MARCH MEETING

March is PurchaDepartment/Cityyour agency the

We had an excearound the perichallenge with tlocated to accoin the arena andpeers who have

Thank you Jessiemeeting. Jessieprofessionally anmyself.

Plans are underw2008 at the Tallaand organizing adiligently to line unow. I would alshuge endeavors.

Our first free seEnvironmental Prgiving us more de

Just a reminder tat janet.garrison@www.tacnigp.co

I look forward toQuote for the Dano good.”- Ann Landers

13 Performance Measures

Go

March 2008

The March Meeting of NIGP will be held at the Civic

Center on March 11, 2007 starting at 11:30.

Message from the PresidentJanice Pursley, CPPB, FCPA, FCPM

Inside This Issue

1 Message from the President

2 Message from Vice President

2 Guest Speaker

3 Jan. Chapter Minutes

4 Jan. Board Minutes

7 Upcoming Events & Birthdays

8 Articles submitted by

Members

12 Free Seminar Speaker

sing Month! Be sure and pick up a copy of the Governor’s Proclamation for your/County office at the March monthly meeting. Take the opportunity to share withimportance of purchasing professionals. You make a difference!

llent attendance for the February meeting. Those of you sitting toward the back andmeter of the meeting, I understand it was difficult to hear. After discussing thehe Civic Center, there will be two additional speakers provided and strategicallymmodate all attendees. Hopefully, this will solve the problem when our meetings are

exhibit hall. We are growing because you are reaching out and encouraging yourbeen inactive. Keep up the good work!

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seeing on My: “The true

Tallahassee Area ChapterNational Institute of

vernmental Purchasing, Inc.Newsletter

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an excellent February speaker. You don’t want to miss a single monthlyg speakers that will present a variety of topics and keep us informed

. If you have ideas for our meetings, please feel free to contact Jessie or

xciting Purchasing Conference and Trade Show to be held August 27-28,County Civic Center. Rhonda Mixon is hard at work talking to vendors

ls to be presented to the various committees. Tim Ellinor is also workingpresenters for our Purchasing Conference this year. Mark your calendarse you to be available when someone contacts you to help in these twoeded.

e year has been scheduled for April 14, 2008 at the Department ofom 170 of the Carr Building. Vonnie Allen and Jessie Moseley will be

this special event.

ions for Buyer and Manager of the Year need to be sent to Janet Garrison. The submission deadline is April 1, 2008. Forms are available online at

d the Awards Committee will review all nominations.

arch 11, 2008.measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely

PAGE 2 EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER

Mr. Bill Cain will be our March Guest Speaker. He is a former law enforcement officer who servedwith the Macon-Bibb County Police Department for over 8 Years. He graduated at the top of hisclass from the Georgia Police Academy and served on both the “Rat Patrol” and the “FirstResponse” swat teams. Bill has specialized in crime prevention, crimes targeted against travelersand random acts of violence for the past eleven years. He is considered by many law enforcementprofessionals to be among the top authorities in these fields. Mr. Cain is also the author of a bookentitled What You Need to Know About the most Recent Road Crimes, Cons & Scams used onMotorists Today.

Please make plans now to attend this very informative luncheon meeting.

Please remember as we begin to schedule speakers for the year, I welcome any suggestions youmay have. Please contact me at moseley.jessie@mail.dc.state.fl.us or call me at 352-732-1276 withany topics or ideas you may have.

Public Safety Coalition is an independent task force of present and former law enforcement officers who are specialists in crimeprevention procedures. They travel the country educating the public on the most recent types of crimes and scams.

Crime Prevention * Safety Awareness

HOW "STREET SMART" ARE YOU? COULD YOU PASS THIS TEST?

HOW can a criminal obtain the equivalent of a key to your home?WHAT should you do if approached by someone in a parking lot?HOW can you reduce your chances of becoming a victim by 70 %?WHAT makes you an attractive target to a criminal?WHAT methods are used by criminals to control female victims?WHAT should you do if a stranger gets in your car?WHERE do most carjackings take place?WHAT is the fastest growing drug used by teens today?WHAT time of day are you most vulnerable?WHAT is the biggest mistake we make while shopping?HOW can a criminal find out what pocket your money is in?

HOW can you best protect your credit cards from pick pockets?

