.

Who are they connecting with and having interactions with? The company people keep can be telling… Ask yourself if they are representative of your business and brand.

Hang on to a good thing

When it comes to retention – social media plays just as an important role. But don’t fall into the trap of thinking it’s a one-way street…

Just as you’re putting these social powers to good use, Millennials are just as likely to choose their next job based on how they rate their boss, over the company they are going to work for.  They will base their opinion not on your title, but on word of mouth, social groups, strong connections, and online presence.

And its not just Millennials; stakeholders, peers, customers, suppliers are all there. Potential employees will track you (and your organisation) down on social media before an interview. Negative impressions can be formed if you cannot be found online…

Procurement gets a bad rap for being decidedly behind the times and tragically uncool. But by putting the profession out there and appearing instead as a progressive individual/business – someone who’s starting the discussions and making the connections – you’ll be forcing change from the inside out and refreshing the status quo for a new audience.

It should come as no surprise that your company policy on social media is also equally as important. You should be accommodating when it comes to social media use in the workplace – in the first instance it might help you to draw up a social media policy, providing guidance on what it’s OK to communicate.  You should be encouraging employees to take advantage of all the resources at their disposal in order to gain competitive advantage (e.g. Using Twitter for market research/identifying trends; Procurious for eLearning and accessing best practice; YouTube for learning

These are just a few examples of how social media can help you win the war for procurement talent – now I want to hear about your experience. What are you doing as a CPO (or as an organisation) to recruit and retain new procurement talent in this progressively digital world?

4 Big Ideas That Transformed Procurement Technology

The Big Ideas that will shape the future of procurement technology will be one of the hot topics at the Procurious Big Ideas Summit in London on April 30.

That’s why we’ve invited leading technology influencers like Tim Hughes, Lance Younger, Peter Smith, and Mark Perera to be “in the room”, and provide their views on which technologies procurement professionals should keep in their cross hairs.

I think it was Machiavelli said, “whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past.” My belief is also that it sometimes helps to look in the rear view mirror, to understand what is coming up on the road ahead.

In this article I look back in time and share four of the Big Ideas in technology that I believe have helped shape the procurement profession as we know it today – common protocols, online catalogues, reverse auctions and barcodes.

From the outset, let me stress that I am no technology expert and that my list of Big Ideas in Procurement Technology was conceived under the palm trees of an island in the Indian Ocean. Some may say this provided me with perspective, others may say I’m deluded. Let’s see what you think!

Common protocols – EDI & cXML

Establishing common protocols for the exchange of business transaction data (such as purchase orders, invoices, shipping notices, and many others) provided the basis for the globalization of procurement and the demise of the paper and fax era.

Electronic data interchange (EDI) emerged in the late 60’s and focused on machine-to-machine transactions, but it proved cumbersome for the internet. In light of this, in 1999, Ariba created Commerce XML (cXML), which subsequently became the primary universal protocol for B2B interactions over the Internet.

Electronic catalogues

eProcurement came about as a way to conduct all sorts of purchasing transactions over the Internet, and marked a significant turning point in the use of technology for procurement.

Sometimes I wonder whether all the major eProcurement developments happened at the same time in the late ‘90s and we’ve just spent the last twenty years working out how best to use them, with the software companies refining the offerings in line with our demands.

Electronic catalogues were one of the first of the applications to be developed in the eProcurement suite.

It is easy today to think of this as a pretty basic development, but if you put it in context, consumer online shopping sites such as Amazon and eBay were only launched in 1995. Less than five years later, the corporate world was introducing its own, business-appropriate, form of online shopping.

The subsequent difficulties with managing in-house catalogues gave rise to the outsourcing of catalogue management, the creation of eMarketplaces and a whole new category of eProcurement applications and software providers that have flourished ever since.

Online reverse auctions

I LOVE a great reverse auction. Always have.

What I love most about reverse auctions is the need to follow a disciplined sourcing process in preparation for the event. I think this is one of the great, unsung benefits of this tool for the profession. Don’t worry, I have also heard all the downsides to online auctions. I know they have their place and that’s another reason why I love them – they are a weapon to be used selectively with great effect.

I love the story behind the creation of the online reverse auction – the Glen Meakem story. I was lucky enough to be both living in Pittsburgh when FreeMarkets was it its height, and also to be one of their customers. They were an impressive organisation.

Legend has it that Meakem conceived the idea when he was at a supplier negotiation day with GE. At that time, suppliers were marched into individual rooms Wal-mart style, interrogated, sent outside, then brought back in after their competitors had finished the same meeting. Flip charts were used to track pricing as it trended downwards.

Meakem had the idea to take this practice online and allow the negotiations to take place real time. Surprisingly, GE didn’t want to invest in the idea, so Meakem went out on his own, hiring McKinsey colleague Sam Kinney, and founding FreeMarkets with the purpose of facilitating the online tender process and running global auctions.

Reverse auctions proved to be a turning point for procurement, as they reinforced to company-wide suppliers the importance, and power, of a centralised purchasing team.

However, what I think makes reverse auctions most significant for the development of our profession is that not only did they really capture the attention of the C-suite, but also the rest of the organisation.

I remember hosting boardroom parties where colleagues from all parts of the business could come and cheer as they watched the prices being bid plummet. It’s not every day your colleagues get excited and stand up and cheer for procurement. It was a nice moment, and provided a great opportunity for procurement to demonstrate its value.

The Codes – The Bar… becomes the QR

I am certainly no barcode expert, but it is quite conceivable, as one story put it, that “no event in the history of modern logistics was more important” than the invention of the barcode.

Apparently, the first retail product sold with a barcode was a single pack of chewing gum at a supermarket in Troy, Ohio on June 26, 1974.

Forty years later, the latest incarnation of the bar code is the QR code (Quick Response Code) which is the trademark for a type of matrix, or two-dimensional, barcode.

The QR code has quickly become popular due to its fast readability and greater storage capacity compared to standard barcodes.

Where this development becomes very interesting is in today’s world of supply chain disruptions, where the QR can assist with product and time tracking, item identification and more efficient document management.

Given the procurement profession’s increasing need to guarantee supply chain transparency, the QR code could help provide some of the answers we need to protect our brands in the future.

The Big Ideas that will shape the future of procurement technology will be in the spotlight on 30 April at the Big Ideas Summit.

Procurement professionals around the world can get involved, and join Procurious’ 5000 members, as digital delegates by going to the Big Ideas Summit website and tweeting your Big Idea using #BigIdeas2015

You can also share your views on the ideas you believe disrupted procurement technology in the Procurious group.

7 ways to inject love back into your supplier relationship

As part of a Valentine’s Day special, our founder, Tania Seary (who has a long-standing love affair with all things procurement), is exploring ways that procurement professionals can ensure everyone they touch can “feel the love”. So far we’ve covered community and stakeholders…. now to focus our attentions on our favourite audience of all – our suppliers.

Given that Valentine’s Day is only hours away (and I’m encouraging procurement professionals around the world to make sure everyone they touch “feels the love”), I thought you might like some tips to inject the love back into your supplier relationships.

In supplier relationships, as with romantic relationships, there unfortunately comes a time when the romance fades away…

While the relationship with your beloved strategic supplier may have grown stronger (and more co-dependent each year spent contracted to each other), the romance, the sparkle, the mojo, that desire to impress, often dissipates into a very boring business-as-usual patter.

As leading best-practice procurement practitioners, we all know this is a bad thing – because theoretically we need to be continually improving the value delivered from our strategic suppliers. And unfortunately when the sparkle starts to disappear, or one partner starts to feel neglected, then the cracks start to appear. The bond may break and you are in the law courts with your separation clauses under the microscope. On the other hand, a healthy supplier relationship is productive – it drives out costs, inefficiencies and spawns love children in the form of innovation.

Let’s face it; maintaining a strong working relationship (whatever the setting) requires effort. As we say at Procurious, you have to give to receive.

While researching (well, let’s face it, Googling) this topic, I stumbled across a very practical set of advice from one Ms Monika Mundell: 7 ways to inject romance back into your relationship.

I realised that there were some amazingly scary parallels for we procurement folk. So, I’ve reworked Ms Mundell’s 7 tips to provide you with some shine to put sparkle back into those all-important strategic supply relationships.

