GSA: Contractor drops the dime on competitors.

Buy Lines: Contractor drops the dime on competitors
By Steve Charles

An opportunity for yet another cottage industry has emerged in the federal ecosystem. It's called blowing the whistle on competitors with noncompliant contracts, and it pays well.
In the past six months, three major office-supply contractors — OfficeMax Inc., Office Depot Inc. and Staples Inc. — paid $22 million to the Treasury Department. The government then paid two executives of Safina Office Products Inc. of Houston $3.2 million as their reward for helping auditors and investigators build a case against the three under the False Claims Act. More such cases appear to be in the works.

As for the alleged false claims in these settlements, it turns out that selling the federal government items made in countries that have not signed a reciprocal trade agreement with the United States is prohibited under the Trade Agreements Act.

In these cases, the contractors allegedly violated their General Services Administration schedule contracts by selling the items. The Justice Department determined that each order involving noncompliant products is a false claim.

The False Claims Act empowers the Justice Department to charge treble damages plus punitive fines of $5,500 to $11,000 per incident. In these cases, the government calculated treble damages as three times the amount paid for the offensive items. Under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, the whistleblower can be awarded up to 25 percent of the settlement.

To its credit, GSA has embarked on an immediate campaign to rid its schedule contracts of offending items. Items not made in countries compliant with the trade act are being removed from schedule contracts and from GSA Advantage.

Negotiators in the U.S. Trade Representative's office must be smiling. In their view, this gives them leverage to negotiate more favorable free-trade agreements with countries such as China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand.

But what is really happening in the global supply chain? I suspect there's a lot of leakage.
Manufacturer part numbers are unique to an item regardless of its point of manufacture. Many companies move manufacturing along a network of plants juggling a complex set of global economic and operational variables. Their distribution networks aren't tasked with routing products from a certain plant to a particular customer. These goods flow into global distribution networks, and low price wins.

The obvious solution is to create unique federal part numbers and implement the systems necessary to maintain a separate channel to the federal government. The problem with this is that it creates government-unique products and systems, all of which turn a commercial item into a government-unique or developmental item. This triggers a cascading list of procurement requirements that Congress decided in the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 were too costly to be applied to commercial items.

A proposed rule to exempt commercial items from the Trade Agreement Act prohibition has been in the rulemaking process for two years now.

But since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, politics have swung toward protectionism, and we now have both the protectionists and the free traders opposing the commercial-item exemption.
Nor have agency executives been helpful. They report being able to buy whatever they need. True, there's always a supplier ready to offer anything in demand, including those slick, handheld phones and personal digital assistants made in China and Malaysia.

Thus, for those items now inextricably bound into the fabric of the global economy, the parties at risk when selling to the federal government are the suppliers. Seller beware.

Steve Charles is cofounder of immixGroup Inc., a government business-consulting firm in McLean, Va. Send him your comments at Steve_Charles@immixgroup.com.

Ariba: Now On Demand.

New pricing, packaging and on-demand delivery make spend management faster, easier, and more affordable to companies of all sizes.

Ariba is going after smaller buyers, offering an "on demand" version of it's software, greatly lowering the investment costs for using Ariba.

Lower software costs may mean more Ariba Buyers, which is good news for suppliers.

Ariba PunchOut: 20 Questions to Ask (Part 4/4)

Need an Ariba PunchOut Website, but Don’t Know What to Look For?
20 Important questions to ask an eCommerce software company before buying (Part 4/4)


Q16) How much are the ongoing monthly fees?
Understandably, there will be operating costs for the software vendor. A monthly fee of a couple hundred dollars is expected to go towards server hosting fees, maintenance, and technical support. Personally, I'd feel better knowing that the software company I choose has a viable business model with continued cash flow (regardless of order volume) that increases the chance of them continuing to be around years from now. You won't benefit from them going out of business. But ask what these fees go towards.

Q17) Will I get future enhancements?
If you do pay them money every month, then ideally, you should get future enhancements at no additional cost. And I'm not just talking about bug fixes (this is expected)… actual new features. Ask for specific examples of what are some of the latest features that their clients have benefited from and what other enhancements they are working on.