PLEASE ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS:

COULD you tell if your child is involved in a gang?COULD you tell if your child is on drugs or experimenting with drugs?DO you know the places where women are most often attacked?WHAT would you, your spouse, your child or your mother do if strandedor had a flat tire in an isolated area where your cell phone did not work?WHAT would you do if approached by someone in a parking lot who was armed with a gun or knife?WHAT would you do if someone bumped you or a member of your family's car from behind at a stop sign at night?WHAT would you do if someone approached you while getting into your car with a weapon and told you to drive where you weretold?WHAT would you do if someone approached and threatened your child and told you to do as you were told?

PLEASE JOIN US AT THE NEXT LUNCHEON AND LEARN THE ANSWERS!Mr. Bill Cain hopes that the information he will be presenting may prevent you or someone close to you from becoming a victim.

Message from the Vice PresidentJessie C. Moseley, CPPB, FCPA, FCPM, FCCM

March Guest Speaker

PAGE 3EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER

February Chapter Meeting Minutes

Date: February 12, 2008Location: Leon County Civic CenterNumber in Attendance: 90

Meeting opened by President Janice Pursley at 12:00 Noon

Invocation: Cindy Riggins, Department of Environmental Protection

Pledge: Kelly Wright, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Old Business

January minutes were approved as presented in the NIGP newsletter. Bill Spencer motioned and Carol McCallum seconded.

New Business and Presentation

New Members:

Mary Quinsey introduced three new members from the Department of Environmental Protection; Lance Dyal, Debbie Bates andLauretta McClendon. Kathy King (Citizen’s Property Insurance Corporation) introduced new member Ellen Butzer. A new memberfrom the Department of Health is Terry Paul. Two other new members are Melinda Gill from Agency for Workforce Innovation andDwayne Peterson, Florida Department of Education. Welcome all!

Guest:

Mr. Jim Ellis, Cairo, GA (formerly of DMS/State Purchasing) was a welcome guest at this month’s meeting.

Job Openings:Mark Lovell announced a career opportunity at DMS/State Purchasing for a Purchasing Specialist on the Law Enforcement/MROsourcing team.

Membership Committee (Susan Barr): In addition to the many members that paid their 2008 dues at the door, Susan announcedthat 115 members have renewed their memberships for this year. She reminded us that after February 29, 2008, the $25.00 “early-registration” fee will revert to the regular cost of $35.00. New or renewal registrations can be made online at www.TACNIGP.com.Members can pay by VISA or Master Card, or indicate “Payment by Check” and mail the application form and a check to DonTobin (TACNIGP Treasurer) at P.O. Box 922, Tallahassee, FL 32302-0922.

Susan announced upcoming membership incentives, starting with the March meeting. At that time, there will be a drawing for aguest ticket to the 2008 Christmas luncheon. Members attending all remaining 2008 (February through December) membershipmeetings will be eligible for a drawing to attend the 2009 National Forum in St. Louis.

House Committee (Mark Lovell): Mark thanked the members present for registering early on the website. Additional thanks weregiven to members that registered but realized that they would not be able to attend afterwards. They notified Mark and otherBoard members in order to remove their name from the list, avoid being listed as “no-shows” and saving the chapter $13.00 perperson from the Civic Center’s charge. There is still some confusion over “transferring” registrations from members that haveregistered to someone that did not register, but wants to attend in their place. Using the ChapterManager registration system, weprint out a list of the registered members before the registration deadline. This allows Don, Jonas and Greg to check off theregistered member, see if they’ve already paid, credit the member with NIGP recertification points and prevent long delays at thedoor. We agreed that the only way this would work is to have members register, bring along their confirmation screen print-outand cancel through Mark if they later are unable to attend. Otherwise, the member will have to pay the price we are charged bythe Civic Center ($15.00), or attend at no charge without a meal. I’ve left last month’s comments in the two paragraphs below,and we will remind members of this policy at future meetings. The cost to the chapter is steep; if we average 10 no-shows permeeting for 12 meetings, we have to pay $1,560.00 for meals that go uneaten. Similarly, we are charged extra for members thatdo not register in time and show up without a confirmation. We would have to reduce costs and benefits to our members in otherareas to make up for these unnecessary expenses. PLEASE! Register on time, and contact Mark Lovell,mark.lovell@dms.myflorida.com if you’re not able to attend after you register. Many thanks!

