Home

January 6, 2007 23:14 - Supply Chain Technology - 6 Key Deliverables

By Andrew Martin

Without a doubt one of the most crucial tools available to supply chain professionals today is information technology (IT). IT can be the glue that help Supply Chain deliver real value to organizations – however an incorrectly configured system or a poor technology choice can bring it’s own problems – here we check out 6 things that your Supply chain IT system should deliver.

1. Efficient Transaction Management

Having simple standard transaction processes, for example how you raise a Purchase Order, supported by a user friendly user interface is a must – make it easy for users to capture data once and then utilize it again and again within the system. Pay close attention to processes that may result in data integrity concerns – make sure that your transactions capture the key information that you require to monitor your business and look for automation of repetative non-value add activities where possible

2. Business Intelligence

An adequate business intelligence or management reporting solution is often the keystone of any business – for Supply Chain that’s equally true – knowing where your assets are, accurate and timely inventory information, supplier performance and a firm grip on costs should be easily achieved at the click of a mouse. Look to ensure that everyone in your organization has access the data they need when they need it.

3. Enterprise Integration

Linking the supply chain both internally and externally is no longer a pipe dream – tools such as XML and intelligent transaction processing systems allow different companies spread across different geographies to collaborate in real time – share order books, asset information or collaborate on tenders or bids – ensure that your system is capable of sharing data with your partners.

4. Workflow

Your system should enable you to flow activity within the system to your hierarchy of users – need to get approval on an order – do it electronically with workflow – had a delivery rejected by your warehouse – send out automatic alerts to QA – gone out of stock for an item of inventory – flag it up to your materials management team for action – look to use your system to manage by exception.

5. Forecasting

Having the right planning tools will get you where you want to get to tomorrow and highlight your business risks before they bite – need to plan your inventory costs over the next 5 years – need to understand your staffing needs on your electrical commodities – make sure your solution has adequate planning and forecasting out of the box.

6. Collaboration

Collaboration sparks ideas – can save money and brings the company closer together – get the benefits of having design and procurement work closer to share and work on the same data – Need Design and Procurement to work on a Bill of Materials?– having the right collaboration tools can deliver real value.

The author runs the blog Supply Chain City which discusses topics regarding Supply chain including procurement processes and supply chain improvement

December 5, 2006 01:21 - New Job Envy - Do You Have It?

By Heather Eagar

Your closest co-worker just got a new job...and it makes you crazy because that could have been you. You’re as qualified as her; you have the same background and experience…why weren’t you the one who got a new job? Oh yeah, because you actually have to apply for a job in order to be offered it.

How many times has this happened to you? You are technically job searching but you only casually look through job postings not having any intention to apply for any of them and you haven’t really gotten your resume and cover letter in the best shape possible. So what do you really expect to happen? It seems that many people are waiting for the Job Search Fairy to come and drop the perfect job in their lap. As you may have guessed, it doesn’t work that way. So, what can you do?

Get Out of the ‘Wish Mode’

Stop wishing for a new job and start actively looking for one. It’s a common situation: you look through job postings and picture yourself with that company, doing that job, earning more money. Sound familiar? Or someone close to you got offered their dream job and you’re still sitting on the sidelines wishing it was you who was moving onto bigger and brighter career endeavors?

You need to take your job search into your own hands and be proactive. Don’t sit and wish each day away. Work doesn’t have to be such drudgery.

You just have to…

Buckle Down and Do It

You’ve been putting off getting your resume and cover letter up to par and that can be a huge force that holds you back. If you’re not confident with your job search documents you send out, chances are you’re not going to get a whole lot of calls for interviews.

If it’s a task that you don’t want to tackle yourself, don’t. There is no law that says you have to write your own resume and cover letter. In fact, a professional resume writing service can garner very positive job search results, in most cases. It is money well-spent if you choose the right company for you.

It’s a win-win situation: you don’t have to stress about writing your resume package and you can be assured that the package you send out is above average…exceptional in many cases.

Now, It’s Time to Get Excited

You’ve got everything in place and you’re ready to start applying. So, instead of just daydreaming about the jobs you see listings for, apply for them. Today. Don’t wait until tomorrow or next week. Take the time to apply right now and you’ll see that you’ll get into a pattern of acting immediately. It’s a good habit to get into. You’ll get a lot more results that way. Why? Simply because you’ll end up submitting your resume package more often.

Every time you submit your resume, just think: “This could be it. This could be my new job.” Isn’t that exciting? You never know what will come of your applications right away but the possibilities are endless. That alone should get your blood flowing and your heart pumping.

Now get out there and take charge of your job search. There’s no time like the present.

Heather Eagar is a former professional resume writer who is now dedicated to providing job seekers with resources and products that promote job search success from beginning to end. For href="http://www.ResumeLines.com">job search help, go to href="http://www.ResumeLines.com">http://www.ResumeLines.com

November 3, 2006 19:57 - Samples of Resume Cover Letter Do's and Don'ts

By Jimmy Sweeney

Do you have a career, or are you one of those great number of people looking for a job? Your 'job search' will soon end if you only know the basics to a good application. When you apply for any job, you would need to submit a resume along with a cover letter. The cover letter serves as an introduction to the resume.

Upon submission of your resume and cover letter, your first interaction with the prospective employer takes place. Your cover letter will be your sure-fire ticket to an interview or a telephone call.

Professionalism is the fundamental factor to success. You have to make sure that you got all things right, from the name of the company, the employer, to the letters structure, design and copy.

How you actually present your credentials will determine your competitive edge; the letter itself will outline all your skills/experiences that will set your separately from other job applicants. You have to establish what your abilities are; and as to how these abilities will benefit the company.

You need to capture the employer's attention starting on the first paragraph. Tell how you learned about the opening, and you can even name drop to make your letter more personalized. Write as if you're having a conversation with the employer.

To further understand how to write a good cover letter, here are the do's and don'ts:

Do's

- address a specified employer on the letter salutation

- know the position you are applying and the company

- sell yourself in the right manner

- use action verbs and marketing words to make an impact

- seek help from a professional when writing your letter

- use a professional and formal format

- consider the use of bullets, bold highlights

- check for typos and misspelled words

- thank the employer for reading your letter

- double check names, titles, company address

- write a letter that is original

- use quantifiable examples

Don'ts

- assume any detail regarding the employer's gender

- start with a dull introduction

- re-use resume information

- use clichés

- exceed one page for the letter

- bother with creative fonts, page layouts, and color

- forget your signature

- forget adding your contact details

- forget to check for typos and spelling

- expect the employer to act on your behalf

- forget to attach your resume

- use big words

- use paragraphs with block style

- use generic or form letters

- generalize attributes

- forget to call or follow up

If you incorporated all these things while writing your cover letter, then you will surely have an effective and attention-grabbing letter.

If you want more information about cover letters, there are a lot of websites in the Internet that you are free to visit. You can even get copies of examples or samples of cover letter.

You can also seek for online professional help, however, certain amount of fees is charged. As long as you're confident enough that you can do it yourself, why not write your own cover letter? At least you get to write what you really want, and mind you, personal cover letters are much more effective than 'ready-made' letters.

Start now, and make your own letter. Who knows, your job is just waiting around the corner.

Jimmy Sweeney is the President of CareerJimmy and author of "Amazing Cover Letter Creator." Visit him at: http://www.amazing-cover-letters.com for your "instant" cover letters today.