  • Eye gazing: Even though I’m obviously a true-believer in social media, I am also a true-believer in the good old face-to-face meeting and telephone call to build understanding relationships. Too much gets lost in translation when we are emailing, texting and tweeting. If we are to keep the relationship alive, we must meet with our strategic suppliers regularly to ensure we fully understand the status and nuances of the relationship.
  • Book a romantic surprise getaway: OK… not really appropriate – but think about it… When was the last time you and your supplier got your leadership teams together to think of ways of both getting more value out of the relationship? You could have a “staycation” and have a one or two-day conference in your offices, or book a mutually convenient off-site location to help facilitate bonding at all levels. A getaway could really identify some fresh ways to invigorate the relationship and add more bottom line value for your shareholders.
  • Touch your partner more often: OK, now you’ll be thinking I’ve really crossed the line here… but think about it. How many touch points do you have with your supplier, and are you using all the different communication mediums available to connect with them at all the appropriate levels in their organization?
  • Write a love letter: Seriously, when was the last time you wrote an email, a letter, a card, showing appreciation for something your supplier did for you? In a day and age where people are running around crazily ticking items off their to do list, a considered, well-penned note means a lot more than it ever did. Take some time out – formally thank your supplier – and I am sure you will feel the love reciprocated in some way or form into the future.
  • Surprise your partner with a romantic dinner: I was really touched when a long-term client and his wife took me to a five star restaurant last year – and paid on their personal credit card. As my clients know, I am very dedicated to them all and I was really touched that this couple took time out of their busy diary and budget to treat me to a special meal. Think about it…
  • Spend more time together: According to Ms Mundell, a common cause for drudgery in a relationship is the fact that we disconnect. All of the points above provide you with opportunities to spend more time with your suppliers. But remember, it doesn’t always have to be elaborate, or premeditated, just spending simple time together on-site, on the job, in the warehouse or with your joint customers is all very important time invested in building that all-important relationship.
  • See a counsellor – OK there’s a reason why this is obviously my last point – because it’s kind of a last resort if all else is failing. At my procurement management consultancy, The Faculty, we’ve often considered developing a “strategic alliance counselling” service… not unlike a marriage counsellor! When thinking about how to re-ignite the spark in your supplier relationship, don’t underestimate the value of getting a third party involved to take an objective view of how your partnership is performing. While you probably won’t need to recline on the chaise lounge, a healthy review could offer some fresh insights into how both sides of the partnership could potentially change their behaviours for the greater good.

Are you making sure your suppliers “feel the love”?

Hey! Procurement – make your customers “feel the love”!

Important lessons from Gustave H and the Grand Budapest Hotel

A quick office survey revealed that no matter how much the boss likes it, ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ is not exactly everyone’s idea of a great movie.

However, the adventures of Gustave H; a legendary concierge at a famous hotel from the fictional Republic of Zubrowka between the first and second World Wars – provides a lot of great (quirky, yes) insights into what constitutes exceptional customer service.

In the procurement world we often refer to those we serve to please as ‘stakeholders’… but let’s face it, they are our customers and all the old-fashioned principles such as “the customer is always right” apply.

Of course we want to do more than serve – we want to become a trusted advisor. But time and time again, ‘stakeholder engagement’ and the ‘soft skills’ re-appear as the number one skill that CPOs need their team to develop, in order to achieve that ‘trusted advisor’ status.

So in the spirit of ‘sharing the love’ this Valentine’s Day, here are some of my customer service learnings from working with clients, customers, stakeholders and alike during the last two and a half decades.

5 ways for procurement to make sure communities “feel the love”

Know your RFQs from your Ps and Qs

Nothing sells like credibility.  If you are going to put yourself forward as an advisor, you need to know about both about the professional service you are offering (procurement) and your customer’s business.  Knowing neither or only one or the other, is not going to build enough confidence for your customer to engage with you.  You need to ensure you have adequate procurement skills, as well as understand the business you are in to make the grade.

Make sure you get through to the second round

The analogy here to a boxing match is not accidental.  I have had some very tough first meetings with my customers. Let’s face it, not everyone always wants procurement’s ‘help’. A large part of our profession’s heritage has been about convincing our stakeholders about the value we can deliver.

From my chilly desk in Pittsburgh over a decade ago, I can still clearly remember being yelled at down the phone from my business unit customers in Iowa and Texas.  One CPO screamed, “If you want my team to spend their precious time on some corporate scorekeeping folly, then get your a** down here on a plane and explain it.”

Gustave H provided a light bulb moment for me about these aggressive experiences:

“Rudeness is merely an expression of fear. People fear they won’t get what they want. The most dreadful and unattractive person only needs to be loved, and they will open up like a flower.”

I can’t say that any of my customers have ever “opened up like a flower”, but they have definitely mellowed from their initial opposition.  Once you prove you can deliver, they’re putty in your hands.  But you have to be resilient and work through this initial push back – get them to the point where they really start to engage and invest in you as a professional who can help them on their journey.

Know what they want; know what they don’t want

When my best practice procurement company, The Faculty, is helping procurement teams to become more customer-focused, we talk about the five false assumptions about customers:

  1. Customers know exactly what they need
  2. Customers will tell you what they need without being asked
  3. If you ask, customers will tell you everything they need
  4. If customers tell you everything they need, you will understand completely
  5. Just because you know what your customer needs, doesn’t mean you’ll be able to convince others in your team

Procurious blogger, Jordan Early, shared with me some really interesting research from Deloitte’s Ajit Kambil, who researched how new finance chiefs often undertake listening tours to understand what their key stakeholders want.

He observed that what stakeholders say they want “may not express their entire universe of so-called wants”. For example in our world, a business-unit leader may say he needs better information and support from procurement. But his true want may be “to be really listened to” by the procurement organization; or he may want procurement to “help support the personal initiatives he believes will advance his career.”

Kambil also suggested that knowing what key stakeholders do not want is as important as knowing what they want. When I was working in procurement within a large organisation, I used to present three potential contract award scenarios before we kicked off a sourcing project. This quickly revealed how the customer would react to different award decisions and helped bring on the conversation about what they didn’t want early on in the process.  It saved a few (but not all) tears at the end of the project.

Knowing what customers truly do or do not want begins by asking questions. However, it is often difficult for stakeholders to clearly articulate what they do and do not want. This is where you really need to call on all your business experience (and hopefully your supportive boss and/or mentor) to help you truly understand your customers’ needs.

Oh, and then you need to deliver. That’s the easy part… right?

5 ways for procurement to make sure communities “feel the love”

5 ways for procurement to make sure communities “feel the love”

The words “love” + “procurement” aren’t often seen together, but here at Procurious we’re hard at work changing the face of procurement.

As part of a Valentine’s Day special, our founder, Tania Seary (who has a long-standing love affair with all things procurement), is exploring ways that procurement professionals can ensure everyone they touch can “feel the love”.

At Procurious, we’re very social (both on and off the field). You usually hear us talking about the benefits of social media, but this time we’re talking about the benefits of getting involved in social procurement… that is – using your corporate spend power to award contracts, to social enterprises and local businesses to generate social benefits beyond the products and services required.

Feel the power

There is enormous untapped potential for social procurement to act an agent for social change – our profession can make a huge impact!

Social procurement creates jobs and opportunities for people who may have struggled to find work and can also reinvigorate depressed or marginalised communities.

Not only are we helping our communities “feel the love”- but we’re also helping our own company. Spending money with community groups and social enterprises improves our own company’s staff engagement, brand equity and enables us to do something that is truly socially good without compromising financial return to shareholders.

So now it’s not only the corporate sponsorships and social responsibility teams who get to help those in need – procurement can also make a huge contribution to the community.

Choose your weapon

Embedding social procurement into your existing procurement framework will require some changes.  And, as we know, change isn’t always easy, so you’ll need to be both creative and patient. According to Dr Ingrid Burkett from the Centre for Social Impact in Sydney, you have four options (“weapons”) for initiating social procurement within your organisation:

    1. Contract – The most obvious approach is to incorporate social impact requirements into tenders, new or existing contracts, or evaluation criteria.
    2. Policy – You may choose to use policy to ensure you meet your social procurement objectives – these can include requirements such as percentage of spend for social impact, meeting statutory or regulatory requirements and local supplier spend commitments.  For example, many mining companies use a policy approach that mandates each of its mines must have a documented strategy for local procurement that is endorsed by the senior leadership team.
    3. Supplier – Directly engaging with suppliers who have a mission to deliver social value is one of the most common approaches to social procurement.  Many social enterprises have independently integrated themselves into corporate supply chains by winning tenders without specific consideration to social value.  In fact, without being deliberate about it – you are probably already procuring from social enterprises.
    4. Market (supplier) development – If you want to work with social enterprises but there are none operating in the category required, you will need to innovate.  For example, in planning the establishment of the Diavik Mine in Canada, Rio Tinto developed local suppliers capable of meeting their expected future business requirements through training, local employment initiatives and by stimulating contracts for these businesses.