A suggestion was made to place a recurring (monthly) Outlook reminder to register on your calendar. There were two questionsraised; 1) Would registering for every meeting in advance help? (No, it would be easy to forget that you had registered and fail tocancel the meetings that you would not be able to attend.) 2) Could registrations be “portable” (i.e., if one person is not able toattend, could they transfer their registration to someone else in their office?) (We have done this in the past, but it can become a

PAGE 4 EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER

logistical nightmare. It is preferred that members register individually, then cancel by e-mail or phone if they are later unable toattend. Often the Civic Center is able to accommodate our updated count.)

We will monitor the website to see if there are any trends, but the primary goal is to increase our turnout and enjoy an hour of goodfood, friends and a learning experience. Each member should do their part to keep our costs down in order to avoid an increasein their lunch cost.

2008 Vendor Conference and Trade Show: Janice announced that thanks to Charles Covington, Ellen Potts, Stu Potlock and theDMS Purchasing Analysts/Contract Managers, e-mails were sent to all State Term Contract vendors notifying them of the upcomingevent. We should have an informational and registration website operating by April 1, and Tim Ellinor and the other VC/TSvolunteers are working hard to get everything in place.

WWW.TACNIGP.COM and (888) FLA-NIGP: Janice advised members to update their “favorites” URL for the Tallahassee NIGPwebsite. Some older versions list www.tally.com as the link from NIGP National, but www.tacnigp.com is where members should gofor all of their local chapter news, events and activities. The “Automated Attendant” (toll-free number; 888-353-6447) website hasbeen updated with the most recent Officer and Committee chair extensions, and the voice greeting will be changed within thenext day or two.

Vice President’s Report and Presentation: Jessie introduced our speaker, Franchatta Barber, Deputy Assistant Secretary ofInstitutions – Programs for the Department of Corrections. Fran’s presentation was energetic, and addressed “Getting to knowyou(rself)”. She made reference that we can act as a “good example or as a terrible warning”; it’s our choice.

Treasurer’s Report (Don Tobin): Current account balances and the 2008 budget are listed on the last two pages. Approval of theproposed budget was motioned by Steve Updike, seconded by Dave Callaway and passed.

Drawings:

Winners of surprise package “goodies” were: Keith Milton, Lance Dyal, Robert Threewitts, Stephen Hall, Julyn Hussey and ClarkRogers. The March “Free Lunch” winner was Kelly Wright, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Adjourn

Respectfully submitted byMark Lovell, SecretaryTACNIGP, 2008

Monthly Asset Report

February 2008

CHECKING $3,695.75MONEY MKT $96,063.56

TOTAL ASSETS $99,759.31

February Board Meeting Minutes

Date: February 19, 2008Location: Leon County Conference Room, 2284 Miccosukee Road

Members Present: Janice Pursley, President; Jessie Moseley, Vice President; Don Tobin, Treasurer; Mark Lovell, Secretary; SteveUpdike, Past President. Board Members Susan Barr, Mable Jones, Wendi Sellers, Robert Threewitts and Ed Valla. Rhonda Mixon(Vendor Conference and Trade Show consultant) was also present

Member Absent: Board Member Gloria Dixon

President Janice Pursley called the meeting to order at 3:31 PM

Minutes for the January Board meeting were approved. Don Tobin motioned and Mable Jones seconded.

PAGE 5EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER

Old Business:

Website Updates, SSL (Secure Socket Layer) and Administration: Immediate Past President Steve Updike spoke with Michael S. ofthe New Linear Group (NLG). The system is ready to go on their end, and we should have this (padlock icon) installed as early asthe end of this week. Don Tobin had a question about two invoices from NLG for this service, one for $180 (paid), and another for$200. Don thought the second invoice was for banner ads that can be sold on the webpage. Steve didn’t think so, and indicatedthat once the migration of all ChapterManager systems to the NLG server was complete, this feature would be available at noadditional cost.

Civic Center Contract, Alternative Venues and Microphone/Speaker Problems: After last week’s lunch, Mark visited several otherlocations as possible replacements for the current Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center meeting location. This was undertakendue to the price increases in 2007 and 2008, and repeated instances of being moved from the desired banquet rooms to theExhibit Hall and Arena. This was problematic at the February meeting with a varying volume level depending on your seatinglocation.