Q18) Can I have a list of references?
Sales talk is cheap… but references are earned. Ask for a list of existing customers that have purchased the system as well as end users (other Ariba Buyers) that are actually using the site. When you speak with them, make sure to ask if the project was completed on-time and within budget, and if they used any consultants to help them succeed.

Q19) Who else can help us?
Unless you've done Ariba PunchOuts before, you're going to need all the help you can get. Purchasing Ariba PunchOut compliant software is important, but partnering with experienced project managers and consultants who have a proven success record with managing PunchOut projects is vital. Ask the software company if they can recommend a consulting firm that is experienced both in Ariba and in their solution.

Q20) Should I try to PunchOut enable my existing website or just buy a new turn-key solution?
Modifying your existing website in an attempt to make it work with Ariba is a very difficult and ultimately more expensive effort with no way of knowing if you'll even succeed. Purchasing proven PunchOut capable software combined with partnering with experienced Ariba project managers and consultants is the only way to guarantee a successful integration with your Ariba Buyer.

Ariba PunchOut: 20 Questions to Ask (Part 3/4)

Need an Ariba PunchOut Website, but Don’t Know What to Look For?
20 Important questions to ask an eCommerce software company before buying (Part 3/4)

Q11) What if my customer wants Advanced Ship Notices (ASNs)?
While an automatic email confirmation is great, it doesn't tell the customer WHEN they can expect delivery of what they ordered. Some buyers may ask for an additional, more detailed email, stating when you will deliver the order and if there are any back orders pending. Again, ask to see a copy of the ASN.

Q12) Can I use it to manage all my online orders?
Hopefully you'll eventually start receiving hundreds and even thousands of orders a month from your new customer. As the orders start to increase, you'll want a central place where you can manage these orders. A web-based interface that allows you to search for a specific order, generate reports, and easily create Advanced Ship Notices. Ask to see this admin interface.

Q13) Can I manage the site by myself?
The site should provide access to an administration side where you can make changes to your catalog items and pricing schedules easily. This is another advantage of going PunchOut over using CIF or cXML catalogs - you can do updates on the fly without having to ask your customer to upload the new catalog. This is especially important for vendors that update their prices relatively frequently (maybe once a month or more). Have them show you what's involved in making a change.

Q14) Can I download the orders into my system?
If you expect a large number of product orders and have a capable order fulfillment system, you may want to integrate the website with your computer system at some point in the future. By being able to download orders periodically as CSV or EDI 850 formatted files, you can possibly have the web orders imported directly into your system to prevent re-keying. Even if you don't need it now, it's good to know that capability is there if you do need it.

Q15) Are there transaction fees?
Most B2B eCommerce vendors have transaction fees nowadays, but they should be no more than $1 or 1% per order. The advantage of this kind of pricing structure is that your software vendor will have a vested interest in your ongoing success. If your site is down… they make less money. If they add a new feature that increases sales… you BOTH make more money. This type of arrangement gives way to a win-win relationship in the long run.

GSA/ARIBA: Virginia Procurement Operations Rated Best in Nation.

The State of Virginia is an Ariba Buyer and is connected to GSA Advantage - interesting.

Gov. Mark R. Warner announced that Virginia received the highest score among states in the nation for its procurement operations from the National Purchasing Institute and on behalf of six other major procurement professional organizations. Virginia was one of only five states recognized for excellence in procurement practices and took home top honors.

The Achievement of Excellence in Procurement award for 2005 was presented to the Virginia Department of General Services (DGS), Division of Purchases and Supply (DPS), for its demonstration of excellence in procurement operations by achieving excellence in innovation, professionalism, productivity, e-procurement and leadership attributes.

"This award recognizes the leadership Virginia has shown when it comes to applying business-proven practices to improving the operation of state government," said Warner. "I'm proud to see the commonwealth honored for the way it carefully spends $5 billion in taxpayer funds for goods and services each year."

"The commonwealth has achieved significant efficiencies and cost reductions through the procurement reforms undertaken during Governor Warner's administration," said Virginia Secretary of Administration Sandra Bowen. "The results and the awards are a tribute to state agency heads, managers and employees who have responded to the governor's leadership and high standards."

Procurement reforms include the following actions:

The commonwealth's Internet electronic procurement tool, eVA has received multiple national awards and is widely recognized as the most sophisticated, successful electronic buying system among the states. As of October 2005, 171 state agencies and institutions in Virginia and 492 local governments had placed over 785,700 orders through eVA for a total spend of $7.4 billion.