Be credible and creative

Once you have worked out the “how”, the next step is obviously to choose the most credible social procurement options to suit your company’s business objectives, profile and culture.  Try to be creative about the “best fit” for your organization.  The best example I have heard of was a major retailer, who sponsored a bike maintenance service at their national headquarters.  Unemployed youths were engaged to learn how to fix bikes and earned their way to a trade certificate, while employees were encouraged to get fit and ride to work and help reduce carbon emissions!  How many boxes can be ticked with one initiative?

Get your CEO into the picture

Literally… if the category and social enterprise you have selected ticks all the boxes for your organization (strategy, mission, other initiatives etc.), then use your marketing nous to convince your corporate affairs and media executives that the CEO should do a site visit and understand the company’s commitment to the selected social enterprise.  Make sure there’s a photographer there (mind you, I’m sure your company’s PR gurus will have this covered) as this is exactly the type of material that gets featured in annual reports.  Perfect.

Social procurement is not “business as usual” – it presents unique challenges and opportunities for both the buyer and the seller.  Successfully introducing anything new into a large organization is difficult.  The greatest challenges to introducing social procurement is having enough people and time, identifying appropriate categories of spend and gaining organizational commitment.

For social procurement to be effective there needs to be a truly enabling environment:  this includes senior management support, the right tools and infrastructure to support it, establishment of effective supplier networks and increased community and government recognition of its importance.

So, do you know how to “show the love” to your communities?  What’s your story?

5 disruptive forces that will keep CPOs awake at night in 2015

CPOs around the world may have some sleepless nights in 2015 as they defend themselves and their companies against powerful disruptive forces.

Kuznetsova Julia/

In the true spirit of social media, I’ll highlight just five of these disruptive forces and have created the convenient “METOO” acronym to cover – Markets, Ethics, Transparency, Optionality and Organisational alignment.

2015 is the time to make sure you have your bases covered in these areas:

Markets – We would be naive if we didn’t expect more market volatility in the coming year.  In 2014 we saw interest rates remain low, the Rouble depreciate 50 per cent, the Australian dollar depreciate 20 per cent, oil prices drop 50 per cent, iron ore prices drop 40 per cent and Chinese growth at its lowest since 2009.

As we are all exposed to the instability of global markets, CPOs will need to decide how to either protect or profit from this volatility.

Ethics – Some leading global retailers had their public reputations shattered last year with revelations about unscrupulous and bullying behaviour towards their suppliers. CPOs will need to have a clear conscience that they are using squeaky clean negotiation techniques and are taking demonstrative actions to ensure their team, and the entire organisation, has a healthy and ethical approach to managing suppliers.

Transparency  – Discovering that one of your third or fourth tier suppliers is involved in corruption, using child labour, unsafe work practices, or substituting lower quality ingredients or parts will be the stuff of nightmares for CPOs in 2015.

A focus on supply chain transparency will see a whole lot of quality assurance consultancies, and other intermediaries, busy in this booming sector of the services economy.  As one of my mentors has always said, “better to know you’re right, rather than hope you’re not wrong”.

Optionality – Talking recently with a federal government defence advisor and the CPO of a leading European telecommunications company, really brought home to me the dilemma of developing and managing suppliers as we move to operating in an era of the “Internet of Things”.

More than ever, we are actually buying technology more so than the actual product or service (think driverless mining trucks – we’re really buying the technology to manage and maintain these vehicles, more so than the trucks themselves).

As technology increasingly becomes the product, we need to keep our options open in order to take advantage of the frenetic pace of change. Our tenders and contracts will need to more broadly define the functionality and utility we require of a product or service, rather than the exacting specifications we know today.

We will also need to ensure we keep our minds, doors and sourcing processes open to engage new suppliers with break-through technologies.  With most contracts being around 3-5 years long, CPOs will need to build optionality into their contracts to ensure they have the agility and can be opportunistic in adapting and adopting new technologies.

Organisational alignment – Procurement teams today are well-versed at “finding the money” and negotiating great deals that should result in bottom line savings.  That’s 101 stuff – our traditional raison d’etre .The trickier challenge has always been to “keep the money” and make sure that contracted savings actually make their way to the bottom line.

Today’s CPO has to work harder than ever to make sure “everyone is on the bus”, utilising negotiated contracts and treating every dollar as if it were their own.

Creating cost-conscious cultures is a huge change management exercise that requires a vastly different skill-set from the CPO’s traditional tool kit.  This challenge, teamed with frequency and voracity of carpet-pulling and direction-changing that will go on in the boardroom and C-suite this year, will require a lot of creative thinking and schmoozing by leading CPOs.

Anyone need a Xanex? (Is that a sleeping tablet?)

If you agree with my thoughts or have want to comment on the forces impacting procurement in 2015 – please Tweet #metoo #bigideas @taniaseary or just respond “me too” on LinkedIn or Procurious.

5 point checklist for a great procurement boss

What are the qualities that make a great procurement boss?

Gossip, scorekeeping and throwing you out of the office certainly don’t sound like the traits of a great leader… but read on and you may change your mind.

I’ve been told that in this day and age employees choose bosses, not companies, when choosing their next job.  In 2014, our Procurious community provided their thoughts on what makes a great procurement boss.  So, as we kick off the New Year, I thought I would share five things I think you should look for when selecting your next procurement boss.

Ask yourself, are they a CPO who:

  1. Kicks you out of the office.  As helpful as water cooler chit chat and Google can be for finding answers to your questions, there is nothing more valuable than getting out of the office and meeting with your customers and suppliers.  Your internal customers will be impressed that you have made the effort to come and visit them and understand how they use the product or service you are buying for them.  Similarly, actually visiting a suppliers’ office or plant will help you understand a lot more about that category you buy and identify new ways to add value.
  2. Fills you in on the goss’.  While it’s not appropriate for your boss to share all the intricacies of what’s happening within the upper echelons of your business.  It’s important that you know enough corporate gossip so that you can expertly manoeuvre yourself and your projects through the minefield of personalities and relationships that make up your business.  Stakeholder engagement is one of the most important skills required to be a successful procurement professional, so understanding “the lay of the land” is critical to your success.
  3. Helps you keep score.  Whoever you are in an organisation, you need to demonstrate the value you are delivering.  In procurement, this often means savings, but it should mean so much more than that.  Your boss should work with you to explain how your role links to the delivery of the overall business strategy and how all the different dimensions of your role deliver value – efficiency, productivity, innovation, customer service and other non-cost related value drivers are all important conversations to your CEO.
  4. Has a game plan.  Yes, your boss should have an overall plan for how their team is delivering against the overall business strategy, but they should also have a plan for you – both for what you need to deliver and how you need to develop in the coming year.  The best CPOs I know are obsessed with finding the best people and helping them develop.  They send their people out to be trained up in the skills they need and to build peer networks that will develop their leadership skills.  The worst CPOs keep their category managers locked away from the rest of the world in fear that their people will be poached.  A great CPO doesn’t need to worry about this, because they know that they have developed a great employee value proposition that keeps their team engaged… and retained.
  5. Is a bit of a procurement rock star.  If your CPO is well known and has a strong peer network, this provides you with a type of insurance policy that they know what they’re talking about and will hopefully be a great teacher.  However, you need to be careful that they’re not so committed to building their own profile out on the speaking circuit that they’re not providing enough support to their team.  A healthy balance between managing their internal and external relationships should provide you with a leader that connects you and your organisation with the outside contacts it needs to “stay in the loop”, while keeping everyone on track within your organisation.

How you are going to assess your potential new boss against this checklist when you are outside the organisation? This is where your network becomes invaluable.  You will know someone who knows someone (use LinkedIn or Procurious to see the connections) who has worked for your target boss.  Contact them, have a chat, see how the CPO measures up.  The most telling sign of success is how the CPO’s employees have been promoted both within and outside the organisation…

Good luck!

Podcast: Social Media for Procurement

ATK helps put procurement in the drivers’ seat with social media

A.T. Kearney’s Knowledge Director, Helen Clegg, is spearheading the discussion for educating the procurement profession on the benefits of social media.

