Deep Sea Cowboy Weblog

Purchasing and vendors gifts

crazyduck01 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:26:28 +0000

Every year about this time I always sit down with HR, senior management and make sure we have the correct guidelines for accepting gifts from our vendors.
I have found that being proactive in this matter and reminding staff of corporate procedures is better received early than after gifts have been received.
When vendors ask about gifts for the holidays I thank them for the opportunity to work together and that is the best gift we could have. While I discourage vendors from providing gifts there are always some that will provide gifts.

In the past I have used the following guidelines and it has worked out very well.
1. All gifts must be disclosed and released to management. This is best done in an email to your direct superior and including HR.
2. Attach the email to the gift and provide it to the designated group.
3. The senior member of staff provides a personal note or email to the supplier/vendor thanking them for the gift.
4. If the gift is food then HR places the gift in the cafeteria for all the employees to enjoy.
5. If it is a sporting event than the tickets are placed into a lottery and anyone interested emails their name to the department that is doing the drawing. The drawing can be done at the office or at the company dinner if time allows. This policy of a drawing or lottery works well with large or expensive items.
6. Any gift that provides an appearance of impropriety or an exclusive benefit to a vendor must be returned. Such sensitive areas are companies that are involved in bidding for contracts, Request For Quotes or government related projects. The best example of this is seasonal tickets, expensive golfing gifts and laptops.
Have a great holiday….
Andrew

Purchasing Blog

crazyduck01 — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:36:51 +0000

The purpose of this purchasing blog is to discuss current events in purchasing and how to strategize how we can provide the best returns for our segments of business.

Currently, businesses are under a lot of stress in this weakened marketplace. The current rate of gold is through the roof, fluctuating fuel costs are all over the map, and with little available credit to most businesses we have a serious situation.

To start off this blog please consider reviewing the following items-
•    Please be careful to review all terms of payment as some businesses are now at 120 days
•    Inventory that might have been sitting on the shelves is now thinning if you have    active production please inquire to remaining stock
•    Lead times on products are lengthening with reduced materials and staff
•    Keep multiple vendors or alternates for critical goods
•    Do not let contracts terminate without negotiating new terms as vendors are rising prices and changing terms
•    If you have legally bidding forecasting (or Purchase Orders) please update them now… to stop any billing in the first quarter for not meeting your quota.
Do not do this again in 2010, I can show you how work around this!

•    Look for potential production areas and machining slack in manufacturing. If you have active production you should be able to renegotiate terms.
•    If possible stage more product at your supplier and accept the material on a as needed basics
•    This is the time of year to remove excess inventory or allocate inventory to jobs to reduce the possible tax burden by having excess inventory

In closing meet with your suppliers and especially your strategic suppliers so you can plan and stop possible shortages. This may in return require changing your safety stock levels to reflect current delivery and terms.

2010 will be a promising year… as it is the year of the Tiger

The Tiger is said to be lucky vivid, lively and engaging. Another attribute of the Tiger is his incredible bravery, evidenced in his willingness to engage in battle or his undying courage.

USS Monitor Expedition 2008

crazyduck01 — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 04:54:58 +0000

Recently covered on their website TDL (Technical Diving Limited) visited the site of the USS Monitor. This for myself is perhaps one of the great compelling reasons to take Trimix and to continue with my Technical dive training. Imagine the ability to dive to over two hundred feet and to see the watery grave of men that served on the USS Monitor. Not so long ago the US Navy salvage team removed the turret, shaft and propeller for preservation. The Monitor was not lost in battle but while transporting her to another location. A storm arose the lines broke and she sank to the bottom.

The group that does these civilian permitted expeditions are very talented divers. They are diving to depths of 200ft, with multiple tanks, staged decompression tanks, and complete surface support.

Also divers have been moving towards rebreathers and they are also present on the expedition. These units provide other challenges but when used properly provide excellent options for these divers.

Credit given to all images and links to Joel Silverstein and Captain Kathy Weydig as permit holders.

Website- http://www.divethemonitor.com/index.htm

Blog Purpose

crazyduck01 — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:50:24 +0000

Well, after much thought this is going to be a site where I can develop ideas, layout design and muse about things that roll around my head.

Current plans have this Blog broken into about five sections- Scuba, Rebreathers, energy design R&D, economics and international relations. International relations will be specifically aimed at spheres of influence and armed conflict. We shall see where it grows from there.