Purchasing data collected by eVA allows government to leverage its vast purchasing power in the marketplace to reduce costs. eVA also reduces the time required to process purchasing orders, bringing it nearer to that found in the best-run private businesses. Hundreds of government agencies and institutions now make purchases and transactions through eVA, including the purchase of items such as fuel, vehicles, maintenance services and office supplies.

With more than 9,000 registered users, this e-procurement program stimulates competition among the more than 29,000 private vendors registered. eVA has been expanded to provide access to local governments and school systems. Overall, eVA has effectively provided the commonwealth with cost reductions of $69 million in 2005 alone.

The Virginia Partners in Procurement (VaPP) initiative launched in 2002 resulted in the creation of a model spend management program in Virginia. Rather than each agency and institution purchasing independently, this program leverages the commonwealth's combined agency and higher education annual spend for goods and services by negotiating new contracts in areas where purchasing overlaps. The new contracts awarded in the VaPP program are generating annual savings of $30 million. These contracts are also available to local governments.

Virginia is the first and only state to achieve a state-federal partnership for electronic purchasing by linking its electronic procurement system, eVA, with the federal General Services Administration's (GSA) electronic procurement system, GSA Advantage. This partnership enables Virginia state and local governments to access GSA's Federal Supply Schedule for technology products and services.

The Virginia Distribution Center is another leveraged buying and distribution operation, generating savings by supplying over 1,200 government agencies and public institutions throughout Virginia with bulk food and housekeeping products. With over 950 items available, this operation provides a savings of 39 percent on average for bulk food and 51 percent savings for housekeeping supplies. Contract leveraging allows these items to be sold for less than market price, generating annual savings of over $10 million.

"Virginia's procurement officers are constantly exploring more efficient and innovative ways to purchase goods and services for the state," said James T. Roberts, director of the Department of General Services. "New approaches to contracts and modern technology have enabled the state to save time and money."

The other states honored were Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Michigan.

Ariba PunchOut: 20 Questions to Ask (Part 2/4)

Need an Ariba PunchOut Website, but Don’t Know What to Look For?
20 Important questions to ask an eCommerce software company before buying (Part 2/4)

Q6) How much would it cost to add additional Ariba buyers?
Ariba is currently being used by more than 40 of the Fortune 100, so I hope you've envisioned doing business with at least one other of these large buyers. It's important to know how difficult it would be to do the same with another Ariba customer and how much it would cost. Whether you can utilize the same site, catalog, and pricing schedule or if you have to pay for a whole other solution.

Q7) Can each user have their own shopping list?
Due to the complexity of PunchOut, most PunchOut sites treat each user as the same person, however, good PunchOut systems allow for personalized shopping lists for easy reordering. This gives each user their own private list of favorite items which increases customer satisfaction and will keep them coming back to order more.

Q8) Is the site secure?
128 bit SSL encryption is a must! And ask if they proactively monitor the certificate expiration dates to make sure they renew the certificates BEFORE they expire, as this will break the PunchOut process and prevent your customers from accessing your site. You can even ask them to tell you the expiration date, so you can remind them yourself!

Q9) Is the server professionally hosted?
Ask where the servers are being hosted and make sure it's with a proven company such as Interland. This will ensure your site has redundant internet connections, fire suppression, security, and backup power sources. You can then tell your customer with confidence that their site will be up whenever they need it.

Q10) Will my customer receive an email notification?
Surprisingly, not all Ariba PunchOut solutions can generate an email that goes back to the actual order taker after the order has been placed. This is due to the complexity of the Ariba PunchOut order flow. Your customer will greatly appreciate (and probably expect) an email once his purchase requisition has been approved and the purchase order sent to you for fulfillment. Ask to see a copy of the confirmation email.

Ariba PunchOut: 20 Questions to Ask (Part 1/4)

Need an Ariba PunchOut Website, but Don’t Know What to Look For?
20 Important questions to ask an eCommerce software company before buying (Part 1/4)


Q1) Are you Ariba PunchOut compliant?
While most software companies have programmers that may be familiar with the XML language, and may be quick to say "Sure, we can do that." The truth is very, very few software companies have successfully built true Ariba cXML PunchOut capable solutions. Ask whether they have a working, turn-key Ariba PunchOut website and whether they have successfully integrated their system with other Ariba Buyers, or whether this will be their first attempt (and stay away from the latter).