All of the alternative locations were less than desirable, and Mark recommended staying with the Civic Center. Janice distributedthe proposed contract, and the Board approved this approach (Don motioned, Steve seconded). There were two items that werediscussed, and will be addressed when Janice returns for the contract signing:

Steve mentioned that the Civic Center provided (at no charge) remote speakers when we were located in the Exhibit Hallor Arena. We would expect this to solve some of the volume problems, and be extended and written into the newcontract.

Mark noticed that the $2.00 per-plate surcharge (for the guaranteed amount plus 5%) had been increased to $3.00 per-plate. Janice will ask for this charge to remain at $2.00.

Lunch reservations, transfers, walk-ins and related issues: The current policy, articulated at the past two General MembershipMeetings was discussed. This was due to comments and concerns from members representing three agencies. They felt that notallowing transferred registrations was a hardship if unforeseen circumstances prevented the registered member from attending.Don pointed out that this created a bottleneck at the door, and previous attempts at allowing this produced more than onesubstituted member for a given registrant. Additionally, back-end, after-the-meeting adjustments must be made in order to creditthe correct member with recertification points

Janice’s position was clear; we want to ENCOURAGE members to attend, and not discourage participation. The affectedmembers were unhappy due to miscommunication; fairness and a consistent policy must be the answer. There were threecomments noted:

Ed Valla: People register to hear the speaker, not primarily for the lunch. Allowing registration transfers should be allowed.

Mable Jones: Can we station more people at the desk in order to reduce the bottleneck and address these issues as they arise?

Steve Updike: Can we split the registration list into two categories (and lines), such as A-L and M-Z?

Mark motioned to continue the policy that is currently in place, and there was additional discussion. The motion to keep thecurrent policy in place passed by a vote of 6 to 3.

Don Tobin requested that we eliminate credit card payments for lunch registrations. He mentioned problems with the policy of acredit card “no-show, no-refund” policy, in variance to the “pay at the door by check” option where no-show members are notcurrently assessed a penalty for not cancelling their registration in the required time frame. Ed Valla voiced his disagreement, andsuggested that this course would result in lower membership renewals and participation. Jessie Moseley also disagreed, and statedthat this was not a personal responsibility issue. This motion did not carry.Discussion ensued regarding free lunch winners. The question had been asked if the winner could use the free lunch other than thefollowing month of the drawing. Janice Pursley indicated that historically this is the method that our chapter has followed. SusanBarr indicated that she did not concur. Mark Lovell explained that he registers the winner’s name for the free lunch and if he is notnotified and the winner does not show up for the luncheon, the Chapter still pays for the no show. The Board voted to continuewith current policy.

New Business:

Vendor Conference and Trade Show: Rhonda addressed several issues and milestones that took place since our last meeting

All current State Term Contract vendors were contacted via e-mail from DMS/State Purchasing ContractManagers/Purchasing Analysts. Rhonda confirmed that she received call-backs from four of these vendors.

PAGE 6 EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER

Rhonda contacted all of the vendor participants from last year’s event. Responses received were positive andencouraging.

Diana Trahan is working on the online (ChapterManager) registration system, with a goal of having this operational by April1. Closer to this time, e-mail notifications will be sent out to vendors registered in MyFloridaMarketPlace.

Diana is also working on an online (protected spreadsheet) system to allow participating vendors to register for the one-on-one sessions.

Rhonda has begun the contracting process with Roger at the Civic Center. Don reminded her of the credit we are owedfrom last year’s show when the Rotary Club was allowed to use one of the conference rooms that we paid for. Since then,the chapter has not been reimbursed for this expense.

Rhonda has received two quotes from prospective decorating firms. Overnight security will be provided, but the time that the vendors can set up (on Wednesday, the evening before the

Trade Show) will depend on events on the Civic Center’s calendar on that day. Both days will feature full, hot buffet-style breakfasts for all paid participants. Breakfast hours are from 7:00 to 8:00 AM.

Since the price of the (Thursday) box lunch is about the same as the buffet, we agreed to this alternative for the paidvendors. This meal will be served between the Trade Show end time at 12:30 PM, and the start of the one-on-one sessionsat 1:15.

Still to be determined is whether chapter members will be able to register and pay for this lunch, and if Trade Showvolunteers will be given a free lunch ticket.

Janice raised a question of the cost of booth rentals this year. With a marked decrease in participation when last year’sprice was raised to $800, a suggestion was made to reduce the fee for 2008. The Board agreed to a price of $695, with a$595 charge for each additional booth rented by the same vendor.