Hear my interview with Helen where I share how to leverage social networks, from building relationships with suppliers to receiving real-time news about supply chain disruptions.

On the topic of risk, I share with Helen my view that there are more risks to procurement professionals for NOT being connected with social media, than there are to being involved.

I also share my top tips for building a social media presence, as well as recommending that everyone finds a millennial mentor!

If you find it useful, I would love you to share it with your Procurious network, on LinkedIn or over Twitter?!

Are we the golden children of procurement?

When the CEO of one of the world’s largest resources businesses, Sam Walsh, says he believes procurement has entered a “golden age”, it certainly makes you think – could this really be one of the most prosperous periods of our profession’s history? And, if so, what are we doing to capitalize on this opportunity?

Remind yourself what Sam Walsh said on Procurious

From the perspective of my 15+ years in the profession, I am confident in saying procurement professionals are in the midst of some very exciting times… and here’s why:

  1. Our roles have never been so complex and therefore as interesting.  Today’s procurement professionals must manage all the expectations of their 360-degree stakeholders, up-skill and engage their teams, deliver an advantaged supply base, and all the while, keep their own careers prospering.
  2. Our old tools still work. Even though our roles have become more complex, most of the tools we have developed and used during the last decade are relevant today – strategic sourcing, category management, SRM etc. are all valued by the business and deliver outcomes. Everything old is new again, and most importantly, it still works.
  3. Digital is already disruptive. As customers, we are already online and procurement is about to explode into this space – drones, social media, 3D printing etc. are all transforming the way we think about everything from supply and demand; professional development; collaboration and sourcing.  The challenge is to ‘digitalise’ our ancient tools for this brave new world.
  4. We are a rare breed. Couple demand for our expertise with the rate the profession is growing, and you’ll see there are procurement opportunities exploding all over the world. Go and grab them!
  5. Our image is golden. As more talented people enter the profession and we are called on to tackle issues of core business importance, our image as a profession has grown stronger than ever. Gone are those outdated aspersions that find procurement stuck in the “dark ages”. That’s where Procurious comes in – Procurious is reimagining the image of the modern procurement professional – with the core of its members proving themselves to be a smart, upwardly mobile, and commercially savvy breed.

“Study the past if you would define the future.”
― Confucius

History of Procurement

Procurement is one of the fastest growing professions in the world. For those of you new to procurement, here’s a “short history of the world” which may give some perspective on whether we are indeed in the “golden age”.

The Dark Ages

OK, so we all know our forefathers started in the backroom.  Clad in their brown cardigans, they executed contracts, processed purchase orders, accepting the odd bottle of scotch from suppliers at Christmas time.

The forefather of modern procurement is widely accepted to be Gene Richter, who worked at IBM in the 1990’s.

The major US companies soon followed IBM by leveraging their global volumes and introducing standardized procurement processes. Not so long ago, the seven step sourcing process was being implemented, centralized procurement teams were formed, followed by supplier relationship management, and more recently category management.

The dot-com boom

The dawn of the new millennium was a time of rapid organization and maturation for the profession.

Many large companies made significant investments (such as $1M+ board approvals) to invest in cross-company procurement exchanges.

Now referred to as Procurement’s dot-com boom, these group-buy investments got procurement quickly on and then just as quickly off the Board agenda. Investments in group buying (and the associated technology) all “became a bit too hard”.

Despite these high profile, public failures, procurement continued to flourish and today, the “ boom” represents the time we moved from the back room – in our brown cardigans – to the boardroom, where our Chief Procurement Officer’s increasingly find themselves either sitting, or at least contributing, today.

Globalisation and the extension of the supply chain

Once all the large companies had leveraged their spend globally, the hunt was on for the most cost-effective country to manufacture goods.

All of a sudden we were managing suppliers and their suppliers in foreign and often remote, locations. This is where the profession became, and continues to be very exciting…

Globalisation has brought with it significant advances, and made our profession  much richer as a result.

Today, its universally accepted that procurement has moved beyond just cost – we now play an integral role in areas of risk management – including supply, quality, innovation and mergers & acquisitions (M&A); new product development; and corporate social responsibility.

The Digital Age

As if our jobs weren’t “interesting” (aka challenging) enough, now we have to account for social media too… Not only are we expected to manage a worldwide network of suppliers and contractors – we are exposed to dangers like customers or shareholders posting a “Tweet” or “status” about how we are managing the supplier.

Yet, this is why working in procurement today is so incredibly interesting and why the profession continues to flourish. We’re working at the interface between the business and all its stakeholders – be that the community, customer, shareholder, supplier, and employee. We need to manage all these stakeholders with the highest integrity in order to protect our brand.

How to make the most of the golden age

If Sam Walsh is right, and we are in the ‘golden age’, how do we take advantage / don’t let this golden opportunity pass us by:

  1. Market yourself and your ideas!  You are your own brand, and nobody knows YOU better. Leverage your good name and use your influence to promote the profession.
  2. Stay connected. With the world and with your peers. Identify risks and opportunities, learn from others.
  3. Keep learning. Every minute of every day we are learning. Whether that be learning from our peers, our customers, and suppliers. And by doing this we are able to identify issues for procurement as they emerge.
  4. Enjoy!  Make the most of being in this profession at this prosperous point in history.  There are so many career opportunities right now – you should be grasping every opportunity to learn and grow.

Although an unlikely comparison for our profession, I use Madonna as an inspirational metaphor/analogy for managing your career.  Even though she’s been in the same role for more than 30 years, she keeps “reinventing” herself for her target audience.  She’s still a pop singer, but she is constantly changing her branding to ensure she stays relevant. As professionals we need to be doing the same!

And that’s what I believe Procurious can bring to the profession – a place to stay current, and stay connected. A place where all procurement professionals can get ahead and thrive in this golden age and beyond!

The term Golden Age (Greek: Χρυσόν Γένος Chryson Genos) comes from Greek mythology and legend and refers to the first in a sequence of four or five (or more) Ages of Man, in which the Golden Age is first, followed in sequence, by the Silver, Bronze, Heroic, and then the present (Iron), which is a period of decline. By extension “Golden Age” denotes a period of primordial peace, harmony, stability, and prosperity

Stay up-to-date with Procurious


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Dec 7, 2020 11:21:25 AM by Bridget Thomas

Markerless AR - A 3D Experience

Markerless AR, 3D Object, Bridget Thomas

In 2018, our family decided to sell our new construction home in a treeless neighborhood and move into a 40-year-old raised ranch with original hardwood floors and a beautiful view of mature trees outside of every window. After months of residing in the basement (not such a bad thing in the hot summer months), we were ready to move upstairs, which left the garage…bare. Like every other room in the house, I had a plan. This 'tuck-under' garage was going to become our home gym.

A two-car garage would be plenty of room for all of the equipment and gear we owned and planned to acquire, right? We’re talking almost 600 square feet, after all! The load-in began...first the treadmill, then weight racks, followed by a bench, a Total Gym (thanks Chuck Norris), a stability ball, barbells…you get the picture. Now, I’m faced with the urge to add a spin bike and the karate Orange Belt in me needs (well, wants) a freestanding kickboxing bag.

Here I sit on a Saturday morning with my iPhone and Amazon account ready to map this out. Five years ago, I probably would have checked dimensions online, used masking tape to mark the floor and assess for fit, only to have to move everything around, wrestle with more tape and repeat the process over and over. But, it’s 2020, and while a lot of things haven’t been so great – augmented reality is changing the way we outfit ourselves and our homes. Hallelujah.

I was able to use Amazon’s “View In Your Room” feature to place my items in the gym space. With that functionality, you no longer have to imagine what the setup will be, but you can truly experience. Using markerless AR, homeowners can move objects around the room and change the orientation while maintaining scale. This ensures that what you see on screen is what will happen IRL once the product arrives on your doorstep.

About Markerless AR

Markerless AR uses a flat, planar surface to drop a 3D object into the scene. For a consumer, no additional downloads, apps, or updates are required to allow it to function. All that is required is a web-enabled device with a camera. The objects being placed can be static, like a sofa or piece of art, or active like a dance instructor teaching a step or band performing a song.

Bridget Thomas - VP of Sales, RealityBLU...No-Code Creation Engine for Augmented Reality

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YURIY RYASHKO - 09/18/2019
Vimperk, Czech Republic / September 18, 2019 – Rouvy changes indoor cycling experience with its new app for Mac and Apple TV based on Augmented Routes (AR) - its advanced mixed-reality technology.