Q2) Is the interface simple?
The Fortune 100 are very conscious of the cost of the purchasing process. The purpose of them spending millions of dollars on Ariba is to lower the cost of buying things. They want their employees to get in, buy, and get out. They don't care (and don’t even want) flashy frills that take away from this primary goal. True business-to-business (B2B) storefronts have a simple, clean interface where every pixel's sole purpose is to find what they need and leave. Contrary to the desire of the average casual online shopper (B2C), you don't want your Ariba PunchOut site to look like Amazon.

Q3) Can my website be customized to my company's and/or my customer's branding?
One of the advantages of going PunchOut is the ability to have more control over what the customer sees when they go to buy from you. You need to be able to have the site customized to look like they have entered YOUR site. Logos, color scheme, fonts, page banners, landing area, about us and contact us pages all need to be customizable, even if it's with help from a consultant.

Q4) Can I actually see it in action?
Ask for a live demonstration and be very skeptical if they don't agree to show you one. If they give you screenshots or a PowerPoint presentation, demand a live WebEx session or a real demo site to play with. When you do see the site, start imagining your company's logo, colors, and information as well as your products and services in the catalog to see if it's a fit for you.

Q5) Can I use the same system for all my other customers?
For most vendors, the priority is satisfying their immediate need to go PunchOut with one of their largest customers as soon as possible. However, if you're going to invest thousands of dollars in an eCommerce solution, you'll want the ability to use it with all of your other customers as well. Ask if this is possible or if it can only be used with just this one customer.

GSA: Business Manager and Purchasing Agent for the World’s LARGEST customer.

Found this on the GSA Expo site and thought it was a good description of what the GSA is:


"GSA is the business manager and purchasing agent for the world’s largest customer, the U.S. Government.

Although GSA is a government agency, it operates in many ways like an entrepreneurial, commercial enterprise.

GSA purchases goods and services on a worldwide basis for federal civilian agencies, the military, the federal courts, and the U.S. Congress.

With over 16,000 contracts covering everything from office supplies to state-of-the-art technical and electronic equipment and professional services, GSA can meet the needs and wants of nearly all of our federal customers.

We provide billions of dollars worth of supplies and services each year with savings going to both our customers as well as to the taxpayers."

http://www.expo.gsa.gov/exhibitors.cfm

GSA: Army Corp of Engineers.

I attended the MEDWeek 2005 expo in Miami this year and spoke with Randy Edney, the assistant deputy for small business for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

He said they use GSA Advantage for their purchasing and everytime I walked by their booth I kept hearing him ask suppliers "are you on GSA Advantage yet?"

So, make sure to get on GSA! :)

GSA: Hurricane Katrinia Support.

This email was just sent out to all GSA vendors:

As a GSA vendor you support the Federal buyer on a day to day basis. As many Federal agencies have been called upon to assist with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, we will be relying upon you to provide many of the necessary, and often life sustaining, products and services. As buyers look to GSA websites for information, we want to ensure that relevant information is easy to find. Here are some recommendations on how you can help us accomplish this:

- If you have provided a website link from GSA Advantage! and eLibrary, consider updating the information on your company website to highlight 1) items needed for the relief effort 2) pricing discounts available 3) company points of contact during business hours and after hours and 4) timeframes to delivery products and services to affected areas. Delivery time may be critical on many purchases. Many buyers may be trying to contact vendors outside of normal business hours.

- Buyers will be looking for opportunities to maximize available funding. If you are offering additional discounts during the relief and rebuilding effort, you can provide temporary price reductions on needed items in GSA Advantage! simply by updating your file. This information will be displayed to buyers for a specified period of time. Temporary price reductions do not require Contracting Officer approval and will be posted immediately. If you have questions about how to update your file, consult the Vendor Support Center website at vsc.gsa.gov.

- Buyers electing to use eBuy to obtain quotations may expect quick turn around times. Check eBuy often and be prepared to respond with pricing and delivery information for products/services under your GSA contract.

