"We chose Iasta SmartSource after a lengthy selection process. The internal evaluation team was immediately impressed with the flexibility of the solution, the simplicity of the wizard set up, the ease of navigation and the deep level of functionality. All of these factors combined to place SmartSource as a clear leader in the market and the best solution for our team."
Iasta's Structured Rollout Plan for eSourcing Initiatives (Complete Article)
Congratulations! Your company just completed a rigorous selection process for an eSourcing provider.
Now it's simply a matter of "flipping the switch." The promised cost savings are sure to follow, right?
Well, maybe. For many organizations, the eSourcing initiative starts out with a flurry of excitement
as the first few projects deliver the promised cost savings. But after 6, 9 or 12 months the
initiative starts losing steam. The big win projects have been completed and fewer and fewer new
projects are being initiated due to stakeholder reluctance. Many stakeholders are infected by the
"Yeah, but" syndrome. Afraid to lose control of a category or a favored supplier, stakeholders
respond with, "Yeah, it work well for X category, but it won't work from mine because..." Pretty soon
it's back to business as usual as the Sourcing Team gets pulled back into old habits and the
eSourcing momentum slowly stops.
This article discusses how a company can approach a new eSourcing initiative to ensure that
it creates a foundation for ongoing success. Though best applied at the beginning stage, this
strategy can also be applied mid-stream to "Jump Start" an existing eSourcing initiative.
The Structured eSourcing Rollout discusses how a company can organize the rollout strategy
based on the following elements.
Establish a Steering Team
Conduct the Rollout strategy planning meeting
Establish a metrics-based scorecard (key performance metrics - KPMs)
Establish a milestone-based roadmap
Develop a prioritized sourcing project pipeline
Kickoff the eSourcing initiative
Monitor progress
Communicate and evangelize across the entire organization
