MS does contract shake-up
Microsoft is initiating a radical overhaul of its contracting and negotiation practices, says IACCM.
Responding to its own market research, it is aiming to show industry leadership in making it easier - and more rewarding - for customers to do business.
Commenting on the initiative, IACCM executive director Tim Cummins commented: "To have such a major brand name as Microsoft recognise the importance of their contracts and contracting practices on the efficiency and costs of their customers is big news for the contracts and procurement profession."
Emptoris features in Milan
Emptoris, a provider of enterprise supply and contract management software, was featured as a presenter on contract management and e-sourcing technologies during the Chief Procurement Officer Summit in Italy last week, which was hosted by The Economist, says MarketWire.
Representatives from Cisco, GSK, Vodafone and The International Association of Contract and Commercial Management presented alongside Emptoris at the event.
The Chief Procurement Officer Summit is the premier supply management conference in southern Europe and focuses on the application of "innovative technologies and strategies to reduce purchasing costs, improve processes and add value".
Contract cycle times increase
According to Ken Miklos, senior product marketing manager at Ariba, a joint study conducted by the International Association of Contracts and Commercial Management and Ariba has found enterprises are experiencing an increase in the number and complexity of commercial agreements while headcount has declined, says Manufacturing Business Technology.
"This has led to an increase in contracting cycle times and exposed companies to new risks that impact their overall performance," says Miklos.
Miklos notes that with the latest release of Ariba Contract Management, organisations can tackle these issues by using technology for electronically storing retrieving, authoring, and archiving contracts; and accessing and viewing them on an enterprise-wide basis.
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