- GSA is updating GSA Advantage! and eLibrary to assist buyers in finding certain categories of products and services. We will be promoting the use of our electronic tools so make sure your GSA Advantage! files, text files, points of contact and website links are current and accurate. The company phone number displayed in eLibrary is input by your GSA Contracting Officer. To change your phone number displayed in eLibrary, contact your GSA Contracting Officer. Your e-mail and website addresses in eLibrary come from your GSA Advantage! catalog file. If your email or website address needs to be changed, you can update your electronic catalog file. If you have questions about how to update your file using the Schedule Input Program, consult the Vendor Support Center website at vsc.gsa.gov or contact your EDI provider.

- GSA is monitoring orders from Federal agencies involved in the disaster relief to ensure they are being received by vendors. Please handle these orders expeditiously. To obtain a list of vendors participating in the relief efforts , visit http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/ and look under What Government is Doing.

- If you are located in an affected area and are currently unable to receive orders from GSA Advantage!, please contact the GSA Advantage! helpdesk immediately to arrange an alternate method of receiving orders (i.e. e-mail, fax/mail address, etc.) The GSA Advantage! helpdesk may be reached at gsa.advantage@gsa.gov or 1-877-472-3777, option 2.

- A dedicated electronic mailbox has been established for MAS/GWAC contracting questions related to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Send your email inquiries to relief@gsa.gov. The mailbox will be closely monitored to ensure your questions are answered as quickly as possible.

- Many GSA contracting offices are directly involved in supporting the relief effort. If you would like to communicate with them about how your company can assist them, please send your information to katrinasupport@gsa.gov. This information will be available to GSA associates only.

Thank you in advance for your support.

SAP: ePlus sues SAP for patent infringement

U.S. business software maker ePlus is suing its biggest rival, Germany's SAP, claiming infringement of three of its software patents, SAP said Wednesday, confirming a German magazine report.

A representative for SAP, which denies the allegations, said the case had been filed in the U.S. District Court in Richmond, Va., in April and was due to be heard next March.

The SAP representative declined to comment on how much ePlus was seeking in damages, and business weekly WirtschaftsWoche said in a release ahead of publication that ePlus had also declined to comment on the size of the claim.

The SAP representative said: "On June 15, 2005, SAP filed an answer and counterclaims alleging that it does not infringe the ePlus patents and that the ePlus patents are invalid."

The patents concerned are for software used to source goods electronically.
Earlier this year, ePlus accepted $37 million in settlement of a patent lawsuit it had filed against fellow U.S. business software maker Ariba. It had sought damages of between $76 million and $98 million.

ePlus and Ariba compete in the market for software that helps corporate customers find the best suppliers and cheapest raw materials, and Ariba is seen as the leading player.

GSA: 2006 Expo.

Taken from http://expo.gsa.gov

GSA's Expo 2005 in San Diego, CA was a rousing success, with over 9,000 customers and commercial partners, participating in training, networking opportunities, meetings, and reviewed exhibit floor displays - all within three days.

Join us in 2006 at the San Antonio, TX Convention Center, May 16, 17, and 18, 2006.

Booths for the 2006 Expo will not become available until next November. Details as to how to receive an application will be posted on the Exhibitor ship wheel of this website in early September.

Check this website frequently as we update each ship wheel to bring you details on the 2006 Expo.

UMENET: UM University Wide Vendors.

University of Miami Purchasing Department published their Spring 2005 edition of Purchasing News and a brochure titled "Department of Spend Management & University-wide Contracts. They inlcuded a list of current university-wide contracts:

• Airgas
• Alcon
• Allergan
• Allied Electronics
• Cardinal Health
• Cardinal Health Pharmacy
• CDW
• FTD Florists
• Isogas
• MedAssets
• Office Interiors
• OfficeMax / Boise
• PC Solutions
• Pharmed
• Sigma-Aldrich
• Thomas W. Ruff
• Thomas Scientific
• VWR International

GSA: Logos.

You can download logos to promote your GSA capabilities here.

Ariba: Ariba Releases Supplier Connectivity Adapter.