Rouvy is a complete and highly featured indoor cycling software for cyclists and triathletes. The unique platform, with over 3,000 geolocated videos, ensures precise simulation of routes and races, be it UCI events or even the Tour de France, by using advanced algorithms and mixed-reality technology. Rouvy’s Augmented Routes combine high-quality, geo-synced video footage with animated 3D riders, for the most realistic road-feel and experience.

“Rouvy has a tradition of releasing something exclusive each year, because our passion for cycling has always been our inspiration for creating great things. We are excited to bring our product to Mac and Apple TV users today,” says Petr Samek, one of Rouvy’s founders and CEO. “But moreover, they can now benefit from the brand new features: unlimited virtual or real-ride partners, new design and intuitive UI, user-friendly "one-click" concept, “4K-ready” video quality and new avatars with a custom-fit look. The part of the release that benefits existing customers as well, includes 5 new AR routes and 30 standard video routes from the UK, with improved Full-HD video quality.”

Following the recent acquisition of UK-based CycleRecon, Rouvy has released the first part of their processed video assets: Stages 1 and 2 from Tour de France 2014, such famous UK Classic Sportives as WoolerWheel, Welsh Wild West and Etape du Dales from 2015, Cote de Holme Moss and more.

Samek continues, “Rouvy is changing the indoor cycling experience again. Augmented Routes provide athletes with enhanced levels of interactivity, fun and competition. And, our brand-new app concept provides the utmost simplicity and immersiveness. You are able to connect your equipment, and ride in just one single click in 4K-ready/QHD video quality. The app is now available on all platforms and devices. Just download and ride!”

Rouvy’s new app for Mac and Apple TV will stay in public beta for a period of time. While in beta, Mac and Apple TV version (named “Rouvy AR”) will be available absolutely free of charge to all users. Find it on the Rouvy’s web to download for Mac or Appstore for Apple TV.

About Rouvy
Rouvy is one of the top popular software applications used by the global cycling community for indoors. The most featured training platform is #1 in realistic simulation of outdoor rides and road feel. It enables cyclists to create custom routes, bike the planet indoors, compete in online races and manage training data. Added to interactive workouts, an endless variety of courses and year-round motivational challenges, Rouvy provides an authentic e-racing platform for event organizers. With the first official eRace taking place in Medellin, Colombia this year in June, there are many more to come.

You must be logged in first to be able to add comments.
  • ovladejkolo - 12/02/2020
    Hi there.
    Why the CREATED WORKOUTS don't work on the platform?
    Will there ever be the option?
    • yuriy888 - 12/14/2020
      They should work, please drop a message to to address the issue.
  • cockrell - 06/07/2020
    Rouvy will not connect with my brand new MacBook, why not , connects with my Mac desktop
    • yuriy888 - 06/08/2020
      Pls drop a ticket to our help desk at for the check. Thanks.
  • pbarham - 12/27/2019
    Bluetooth doesn't work for me on the Mac version. (Zwift works fine on the same latop)
    • yuriy888 - 02/25/2020
      Make sure to unconnect the trainer from any other app or device (even located in the other rooms), and then try to connect to Rouvy again. In all other cases, pls contact our support desk. Cheers.

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Posted on by Chad F.

Mexico is one of Central America’s most popular vacation spots and each year, it receives more than 20 million visitors. Mexico offers something for everyone, and is especially famous for its beer, beaches, holidays, Aztec and Mayan pyramids. There are so many tourist destinations in this country worth your visit and here are our top 5 picks:

Los Cabos

Located at the southernmost part of Baja California, Los Cabos is a beach about 20 miles long with gorgeous white sand. The area features multiple resorts, bars and restaurants, and is a very popular destination during spring break. Los Cabos is also a great destination for those who are interested in water sports, and the sea offers some of the best sports fishing on Earth. Whales can also frequently be seen in the area.

Those who are interested in Mexican or Central American history will not want to leave without visiting the ancient ruins at Palenque. This architectural site can be found in the western portion of what was once the Mayan empire. Today it is located in the Mexican state of Chiapas. While Palenque isn’t Mexico’s largest archaeological site, it showcases some of the most elegant sculptures and architecture produced by the Mayan people. Many structures at this site date back to 600 AD.

Cozumel can be found near the Yucatan Peninsula, and is one of Mexico’s most popular attractions for scuba or snorkeling enthusiasts. Jacques Cousteau first explored the underwater area surrounding Cozumel during the 1950s, and he referred to it as one of the top diving spots on Earth. Since then the area around Cozumel has been transformed into a National Marine Park which is responsible for the protection of the coral reefs and exotic tropical fish that can be found there.

Oaxaca sits in a valley below the Sierra Madre mountains and is a colonial city with lots of archaeological sites to keep tourists busy. Another reason to head to Oaxaca is during Dia de Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead). This is a popular holiday throughout Mexico, but the town of Oaxaca celebrates this event in truly spectacular fashion. The festival has been celebrated for thousands of years and dates back to ancient cultures such as the Aztec or Zapotec. In Oaxaca, the festival will begin near the end of October, and people within the town will begin preparing tombs for the arrival of the spirits. Altars will also be created and decorated with flowers, with offerings left for the spirits.

Copper Canyon

The Copper Canyon is a collection of canyons, and when combined, is much larger than even the Grand Canyon itself. One of the most popular methods for exploring this massive area is via the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railway. This route passes above thirty-seven bridges as well as going through over 80 tunnels, and will reach points which are as much as 7,900 feet above sea level, allowing passengers to see some truly breathtaking views.

All in all, Mexico offers a spectacular array of attractions for its visitors, and there is certainly something for you here. From the crystal clear beaches of Los Cabos to the majestic pyramids of Palenque, Mexico is a destination that every traveler should visit at least once in their life!

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Tag Archives: Google Apps

Bulk uploading of Google Apps accounts via CSV using Apple Numbers

I'm using Apple Numbers on a Mac with Croatian locale. This means CSV files not only don't have a BOM (byte order mark) which Google Apps requires, but its CSV files are not actually comma-separated, but semicolon-separated. (Croats use decimal comma instead of decimal point, so any CSV files generated by spreadsheets can't use commas. Weird, yep, my dear US reader.)

So… follow Google's instructions in building the CSV file, and then process it with the following commands in Vim.

:set bomb

You're welcome.


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Feb 292008
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gorilla_pen.jpgGorilla Glue is now available in a new Precision Glue Pen applicator ideal for small projects and repairs requiring pinpoint application and control.
Originally used as a commercial adhesive for hard-to-glue materials, today Gorilla Glue is the preferred brand among professionals, DIYers and consumers because of its industrial strength sticking power.

The Precision Glue Pen is easy to use and manipulate so professionals and hobbyists can easily master intricate detail work, while everyday users don’t have to worry about over-gluing and making a mess. And, it fits conveniently into a purse, desk drawer, glove compartment, backpack, or toolbox for emergency, “on the spot” repairs.

The Precision Glue Pen is available with Gorilla Glue’s new Fast Cure, Dries White formula, which sets ultra-fast in just 30 – 60 minutes. Gorilla Glue securely bonds materials that typical all-purpose adhesives won’t hold, including wood, stone, metal, ceramics, glass, foam and more. Waterproof and temperature resistant, Gorilla Glue can be used for projects and repairs indoors or out.

Visit Highland Woodworking for more information.

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Red Sox 40-man roster crunch: Chris Sale, Dustin Pedroia among six players reinstated from injured list

As the month of October comes to a close, the Red Sox made another series of roster moves earlier Saturday afternoon, this time reinstating six players from the injured list and therefore adding them back to the club’s 40-man roster.

Those six players? Left-handers Chris Sale, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Kyle Hart, right-hander Colten Brewer, outfielder Andrew Benintendi, and second baseman Dustin Pedroia.

All three of Sale (Tommy John surgery), Rodriguez (Myocarditis), and Pedroia (left knee), missed the 2020 season for their own respective reasons, while Brewer (strained right middle finger), Hart (left hip impingement), and Benintendi (right rib cage strain) all had their seasons cut short due to injury.

By reinstating this group of players, the Sox have bumped up the size of their 40-man roster to 37, which is significant seeing how the deadline to add Rule 5 eligible minor-leaguers to the 40-man is just under three weeks away.