Tim Ellinor and Janice Pursley are putting together the schedule for Vendor Conference programs. Wednesday morningwill begin with a plenary “Town Hall” meeting featuring DMS Secretary Linda South and (tentatively), CFO Alex Sink. Theafternoon will offer break out sessions, with a to-be-determined guest speaker that will present on a topic of interest. Thissame speaker will also present on another topic (the same topic at two different times; 8:00 and 10:00 AM) the nextmorning, in order to attract participants to return and enjoy the Thursday morning Trade Show. A survey will be distributedat the March (11th) General Membership Meeting to determine which topics our members would like to have included inthe program. It’s anticipated that Ethics and State Contract updates will be top vote getters, and Rhonda made a pointto indicate that participants that are not the primary speakers will still need to pay their registration fee if they intend totake advantage of the free meals and other conference sessions.

Free Seminars: Beau Grant is available, but his asking price ($2,500 plus expenses) was considered to be too expensive given ourbudgetary constraints. Steve indicated that the NIGP speaker list had many good choices, and specifically mentioned KenHayslette of Hayslette and Associates in Atlantic Beach, FL. Jessie will pursue these options, and Janice again mentioned the cost-saving alternatives of using the DEP (Carr Building) meeting room and asking volunteers to provide pot-luck breakfast andafternoon snack dishes.

Use of TACNIGP A/V equipment by FAPPO: Mark, as the A/V Committee chairperson for FAPPO requested to borrow the Chapter’sprojector and screen for use at the (April 22-25) Annual Conference and Trade Show. Jessie motioned and Steve seconded.Motion carried.

By-laws and Constitutional Committee: Steve is spearheading this effort, along with Don, Janice, Jessie and Susan. They areaddressing instances where language in the By-laws and Constitution either clash or are ambiguous. This group plans to meet afterthe March General Membership Meeting. A “clean” copy of their draft (with tracked changes enabled) will be distributed forcomments.

Chapter, Manager and Buyer of the Year: Work by members of this committee continue as the deadlines approach.

“March is Purchasing Month” Declaration: With the efforts of Janice Pursley, Governor Charlie Crist signed the letter proclaimingthat March is Purchasing Month on February 14, 2008. Efforts are also underway to obtain Tallahassee Mayor John Marks’ signatureon a similar proclamation.

Meeting Adjourned at 5:00 PM

Mark Lovell, CPPB – 2008 SecretaryTallahassee Area Chapter of NIGP

PAGE 7EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER

Upcoming Events

March 11 11:30 to 01:00 Monthly Meeting18 03:30 to 05:00 Board Meeting

April 8 11:30 to 01:00 Monthly Meeting14 Free Seminar #!15 03:30 to 05:00 Board MeetingMay 13 11:30 to 01:00 Monthly Meeting20 03:30 to 05:00 Board Meeting

June 10 11:30 to 01:00 Monthly Meeting17 03:30 to 05:00 Board Meeting

July 8 11:30 to 01:00 Monthly Meeting15 03:30 to 05:00 Board Meeting26-30 Forum

August 12 11:30 to 01:00 Monthly Meeting19 03:30 to 05:00 Board Meeting27/28 Proposed Date Florida Purchasing Conference & Trade Show

September 9 11:30 to 01:00 Monthly Meeting16 03:30 to 05:00 Board Meeting

October 14 11:30 to 01:00 Monthly Meeting21 03:30 to 05:00 Board MeetingTBD Free Seminar #2

November 11 11:30 to 01:00 Monthly Meeting18 03:30 to 05:00 Board Meeting

December 9 11:30 to 01:00 Monthly Meeting16 03:30 to 05:00 Board Meeting

Birthdays

March Birthdays1 – Fran Shewan8 – Rita Tucker10 – Evangaline Benton10 – Mable Jones11 – Jeanell Moore12 – Gwenn Godfrey12 – Kim Ross13 – Stu Potlock14 – Darlene McDonald14 – Sandra Rogers16 – Randolph Chapman21 – Patti Casey21 – Bill Spencer26 – Vonnie Allen27 – Pamela Lemay31 – Keith Milton31 – Robert Threewitts

PAGE 8 EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER

BE A PROCUREMENT STAR!