Software Allows Users of SAP, Oracle and Other Platforms to Connect with Suppliers Through the Ariba Supplier Network

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 30, 2005--Ariba(R), Inc. (Nasdaq:ARBA), the leading Spend Management solutions provider, has released the Ariba Supplier Connectivity Adapter (TM). The release is a combination of software and supporting services that allows enterprise buyers using Oracle, SAP or other non-Ariba spend management systems to fully leverage the Ariba Supplier Network(TM) through the recently-announced Ariba Supplier Connectivity(TM) offering.

"Supplier connectivity is one of the most critical and challenging tasks facing procurement organizations," said Christopher Eyerman, director of Connectivity Solutions, Ariba. "We are helping enterprise buyers reduce the costs and simplify the process of connecting, transacting and collaborating with their suppliers around the world -- regardless of the systems they may be using."

Ariba Supplier Connectivity is a subscription-based solution for enterprises that may have standardized on a non-Ariba Buyer(TM) procurement solution and are struggling with supplier enablement. Buyers benefit from the large, existing supplier community already connected and engaged in electronic commerce over a secure global infrastructure. Suppliers benefit from pre-established links to the purchasing processes of large global companies.

The Ariba Supplier Network is an open business transaction network. It includes 120,000 e-enabled suppliers engaging in transactions worth more than $5 billion each month with some of the world's largest buying organizations. The network has suppliers in 115 countries and supports ten languages. Participating buyers and suppliers can conduct business with each other electronically, managing complete transactions -- from sourcing, to orders, to payment. They can also access multiple network-delivered services to enhance interaction and collaboration among companies.

Ariba Supplier Connectivity Adapter Key Features
The Ariba Supplier Connectivity Adapter is provided to customers who purchase the subscription-based Ariba Supplier Connectivity solution. The adapter simplifies the process of connecting buyers and suppliers, allowing them to complete transactions and collaborate on projects.

Key features include:
-- Conversion of ERP documents to cXML documents so they can be shared easily among buyers and suppliers on the Ariba Supplier Network
-- Certified connectivity between the adapter and the Ariba Supplier Network
-- Ability to be customized to meet customers' unique system or organizational requirements
-- Testing and certification services to ensure that adapter customizations function properly
-- Ongoing connection support

Availability
The Ariba Supplier Connectivity Adapter 1.0 is available today for customers using SAP and Oracle procurement systems, and it can be tailored for customers that have standardized on other non-Ariba procurement systems.

Ariba: Ariba Ranked Among Leading Electronic Invoice Solution Providers.

Independent Research Firm Recognizes Ariba Invoice for Robust Functionality, Architecture, Usability, Technology and Globalization

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 30, 2005--Ariba(R), Inc. (Nasdaq:ARBA), the leading Spend Management solutions provider, has been recognized as a leading provider of electronic invoice presentation and payment (EIPP) solutions by an independent research firm. In a new report, Ariba is ranked among the top vendors in the United States and Europe. (The Forrester Wave(TM): Accounts Payable EIPP, Q3 2005, Forrester Research, Inc., August 2005)

Designed to assess the state of the accounts payable EIPP market, the report evaluated vendors across 74 criteria. Ariba received high marks for the robust functionality, reliable and scalable architecture, ease of integration and use and global nature of its Ariba(R) Invoice(TM) solution. According to the report, "Ariba scored highest in architecture, leads the technology category and did best on usability."

"Electronic invoicing has become a best practice in leading companies," said Lou Unkeless, vice president of Marketing, Ariba. "By automating and streamlining this critical task, companies gain efficiency as well as increased visibility and control of spending at a line item level. We're pleased that Forrester Research has recognized Ariba's leadership in providing an integrated solution to address this important component of spend management."

Many of the world's leading companies use Ariba(R) Invoice(TM) and the Ariba(R) Supplier Network(TM) to optimize their invoicing and reconciliation processes. By the end of this year, Ariba expects that more than 4 million invoices totaling more than $10 billion will have been carried across the network. Users have benefited from:
-- Faster approval time, allowing more discount capture
-- Rapid, more simplified supplier on-boarding
-- Automated up-front validation of invoice data for faster processing time
-- Process cost reductions

For more information on Ariba Invoice, please visit http://www.ariba.com/. To access the Forrester report, "The Forrester Wave: Accounts Payable EIPP, Q3 2005," visit http://learningcenter.ariba.com/view_page.cfm?asset_ID=204&pid=iwavepr

GSA: Vendor Support Site Updated.