Based off the list of those who are eligible, Boston seems keen on adding at least six prospects — Jay Groome, Bryan Mata, Connor Seabold, Connor Wong, Jeisson Rosario, Hudson Potts — to its 40-man roster before the November 20 deadline.

With that in mind, expect chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Co. to keep busy as the calendars flip to November. There is much to do, like deciding on whether to pick up Martin Perez’s $6.5 million option for 2021 or reaching some sort of settlement with Pedroia, in a relatively short period of time.

Author: Brendan Campbell

Blogging about the Boston Red Sox since April '17. Also support Tottenham Hotspur.

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Latest annual data on gaming machine activity in hotels and clubs suggests that gambling expenditure – i.e. player losses – has partially recovered in the key northern regional economies of Whyalla, Port Augusta and the group of councils comprising Roxby Downs, Coober Pedy and Flinders Ranges. These recoveries follow relatively large falls over earlier years in response to challenging economic conditions. To the extent these developments reflect changes in discretionary spending rather than problem gambling they suggest economic conditions have turned the corner. But such recoveries have not extended across all regions.

These results are revealed by the South Australian Centre for Economic Studies Gambling Database, which provides regional level data on electronic gaming machine (EGM) activity in hotels and clubs in South Australia.¹ The database has been updated to include 2017/18 data sourced from Consumer and Business Services.

Signs of green shoots in northern regional economies
Economic conditions in the aforementioned regions has suffered in recent years due to the downturn in mining and other region specific factors, including the near collapse of the Whyalla steelworks, closure of Port Augusta power station, and earlier cost cutting at the Olympic Dam mine. These developments led to job and population losses, negative sentiment and almost certainty lower discretionary spending. The latter is quite apparent in the gambling data. For instance, over the two years to 2016/17, total EGM expenditure fell by 23 per cent for the group of local government areas (LGAs) comprising Roxby Downs, Coober Pedy and Flinders Ranges, 14 per cent for Whyalla, and 11 per cent for Port Augusta, which compares with a statewide fall of 6.3 per cent over this period.

More recently, economic conditions in these regions have improved with recovery in mining conditions including renewed investment activity at Roxby Downs, rejuvenation of the Whyalla steelworks by Liberty House Group, and substantial investment in renewable energy projects across the region. With a brighter economic outlook it seems locals are once again willing to take a punt on the pokies. In 2017/18, total gambling expenditure rose by 15 per cent for the Roxby Downs group of councils, 6.4 per cent for Port Augusta, and 4.5 per cent for Whyalla.

Statewide gambling expenditures increases for first time in four years, but declines across other regions
Total expenditure on EGMs across South Australia rose by $2 million or 0.3 per cent to $682 million in 2017/18. This represents the first increase since 2013/14 when expenditure rose just 0.1 per cent. However, expenditure has continued to fall in relative terms. Total net gambling revenue per adult fell by 0.4 per cent to $501 per adult in 2017/18 – the lowest level of nominal per adult expenditure since 2000/01.

Although gambling expenditure for the state as a whole rose marginally last financial year and recovered in the previously mentioned regions, expenditure actually fell for most regions in the dataset (61 per cent). A majority of both metropolitan (56 per cent) and non-metropolitan (64 per cent) regions recorded falls in EGM expenditure in 2017/18. That relatively more non-metropolitan regions recorded a fall in EGM expenditure can be partly attributed to population decline across many regional areas.

Expenditure on gaming machines has tended to fall in aggregate and relative terms over the past decade due to various factors including, but not limited to: introduction of measures to reduce the number of gaming machines in hotels and clubs in order to reduce problem gambling; impact of the global financial crisis and other economic shocks that would have negatively impacted consumer spending; sluggish growth in real wages over recent years; maturation of the industry whereby EGMs may no longer seem a novel form of gambling; and emergence of other forms of gambling and entertainment (e.g. sports betting, poker, social media, internet based entertainment etc.).

In terms of growth in expenditure on EGMs, the City of Charles Sturt (up $2.2 million) and Salisbury ($1.6 million) recorded the largest aggregate increases last financial year. In proportional terms the largest rises in expenditure were recorded by the group of Roxby Downs, Coober Pedy and Flinders Ranges (up 15 per cent), Loxton Waikerie (12 per cent), Port Augusta (6.4 per cent) and the combination of Prospect and Walkerville (5.9 per cent).

Relative expenditure and machine density remains high in the City of Adelaide
The City of Adelaide retains its place as having the highest level of relative EGM expenditure in the state given its prominence as an entertainment hub and historical concentration of hotels. The city had an average EGM expenditure per adult of $1,027 in 2017/18. Other regions with relatively high gaming machine expenditure include Port Augusta ($995 per adult), Norwood Payneham St Peters ($992), Whyalla ($870) and Port Lincoln ($761).

There was an average of 8.9 machines per 1,000 adults in South Australia as at 30 June 2018, down from a peak of 12.7 machines per 1,000 adults at 30 June 2003. The density of gaming machines remains highest in Adelaide (34 machines per 1,000 adults), followed by the group of Roxby Downs, Coober Pedy and Flinders Ranges (23 machines), Port Augusta (23 machines), Berri and Barmera (20 machines), and Port Lincoln (19 machines). In contrast, EGM prevalence was lowest for Mitcham and Burnside (2.5 machines per 1,000 adults), Campbelltown and Tea Tree Gully (3.6 machines), Marion (4.5 machines), Playford (5.1 machines), and Onkaparinga (5.6 machines).

Although the City of Adelaide retains the highest level of relative EGM expenditure and density of machines, the number of venues and machines in the CBD has continued to fall. As at 30 June 2018 there were 4 fewer venues (-10 per cent) and 66 fewer gaming machines (-7.8 per cent) operating in the City of Adelaide compared to the same time a year earlier. Competition from small bars, cost pressures, sluggish population growth, changing composition of the CBD population, and even social media have all been identified as factors contributing to a decline in the number of pubs and clubs operating in the Adelaide CBD.

¹ The regions are comprised of local government areas and have been grouped in instances where there are fewer venues in order to protect the confidentiality of individual venues.

This entry was posted in Anthony Kosturjak, Gambling Research, News and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

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Reflecting on McCloud

If anyone’s interest was particularly sparked my McLuhan’s comic book style essay, I would suggest exploring the Museum of Modern Art’s website.  They have over 1000 comics in their online collection.  I visited the MoMA over spring break and am now feeling disappointed that I did not take advantage of their extensive collection.  I never really had an appreciation for comics until this week.

Anyways, since class was pretty in-depth today, I kind of wanted to reflect.  I think it’s interesting how comics, a casual and playful media/medium (I can’t find a clear distinction anymore), can portray a serious topic.  Examples can include social problems but I especially like how McCloud opened my eyes to the idea of time and space, and how sequential pictures on a piece of paper can be four dimensional.  It’s hard to wrap your head around so many dimensions which is why I am particularly interested in the idea of inception.  Just like “the medium is the message” somehow I feel like time is all the same if you can return to it, or look ahead to it, because when you do that, then you are in the present, right?  Or are you? I think this relates to Dr. C’s statement that the brain cannot distinguish between perception and memory.

In trying to articulate exactly how I felt about these seemingly crazy ideas, I started looking around on Delicious and to my surprise I found an extremely insightful write up by Mark Bernard and James Bucky Carter.

This quote is taken right from the article and I think pretty much coins what we were talking about today.  “When the viewer interacts with the work, time, space, and real-time experience meld. Hence, quite literally, dimensions cross: there is a concrete positioning of the viewer in his or her own space and time added into the already interdimensionality of the work itself.”

Pretty cool if you ask me.  I am not anywhere near a complete reflection of today’s lecture but I am hoping for some clarification from you guys.  Let me know if anyone has anymore input!

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24 Assessments that don’t suck…

One year ago I posted “15 Assessments that don’t suck.”  I have added nine new ones that we did this year to the list.  Click on the titles for more information on each.

RSA Videos

RSA videos are a huge crowd pleaser.  The kids really enjoyed making them.  Post production can be teacher intensive depending on your tech tools available and tech expertise of your kids.

Note card Confessions

I am still tweaking this in my head for next year.  This year it got placed into a unit that was chopped up with half-days, snow days, and scheduling changes.  There is a lot of potential with this.

Full class music videos

What can I say…my favorite.  Not everyone has to sing.  Many different roles are involved for kids of all levels.  Here is one from this year.