Submitted by Vonnie Allen, CPPB

In a time of tight budgets and additional public scrutiny, it is more important than ever to strive to improve procurementtechniques. One way to do that is to think of each job as a STAR. This simple acronym can help procurement professionals makefewer errors and the final product will be more polished.

Think S for “Stop”. Don’t just process paper. Stop regularly to reassess what I am doing. Are there minority vendors or other vendorsthat might give me a better price? If I’m using a State Term Contract, is it still in effect? Is that vendor still on the contract and is theprice I remember correct. Things change all the time. Be prepared to remain current in the changing environment. Don’t pushpaperwork through thinking that because this has worked the last 10 times, it should still be valid today.

Think T for “Think”. Think each purchase and each process through. Could I improve my process? Could I make this process into apage in a desk manual which would tell others how I process this, so there is continuity if I were out for some reason? Periodically,re-read the Florida Statutes, the Rules and my Department’s policy manual. Again, things can change and if I am unaware that Ihave missed something or done something incorrectly then I will continue making the same errors over and over.

Think A for “Act”. When I know that I’m following good procurement rules and procedures; buying the right item, at the right time,from the right vendor(s), in the right manner, at the right price; then I proceed to complete the process or the procurement.

Think R for “Review”. Yes, even though I have done something a million times, I can still make an error. Have you never made amistake in typing and ended up with either a wrong part number or address? Mistakes happen if work is being performed.However, it is much easier to correct mistakes if they are caught early. Also, use the review to think outside the box. Could I docross training on this? Could I condense the process so it is quicker? Could I act in advance to gain pricing for multiple purchasesof similar items so I don’t have to get pricing piecemeal? One of the easiest areas to review, but most frequently missed is to checkon how much is being spent for a particular item or service over a year. If it is more than Threshold 2, then a formal solicitationshould be done to prevent a violation of the Statutes.

It doesn’t take long to perform the functions of a STAR once it becomes part of the process. However, the benefit from makingeach thing that is done look professional and be correct pays off in big ways. It gains not only me but the other staff membersrespect. It proclaims me as a leader and a person that takes pride in my work. Be a Procurement STAR and shine!

PAGE 9EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER

MY FAVORITE ANECDOTE IS AS FOLLOWS:

Submitted by: Janet Garrison, CPPO

We all know that service contracts are especially tough - on the purchasing people to implement and on the vendor to do theservice correctly. Many years ago, I had an especially difficult department that was demanding janitorial services that were "overthe top" of what they had asked for. One day I received in the mail the following:

"TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN. THE VACUUM CLEANING HAS BROKEN. ALL Y'ALL FEEL LIKE I'M NOT DOING A GOOD JOB. Y'ALL DO ITY'ALL SELF.

THANK YOU,CALLIE"

I have it framed in my office as a reminder of the strength of the human spirit regardless of the odds.

FIVE TIPS EVERY BUYER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT EXPEDITING

Submitted by Kim Bowling, CPPB

In a perfect world no expediting would be needed but in reality there are various errors that cause shortages including: poorinventory records, quality problems, inaccurate specifications, supplier capacity problems, poor forecasting, and lost orders.Regardless of the organizational structure for expediting within your company, the buyer must be aware of the basics ofexpediting. The following are five tips regarding expediting that every buyer should know.

1. It's not always the supplier fault. We have all encountered suppliers who don't deliver on time, but many times the problemis not the suppliers. As Pogo said: "We have met the enemy and the enemy is us." Some common internal problems thatcan cause the need for expediting are:

o Poor inventory recordso Poor forecastingo Frequent schedule change

When expediting, make sure you know who caused the problem. An overly aggressive, harsh approach, when thesupplier was not at fault, can make the situation worse

2. Hold regular follow-up meetings. Even though, the buyer isn't doing the day-to-day expediting, he must advised of thepoor supplier delivery performance. Having the buyer attend weekly shortage meetings is a good method to keepadvised of supplier problems.

3. Be aware of the expediting basics. The buyer will often be responsible for training the expediters. These are the threebasics of expediting every expediter should know:

A. Be persistent — The best expediter is the one who bugs the heck out of the supplier. The best axiom for expeditersis still: "The squeaky wheel, gets the grease". A good expediter gets all the details and is continually askingquestions such as: Can you work overtime? How many can you make in an hour? What operation are the partsat? How many operations are left to complete? How many pieces will be done by two this afternoon? How manycan you ship now? What is the bill of lading number of the shipment that just went out? How can we help? Agood expediter will stay on the line until an acceptable answer is received. A persistent expediter calls each hourto find out how many parts have been completed.