GSA Vendor Support updated their site, but so far it appears just to be navigational changes to the home page and no additional content or functionality added.

Maybe they're preparing to add content? Hopefully.

Will post if/when I find anything new.

Ariba: Ariba president may leave.

Summary
What's happening?

• President Bush announced his intent to nominate Ariba president David McCormick to serve as Under Secretary of Commerce.
• Ariba's Chairman and CEO Bob Calderoni would assume McCormick's duties.

Background
Who? What?

• McCormick was President and CEO of FreeMarkets which Ariba acquired nearly a year ago.
• FreeMarkets is known is smaller circles for QuickSource, an introductory negotiation platform (RFX).

Affect
Will this affect suppliers? I don't think so.

If he had left right after Ariba took over QuickSource, then I'd say it might make the transition difficult and this could affect suppliers who had to use QuickSource with their customers. But I believe Ariba has had enough time to assimilate FreeMarkets.

On the possibly positive side...

• The increased press for Ariba should be good for suppliers who are already on the Ariba Supplier Network:

increased visibility = more Ariba Buyers = more opportunities for Ariba suppliers

• It won't hurt Ariba suppliers to have a politician rooting for Ariba.

On the possibly negative side...

• I saw McCormick speak at the last AribaLive conference in Orlando and I found him sincerely inspired. Ariba would be wise to find a new source of inspiration.

Visit the Spend Matters blog link below for a discussion on the possible search for a new "luminary" at Ariba.


Links

• Spend Matters: Help Wanted ... Spend Management Luminary
• Google News: Related stories

About: Possible future topics.

Supplier Empowerment
Ideas to help suppliers go beyond simple enablement and really start taking advantage of your technical capabilities:

• Empowerment - What do we mean?
• Empowerment - Why are my customers doing this to me?!?!
• Empowerment - Meeting requirements vs. exceeding expectations.
• Empowerment - Use your technology to win new and larger customers.
• Empowerment - Becoming a strategic partner with your large customer.

Ariba
Finally, the supplier's perspectives on one of the most prevalent enterprise spend management solutions and supplier networks:

• Ariba - What is it?
• Ariba - Will they stick around?
• Ariba Supplier Network - How do I get on?
• Ariba Supplier Network - What are my options?
• Ariba Supplier Network - How much does it cost?
• Ariba Catalogs - What are the pros and the cons?
• Ariba PunchOut - Why is it preferred?
• Ariba PunchOut - 20 Questions to ask your eCommerce vendor.
• Ariba Ready - Are you "Ready" or just "ready"?
• Ariba Buyer - Who else uses Ariba Buyer anyways?
• Ariba Supplier Enablement - Case studies.

UMeNet
Specific information on one of South Florida's largest buying organizations and it's Ariba Buyer project - the University of Miami's eNet:

• ENET - What is it?
• ENET - What are the pros and cons.
• ENET - Recent statistics.
• ENET - Case studies.

GSA Advantage
The Federal Government's largest buying agency, the General Services Administration, and their mandatory online ordering system, GSA Advantage:

• GSA - What is it?
• GSA - Do I have to get on?
• GSA - What options do I have?
• GSA - "Text" files don't have to be text files.
• GSA - SIP stress testing results.
• GSA - Statistics.
• GSA - Case studies.

EDI
The world's longest lasting standard for communicating business documents - Electronic Data Interchange

• EDI - What is it?
• EDI - What do I need?

UMEDI
University of Miami's specific EDI requirements and the UMEDI.net solution:

• UMEDI - What is it?
• UMEDI - What do I need?
• UMEDI - Where do my invoices go?
• UMEDI - Can I get paid faster now?
• UMEDI - Will it work with my system?
• UMEDI - Case studies.

Please, let us know what you think of these proposed topics and which others you'd like to learn more about.

About: The author’s recent experience timeline.

Notable events and accomplishments:

1999: founded Hyperluminal Technology Consultants, Inc. (www.Hyperluminal.com)

1999: registered first company on the Ariba Supplier Network. (www.Ariba.com)

2000: built first Ariba CIF catalog of 60,000 products complete with UNSPSC category coding, UNUOM unit of measures, and product images.