Commoncraft Style Videos

I haven’t done Common Craft Style videos in a couple years, but it is a neat gateway project for teachers looking to do something different.

Reader’s theatre

Alright…I know this one seems so simple.  But it can be so powerful.  Take one story and split it into parts…split paragraphs, splits lines, to make it more powerful than if read straight through. The link is actually to one that we did with a primary source.  The students have done them in a variety of styles.  One that stick out is three kids who wrote letters home from the Oregon trail.  Each one read one sentence at a time, but when read it sounded like one single letter.  Again, simple idea, but they take time to play with the information and the processing produces some great learning.  Can be done with two kids, small group, or an entire class.

I am a fan of the assessment that doesn’t smell like an assessment.  We did PSA’s on current problems using the technique’s of 19th Century Progressives.  Each of the PSAs did not on the surface seem to connect to 19th Century United States History. But for example, the student who created the PSA in the link could make a historical connection for each part of her video.  They were all collected onto a Posterous site, but Posterous has since closed!  Here is a link with a little more info on what we did.  I almost deleted this after re-reading this post simply because it is hard to see how this is an assessment, and how it really does connect to our 19th century history unit.  You’ll have to just trust me.

1000 Words

Neat idea that I am refining.  This was the first year I tried it.  I think there is some potential to use it not only with images, but text as well.

Stop Action Animation

An idea that can be very complex, or very simple (the link is to a simple one).  Here is one from this year.

Lip Synch

Take a famous video clip, and have the kids synch what they leaned to it.  Seriously…these always feel like a train wreck when I have tried them.  I always say never again…but then one kid will convince me to try it again.  Not sure about the value, but I can say that it takes so many attempts and practice that they certainly remember the facts.

Reverse Poems

Ok…I have to admit I have not successfully completed these with a class.  They are SOOO hard.  The link brings you to the one that inspires us to keep trying, and here is one from last year and one from this year that was pretty good.  The idea is one perspective when read one way, and the opposite perspective when read the other.  While we have done a bunch on paper, putting them into video can be challenging.

Black-out Poems

These are really neat.  Nothing had the class so quiet and focused this year.  They really need a student to present and explain, don’t really do well standing alone in a blog post.  In person they are a hit.

I loved this assessment.  I really learned a lot from it and and it started a trend for me to start using less technology in class.

Lip synch, dances, and more

Just a bunch of random ideas in this link

Poetry Slam

Simply the one unit that kids talk about years after they graduate.  It is also the unit that is most dependent on the teacher.  I have watched another teacher do the same unit and it simply did not fly.  If you cannot motivate, energize and kick some butt….leave this one alone.

Fish Bowl Discussions + another

Neat way to have more of a conversation rather than a back and forth between teacher and students.

A fun activity that can be used with primary and secondary sources that automatically injects creativity and imagination into the final product.

I don’t often recommend a tool to use with all kids, but I will  recommend Powtoon.  Kids love it.

Personification of Primary Source Documents

I great idea for a lesson I wish I created, but I just ripped it off someone else!

Playing with Blocks

I have been trying to work more “play” into my lessons.  The type of play in which learning is the surprise ending.

Instagramification of History

This is one of those very quick witty assignments.

Making posters

I know, posters are boring, they are tech free, old fashion….but they still have a place in a classroom.

You might have heard of Genius Hour or 20% Time…this is our version.

I realized that because we use computers a lot, there was no physical evidence of our learning anywhere in the school.  From the front door to my door on the top floor, there was no evidence of what anyone in the school is learning about.  We had to change that.

“My Darling Wife…A Civil War Letter”

One of my favorite assessments this year.  It included no original words from the students, but a lot of digging around in primary sources.

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Innocent Distractions

It started out innocently enough.

It started out innocently enough. Looking through YouTube videos I happened upon watercolor tutorials. I had been in search of videos that would teach me how to sketch better. It was a great idea except I became distracted and lost sight of the prize. Now there is nothing wrong with watching videos to learn how to do things but it’s the time spent watching and doing, that can become the problem. Realizing my lack of discipline I decided I wanted to learn to listen to God better. Things didn’t turn out quite the way I had planned. Instead of listening, I became even more distracted when I happened upon a watercolor video about making homemade Christmas cards. So I started to make them.

I became so focused on making the cards that I lost sight of spending time with the Father. So much for listening. I was doing the right things, praying, doing devotionals but I wasn’t spending the quality time with God that He deserves.

As I thought about that, I realized that the whole time I was wanting to hear from God, He was trying to speak but I wasn’t stopping long enough or being still long enough for me to hear Him. You know, kind of like that person who asks you a question and moves on to the next question or topic before you can answer them. That was me. I wanted more of Him but I wasn’t waiting for Him to speak, instead I was moving to the next topic. Aren’t you glad that God doesn’t treat us like that? Can you imagine if He did? Maybe that’s why He has so many teachings on what we our relationship with Him should be like so we could use that role model to have that kind of relationship with others. Why He took time give examples for us to follow.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

We love Him because He first loved us.

1 John 4:19

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

Colossians 3:12,13

But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

Colossians 3:14

God bless!

The Christmas Tree Lot

Passing by a tree lot on the way to church one Sunday, I was surprised at how crammed the parking lot was with vehicles. It wasn’t even 8:30 a.m. yet people were vying for a parking spot bringing traffic to a near stop. I must confess I couldn’t help but wondered how many would make it to church that morning. As quickly as that negative thought entered my mind I repented and asked the Lord to forgive me for my attitude. Who was I to judge anyone? We all have something that can easily distract and draw us away from our relationship with the Lord if we aren’t careful. Something that is for sale if we aren’t careful to guard it, to protect it.

As I thought back to that day, the Lord reminded me how easily someone can be to be drawn away from Him. That when we take our eyes off of Him, we become vulnerable and open a way for the enemy to take territory from us if we aren’t careful. Just as we have to take time and nurture our relationships with family and friends, we must also take time nurture our relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus gave up everything just so we could have an opportunity to become sons and daughters of God. He died that we could live. To nurture such a valuable, precious relationship, we need to spend quality time with Him and not only seek Him, but listen when He speaks. Reading the Bible is important. It’s how we learn about everything that God wants us to know. Prayer is important. It’s how we communicate with Him. But listening is the most important thing we can do to get to know Him. To grow our relationship with Him.

But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.

Proverbs 1:33

To dwell safely and be secure without fear of evil…isn’t it worth taking the time to listen? God bless.

Happy Thanksgiving

Have a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

As you celebrate Thanksgiving, what are you thankful for? This has been a crazy year but in everything we are to give thanks. I am thankful my husband is cancer free! I am thankful for my family and friends and their encouraging words when I try new things. I am blessed to have a wonderful family, friends both old and new, and a heavenly Father who loves unconditionally.

Abba, thank you for Your mercy and grace that are new every morning. For the people You place in our lives to encourage us and help us to grow. May we always seek You and put You first in everything we do. Help us to remember to extend mercy and grace to others just as You have given it to us. In Jesus name, amen.

Celebrating God’s Goodness

Wow. What a year. Earlier this year we found out that my husband had thyroid cancer and had to have his thyroid removed. Between the discovery of the cancer and the actual surgery, Covid-19 hit. After surgery he had to have an ablation to confirm there wasn’t any lingering cancer cells. Here we are in November and my husband finally had his ablation. Now most people when they hear the word ablation they automatically think heart. Not in this case. He had to swallow a radiation pill. Yep, a special diet for two and a half weeks, 2 days before the procedure he had a shot and the day before the procedure he had another shot. Then he was quarantined for three days at home where he couldn’t be around people. Room Service please! 😉 Thinking about the past few weeks with the strict diet and then the quarantine, I thought about how God can use those minor distractions in life to encourage us, to help us grow stronger in our relationship with Him. It can also, if we aren’t careful, be used by the enemy to try and discourage us to take our eyes off of the Lord.

For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.

Psalm 27:5

It could have been so easy to become discouraged during this time. Sometimes we can take things for granted and don’t realize it until we are forced to take a step back. We had to read the labels of everything we bought. If it had salt, we had to avoid it. Dairy products we had to avoid. (Egg whites were allowed) We became rather proficient with label reading. (Something we probably should be doing all the time.) We did find some new permanent food fixtures in our house as a result of the diet. Hamburger buns made from scratch. 😉 (Hubby decided he liked them better than store bought. But guess who gets to make them? 😂 Although I will admit that it isn’t that hard to make so I don’t mind.)