PAGE 10 EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER

B. Go up the chain of command — The good expediter will go up the supplier's chain of command until he gets anacceptable answer. If the inside sales contact or the normal contact can't get an acceptable answer, contacthis boss. Its amazing the miracles the president of the company can produce. You are the customer. Train yourexpediter to go up the supplier's chain of command to get your parts shipped.

C. Look for other options — This is the area of expediting that requires the most experience and creativity. The goodexpediter must look for other options to relieve the shortage problem. Is there an alternative part that can besubstituted? Can another supplier produce the part quicker? Are parts available from a distributor, dealer,another customer or from another division of the company? The buyer should be involved in this stage to look forother options to fulfill the requirement.

1. If you don't measure it, you can't improve it. It is important to measure how your suppliers are doing, especially in regardsto on-time delivery. There are many ways that delivery can be measured and these are some of the measurementdecisions to be considered:

o Manual or mechanical tracking. This will depend on the number of transactions you process and your systemscapabilities.

o What window to use. You need to decide what in what delivery window is acceptable.o Short lead-time orders — Will short lead-time orders count in your delivery measurement?o Ship date or receipt date — If you control the transportation, the best measure of supplier performance may be

the suppliers ship date.o Calculation method — There are many ways to calculate supplier delivery performance: pieces, dollars, orders,

past due orders or number of shortages.

1. Look beyond the fire fighting. Its the buyer's responsibility to look beyond the day-to-day fire fighting and makeimprovements to the process so the expediting will not be required next time. Look at the root causes of the shortage. Ifthe root cause is an internal company problem, a process improvement team should be formed to make changes.

if the root cause of the error is the suppliers, the buyer should require a corrective action plan from the supplier. If the supplierdoesn't improve then the buyer should investigate other alternatives.

Expediting is needed when there is an error in the process, either internally or externally. The ideal situation is to fix the process soday-to-day expediting is no longer required.

Conclusion — Expediting doesn't always report to purchasing and companies handle the responsibility differently. Regardless ofwhere the expediting function reports remember these tips that every buyer should know:

Review how expediting is positioned in your company.

Determine if expediting is a core competency that should be performed in house.

It's not always the supplier's fault.

Have the buyer attend regular shortage meeting.

Teach the expediters to be persistent.

Go up the supplier's chain of command.

Search for other options to cover the shortage.

Define and measure supplier delivery performance.

Look beyond the fire fighting and improve the process to eliminate the need for expediting

Taken from:

Purchasing and Expediting — the True Facts

Author(s):

Mark S. Miller C.P.M., C.I.R.M.Mark S. Miller C.P.M., C.I.R.M. Senior Director Purchasing, CNH, 700 State Street, Racine, WI 53404, 262-636-6565,Mark.miller@cnh.com

Thomas M. Graddy, C.P.M., C.I.R.MThomas M. Graddy, C.P.M., C.I.R.M, Manager, Supply Chain Management, CNH, 700 State Street, Racine, WI 53404, 262-636-7975,Tom.graddy@cnh.com

Institute for Supply Management

PAGE 11EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER

A GREAT OPPORTUNITY – APRIL 14, 2008 – FREE SEMINAR!!!!

Submitted by Vonnie Allen, CPPB

Please note on your calendar an opportunity to gain special knowledge, and gain NIGP certification credit, presented by yourlocal Tallahassee Chapter of NIGP! On Monday, April 14th, we will have Mr. David Alba as the speaker. This will be held at theDept. of Environmental Protection, 3800 Commonwealth Blvd (Carr Building, Room 170) to give two half-day workshops.

Starting at 8:00 a.m. and ending at 12:00 is “Skills for the Supervisor/Manager”. There are very few opportunities for individuals whowant to move into supervisor positions, or who currently holding those positions as beginning supervisors, to get training on how tohandle difficult situations. Even experienced supervisors may have needs to “brush-up” on their skills. Please plan to take thisopportunity to learn things you really need to know when it comes to taking on the position of supervisor.