2000: integrated the Ariba Supplier Network via EDI into back-end systems to minimize rekeying of orders.

2001: implemented first Ariba cXML PunchOut website with real-time connectivity to inventory and fulfillment systems.

2001: added EDI electronic invoicing to complete the totally automated order fulfillment process.

2002: implemented first Ariba PunchOut capable website for printing company, complete with online design and print-ready files.

2003: launched GETonENET site and service for University of Miami suppliers. (www.GETonENET.com)

2003: recognized by the Minority Business Development Center as the Technology Firm of the Year for excellence in entrepreneurship and contributions to the economy.

2003: participated in the State of Florida’s MyFlorida MarketPlace Supplier Advisory Council to help rollout of statewide Ariba Buyer initiative. (www.MyfloridaMarketPlace.com)

2004: attended AribaLive in Miami.

2004: successfully enabled three suppliers with three Ariba PunchOut websites in just three weeks. (http://ww1.prweb.com/releases/Jun%20/1/prweb133030.htm)

2004: attended AribaLive in Arizona.

2004: successfully created and published one of the General Service Administration's largest electronic catalogs on GSA Advantage.

2004: launched GETonGSA.com site and service to create GSA Advantage catalogs. (www.GETonGSA.com)

2005: launched UMEDI.net site, solution, and service to EDI enable University of Miami vendors (www.UMEDI.net)

2005: attended AribaLive in Orlando (www.AribaLive.com)

2005: launched Supplier Empowerment blog (www.SupplierEmpowerment.com)

About: The supplier empowerment blog.

Primary Purpose
The main reason for the Supplier Empowerment blog:

• Empower small to medium sized companies by providing useful information on how to use technology to do business with large customers.
  

Intended Audience
Who the content will be aimed at:

• Business owners who want help understanding which technologies to invest in that can provide strategic advantages
• Sales managers who are looking to meet existing/prospective customer's technology requirements
• IT managers who are charged with integrating their systems and processes with their new partners
• eProcurement professionals who want a better understanding of supplier's concerns
  

Content Ideas
Things that we think we're going to talk about:

• Explanations of technical concepts in non-technical diagrams and language
• Best practices that similar companies have adopted to succeed
• Press releases referencing relative companies and subjects
• Future events that may be worth while attending
• Related blogs that may offer value
• Discussions on various topics
• Interesting statistics
• FAQs and answers
  

Value Proposition
What's in it for the visitors:

• Learn from experienced supplier enablement consultants
• Discover how large corporations want you to do business
• Single source for supplier enablement news
• Links to other online information sources
• Stay informed of upcoming events
• Ask questions and get answers
• Help foresee future requests
• Get FREE advice!
  

Ongoing Goals
Our personal goals as we move forward:

• Publish at least one or two articles every month for twelve months
• Monitor and share the latest press releases within the same week
• Discover and cross link with any other relevant blogs
• Give as much notice as possible about future events
• Reply to any online comments within 24 hours
• Delete self-serving comments immediately
  

Long Term Vision
Our long term vision as we grow:

• Become a popular, respected source of information for small to medium sized companies who need help integrating with large customers
• Grow into a dynamic, empowered community of suppliers, consultants, subject matter experts, software vendors, procurement professionals, etc.

About The Author
About Matthew Fisher:

• Technology consultant and project manager with Hyperluminal Technology Consultants
• Self proclaimed expert in Ariba Supplier Network and Ariba supplier enablement
• Worked for reputable companies like Microsoft in Canada and IBM in Jamaica
• Holds a Bachelor of Science degree and Diploma in Engineering
• Over 16 years of experience in information technology
• First eProcurement integration with Ariba in 1999
• 100% Successful project completion rate to date

About Our Sponsor
About Hyperluminal Technology Consultants, Inc.:

• Offering hands-on technology consulting and project management for small to medium sized businesses specializing in supplier enablement
• Clients include primarily US based, small to medium sized suppliers of a wide range of products and services to a wide range of industries
• Solutions include PunchOut/RoundTrip/TapOut compatible websites, various catalogs formats, EDI electronic invoicing
• Recognized by the Minority Business Development Center as the Technology Firm of the Year in 2003
• Small, woman owned, privately held
• Incorporated 1999 in Miami, Florida