More often than not, if an issue
arises during a sourcing process, miscommunication or a lack of any communication
for that matter is the root cause. Suppliers
invited to an RFP will likely not participate if the conversation does not begin
with a phone call. Overall, internal and
external communication checkpoints need to occur during a sourcing initiative in
order for the process to generate positive results. And these days, the various modes of communication
allow for these checkpoints to happen easily.
Written communication can consist
of a letter, but most of the time is in the form of an e-mail or text. Verbal communication can be a face-to-face discussion,
a WebEx conversation, or a phone call. Other
channels exist as well and regardless of the method used, communication is critical
when working with others to reach a certain objective.
Internal discussions that take
place among a project team conducting a sourcing process should clearly outline
each team member’s roles and responsibilities and establish a primary contact
that will communicate directly with suppliers during an entire sourcing
engagement. In the event that this
contact will be unavailable at times, other team members’ contact information
should also be shared with suppliers.
Depending on the sourcing process timeline, frequent internal
checkpoints should take place to ensure that the process as a whole is on track.
Any challenges that the primary contact is facing while working with
suppliers should be relayed during these status meetings and the internal team
should collaborate to determine how to address each one. Also, depending on the scope of the
project, the amount of suppliers involved, and the timeline, the project team
may need to ramp up and ramp down. If
this is the case, each team member must fully understand their roles and responsibilities
and what is expected of each throughout the process. And overall, delegation of tasks should be
clearly outlined as well. The breakdown of
internal communications is commonly known, but in some cases, is overlooked
when assumptions are made and certain team members are also assigned other
projects.
In terms of external
communication that takes place during a sourcing process, there are certain
milestones in which a phone conversation with a supplier is more appropriate than an e-mail. As mentioned earlier, the initial conversation
with a supplier should always take place over the phone and most communication
that follows should entail additional phone conversations. Aside from the initial conversation to
introduce a sourcing opportunity, project updates, negotiations, and feedback
discussions/award notification calls are a few examples of where a phone call should be
arranged with a supplier.
I usually make the statement that
there is no such thing as over communicating.
However, Fred Zimmerman, a contributor to the StarTribune, has some interesting
thoughts he shared earlier today on some instances where there may be such
a thing as “too much communication.” Zimmerman
states that “companies do need some communication, of course. But successful
and unsuccessful companies handle communications differently. The formula isn’t
magic. Successful companies insert more work between meetings.” Along similar lines, there also may be too
many people involved in the conversation.
Therefore, it is important to determine at the beginning of an
initiative who should weigh in with approval and when. Checkpoints may not be needed as often as
some may think and more work can get done before touching base again.
Zimmerman continues to expand on his
insights stating that “after a while, large fractions of an organization’s
employees spend nearly all of their time communicating with one another. Little
actual work gets done. This is why
companies, governments, universities and other organizations flounder and often
ultimately fail — too many people are communicating.” The involvement of “dignitaries” in each team
meeting may also slow up the process; therefore, make sure the team members
make sense and represent all the different angles that need to be considered
when carrying out a particular project.
Certain individuals may need to stay informed but they may not need to
be included in each project discussion.
Zimmerman then closes with the following
statement that rings true when it comes to internal and external communication:
“The major goal is to systematically accomplish work between meetings.
Otherwise there is nothing to talk about.
Gauge the time lapse since your last conversation with a supplier. Maintain a tracking sheet that details the
last touchpoint with a particular supplier.
E-mail threads help with this as well.
Recurring meetings on the calendar are crucial for internal team meetings; however, make sure the frequency makes sense.
Check out some additional thoughts shared by Zimmerman, he goes on to walk through five (5) reasons that may lead to too much communication tied to too little results.
Post A Comment:
0 comments so far,add yours