The City of Tallahassee voted “Creating Multigenerational Harmony” as their “most popular workshop”. This workshop starts at 1:00p.m. and ends at 5:00 p.m. We are currently faced with a situation that has never happened before in history. Our workforce ismade up with four generations of workers. You may have great-grandmothers, grandfathers, mothers and sons all working in thesame office. Finding a way to understand the differences in perspective and expectations will help to build bridges between thegenerations. It is hard for me to understand that most of the young people in my office have never seen a typewriter and certainlynever had to type to the end of a line and hit a carriage return to get to type another line.

What a great opportunity! And it is free to the first 100 members that sign up on line. The Chapter is supplying the speaker, theroom, lunch drinks and paper products at no cost to our members. Lunch on your own.

Please make plans to attend and register right away.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – APRIL 14, 2008 – FREE SEMINAR!!!!

The Chapter is asking volunteers to bring finger foods such as cookies, brownies, danishes, cakes, etc. This will provide snacks forthe morning and afternoon breaks (lunch is on your own – you may bring a bagged lunch or go out). The Chapter will providedrinks.

Please contact Mary Quinsey at 850-245-2358 or email mary.quinsey@dep.state.fl.us for more information.

PAGE 12 EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER

David Alba is co-founder of VBA Consulting Group, Inc. He is a skilled presenter in corporate training and has worked on highlysuccessful Organizational Development and Training projects with multiple clients in the public and private sector. Clients includeDell, Disney University, Nike, Hewlett-Packard, the City of Coral Springs, the City of Tallahassee, the United States Probation Officeand Texas Instruments. He has trained throughout the United States and in Singapore, Hong Kong, England, Ireland, Slovakia,Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico.

Topic Descriptions

Skills for the Supervisor/ManagerIn this workshop participants will learn to:

Make the mental shift from Individual Contributor to Supervisor/Manager Implement the 3 Phase Transition Model useful when being promoted or taking over a new role

o Phase I includes: Performance metrics Performance evaluations First 90-day activities

o Phase II includes: Managing work Managing others Managing self

o Phase III includes: Establishing productive norms Creating a sense of urgency for key priorities

Creating Multigenerational Harmony in the WorkplaceIn this workshop participants will learn:

To which of the four generations in the workplace they belong Thought and behavior influencers Archetypes Factors that helped to “shape” each generation Characteristics of each generation Contributions of each generation to the workplace Strategies for communicating with each generation Tips for motivating each generation

VBA Consulting Group1348 Bayview Dr.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33304PHONE: (407) 414-5264

WEB: www.vbainc.comE-MAIL: david@vbainc.com

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PAGE 13EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER

2008 TACNIGP PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Education & Pro-D Event Forecast Scheduled Completed Commentsthly General Membership Meeting 12 12 2

ter Subsidized Seimars 2 1 April 14, 2008

Advanced Leap Seminars 1

m Seminars 1

Conference Events(Revenue Generating)

Forecast Scheduled Completed Comments

rnment Contract Certificationse

or Conference 1 1 August 28, 2008

rse Trade Show

asing Conference 1 1 August 27-28, 2008

Show 1 1 August 28, 2008

Sponsorships/Donations(Revenue Generating)

Forecast Scheduled Completed Comments

or Conference

rse Trade Show

asing Conference

Show

ation & Pro-D Seminars

larships

r

Memberships Forecast Scheduled Completed CommentsActive Members 157 127

ssional Memberships (Active)

wals

Members

iate Memberships (Active)

nt Memberships (Active)

cy Sponsor Members (Active)

Recognition/Awards Forecast Scheduled Completed Commentsasing Month Declaration-City 1 1

asing Month Declaration-County

asing Month Declaration-State 1 1 1 February 14, 2008

ter of the Year Application 1 1

ager of the Year Award 1 1

r of the Year Award 1 1

PAGE 14 EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER

Recognition/AwardsFinancial ForecForcastast Scheduled Completed Comments2008 Initial Operating Budget

Quarterly Budget Review/Adjustment

Corporation Annual Report

Annual NIGP Reports

2007 Taxes

Audit/Management Forecast Scheduled Completed Comments

Communication/PromotionProducts

Forecast Scheduled Completed Comments

Monthly Newsletter 12 12 3

Vendor Conference (IncludingWebsite)

Purchasing Conference (IncludingWebsite)

Trade Show (Including Website)

Sponsorship (Including Website)

Membership

Member Incentives

Don’t forget it is now time to Register for 2008 Membership! Please go to the TACNIGPwebsite to get the registration form. You may either mail the form along with payment or POor bring to the next luncheon!!