The care we had to take in making sure we were following the diet brought to mind how we nurture our relationship with the Lord. Do we spend quality time in His Word? Do we spend quality time in prayer talking and listening to Him? If we don’t take the time to nurture our relationship with God then we are neglecting the most important relationship we will ever have. How can we expect to nurture and grow our relationships with our family and friends if we neglect the most important relationship of all? How we nurture and grow our relationship with God reflects how we will nurture other relationships in our lives. If our relationship with God is one of little communication, our other relationships will suffer the same lack of communication.

O God, Thou art my God; I shall seek Thee earnestly; my soul thirsts for Thee; my flesh yearns for Thee, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Psalm 63:1

You will seek Me and find Me, when you will search for Me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13

My husband had a post ablation whole body scan to make sure there were no lingering cancer cells. PRAISE GOD he is cancer free! To God be the glory! Thank you to those who prayed for us. God bless!

Faith Healed You, Go In Peace

The woman with the issue of blood. Put yourself in her place. You’ve spent all that you had on medical advice and yet no one is able to help. You’re in debt up to your eyeballs and about to lose your house. You hear about this Man who can heal anyone and you think, you’ve nothing to lose and if you can get close enough just to touch even His coat then you can be healed. That is, if what you hear is true. But you have nothing to lose so why not check out where this Man is going to be next. You happen to overhear a conversation and learn that He is passing by any minute so you begin to search the crowd for signs of this Man. There! There He is and He’s going to be passing by in front of you. You see Him and the look on His face is so loving, so caring that you allow yourself to be swept up by the moving crowd.

You begin easing your way through the crowd determined to get near to Him. You get shoved from behind and stumble but not before seeing Him pass by. No! You silently scream as you scramble to gain your footing. But with your illness you’re slow to react and soon He is moving on getting further away. In a desperate attempt to get close, you push your way into the crowd and suddenly you see His back. One last shove and you stumble again this time your fingers grasping the air and then…you feel your fingers brush the coattails of His coat and immediately you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are healed. You feel energized, ready to tackle the world until you hear “Who is the one who touched Me?” Busted. He had stopped so quickly and turned to face the people behind Him, you barely managed to get out of the way.

“I did it. I touched your cloak.” You say. His eyes fill with compassion for you as He says “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” You knew you were healed when you touched His cloak, you felt the healing power flowing through. But His words touch you and confirm that you are healed.

Can you feel it? Can you feel the love and compassion flowing through Christ? Jesus was on His way to heal the daughter of Jarius, an official of the synagogue and yet He stopped and spoke to this woman. Jesus affirmed what this woman confessed, that when she touched His cloak she was immediately healed. Jesus said her faith made her well and to go in peace. In other words, don’t be afraid. You chose to believe and by faith you followed through which led to your healing. I can’t help but to wonder why Jesus said to go in peace. Was it for her benefit or that of the people surrounding them? Was it to keep the people from trying to harass her after He was gone? Maybe He didn’t want her to feel embarrassed over running after Him to heal her. He wants us to run after Him. He wants us to seek Him, to find Him, to follow after Him, and to share the Good News with others.

The enemy digs, pokes, pushes, invades, and doesn’t give up when he has made it his mission to turn as many people away from the Father as he can before his time of reigning comes to an end. He already knows that he has lost the battle. He already knows that when it is finished, he will spend eternity in the lake of fire and brimstone but before that happens, he is going to take as many as he can with him.

The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.

John 10:10

The devil will do everything in his power to put a wedge between you and God. If we were to dig, poke, push, invade, and not give up on the mission of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ, imagine how many people we can reach for the Father. The enemy wants you to fear and tremble; God wants you to be bold and courageous. Which do you choose? God bless.


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Chunky Knit or is it a Grandma Cardi?

There’s no denying it, trends beloved by the geriatric set have thoroughly penetrated the fashion world. Let me introduce you to the Grandma Sweater. There are a few variations on the look, but the most popular is a very oversized chunky knit. I found substantial evidence below, and trend-conscious retailers like Zara, Asos, Gorman or if you are really on the hunt, try Etsy, have already given their stamp of approval to the style. But don’t just take my word for it. Check out my visual buffet of grandma-sweater and chunky knit cardi’s inspiration below.

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Blue Cat Motorcycle

Viva Midwest

Open Tuesday-Friday: 10AM-5PM | Saturday: 11AM-3PM | (651) 645-1172

Third Thursday

Posted on 07 Jul 2012 0 comments

Look at your calendar, find Thursday and count to three. On the third Thursday of all the warmer months (and sometimes during winter) we open our doors after hours to host a two wheel block party. The action starts at 6:00 PM and goes as late as it goes. Usually we’re able to line up some sort of food truck (yay tacos!) or other grub goodness, so show up hungry. We mean it when we say everybody is welcome. If it’s got two wheels and a motor, we want you to bring it out and show it off. Nowhere else will you see a vintage ’50s BMW parked grip-to-grip with a Honda cafe racer on one side and a race-modified Benelli moped on the other. There’s nothing else like Third Thursday and we’re exceptionally proud of what the event has become. It’d be special if we only did it once a year, but we do it nearly every month. Keep an eye on our blog for scheduling. Then bring your bike and say hello!


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Australian banks denied access to NFC on iPhone. Now what?

On Friday 30 March 2017, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced that the country’s largest banks cannot collectively bargain with Apple over access to near field communication (NFC) technology on the iPhone, which would allow the banks to compete with Apple Pay. Rather than enhancing competition, this decision limits Australian consumers and impairs the banks’ profit margins as they now must share interchange revenue with Apple. Additionally, the banks will need to allocate development resources to integrate with Apple Pay and accept Apple’s onerous general terms and conditions of use.

An alternative approach to contactless payments

Fortunately, Australian banks still have a way to provide contactless or proximity payments to iPhone customers without requiring NFC. Bluechain has developed a mobile payments platform that leverages open communication networks such as Bluetooth, bypassing Apple’s restrictions on accessing the iPhone’s NFC technology. Bluechain offers cost-effective payment solutions for merchants, acquiring banks and card processors, as well as the following benefits:

  • Contactless. Using Bluetooth, the Bluechain app provides a contactless or proximity payment experience with a user’s mobile device, and provides the same experience to Android and Apple phone users.
  • Easy adoption. Bluechain is available on mobile and tablet devices for iOS, Android and Windows to make payments. And existing merchant terminals can be used without modification for POS.
  • Superior security. Bluechain’s patented security paradigm allows the consumer, not the merchant, to control transaction security. The result is a much safer transaction data flow that eliminates the most prevalent types of payment fraud.  Personal information is never given to or seen by a merchant, so there is no exposure to a Bluechain customer if a merchant is breached.
  • Rapidly deployable with reduced costs. No significant changes, technology modifications, or ongoing support are required to operate Bluechain.  You can be up and running almost instantaneously.  Existing merchant terminals can be used without modification for POS, and the incremental cost of deploying Bluechain are less than the savings achieved from lower fraud and interchange rates.
  • Single payment experience. In addition to its innovative mobile payment capabilities, Bluechain can handle all other transaction types (e.g. P2P, online/ecommerce) with the same seamless user experience and security features.

Bluechain provides an alternative to Apple Pay and the broader NFC issue that is more secure and encourages greater adoption for both merchants and consumers while maintaining (and even increasing) bank profit margins.

If you’re not happy with the ACCC decision, and would like an alternative to Apple Pay or are just looking to drive margin improvement across your lines of business, please contact us. We will quickly demonstrate how you can maintain control over your customers, technology and margins with Bluechain.


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Business Process Development Services

Change in the business environment and technology is inevitable and adapting to change while keeping the essence of the business sense and quality is key to success and preservation. Not only technology affects businesses’ process, but many other factors such as new developing management practices, for an example. BMB&Co. can help its clients to adapt by developing, improving, or assessing their business processes to enhance overall performance and reduce costly complexities. Our approach starts from the business sense and underlying reason for every activity or task, keeping in mind related implications such as regulatory or internal control needs. We understand that the cost and benefit criteria is not always a sound base for judgment. BMB&Co. expertise and experience in this area are well suited to bring in results to our clients from the beginning. Our services include:

  • Process Engineering and Reengineering
  • Process Testing and Enhancement
  • Process Automation
  • Workflow development
  • Focus on maximizing operational efficiency and cost reduction
  • Focus on integration
  • Focus on changing management approach (e.g. Management By Objective)