Syndicated procurement is a procurement method whereby a syndicate manager groups together multiple concurrent orders from multiple buyers with intent to reduce the purchase price or facilitate delivery. Similar terms in use are "aggregation" and "collective buying". [1]
Example: Five distinct government agencies each require 2,000 new ergonomic office chairs. For an order of 2,000 units, the chair manufacturer is willing to sell at $100 each. Hence, if procuring independently, each government agency will pay $100 per chair. However, for an order of 10,000 chairs, the manufacturer is willing to reduce the price to $70 per unit. The five agencies can therefore pool their demand in order to lower the price by 30%.
Note that the buyers will change nothing in their order, except that they procure in concert, through a syndicate manager.
Competing German automobile manufacturers often procure steel in combined orders to reduce price.[ citation needed ]
In early 2010 New Zealand’s Ministry of Social Development considered using syndicated procurement to purchase computers collectively with other New Zealand government agencies. [2] In the United Kingdom, Crown Commercial Service (CCS) periodically arranges aggregation opportunities so that several public bodies can achieve savings through their consolidated buying power. Generally these opportunities operate as national further competitions (NFCs) using an existing government framework agreement to which all of the public bodies involved have access. CCS notes that the time involved in assembling a group of customers and collating their needs may mean the procurement process takes longer than it would if customers acted separately. [1]
Australian building firms and contractors have begun to use syndicated procurement to purchase building materials. Procurement rounds have yielded price reductions of between 30% and 45%.[ citation needed ]
In many jurisdictions syndicated procurement must be executed through a professional manager. Otherwise, competing firms placing orders together can be legally deemed to be price fixing, or artificially controlling market prices. However, syndicated procurement through a professional manager is the legal equivalent of purchasing through a wholesaler, and is therefore legally permissible.
Professional syndicate managers also provide a forum for syndication to competing firms that otherwise might be uncomfortable working together (this benefit is much more relevant to the private sector than to government agencies and non-profits).
Syndicated procurement is potentially more efficient than traditional procurement, because the syndicate manager identifies the precise volume, time, and locus of demand before the order is placed.
Syndicate managers eliminate these three inefficiencies by knowing in advance exactly where, when, and how much of a given product will be needed.
Facilitated by evolving telecommunications technologies and global logistics services, syndicated procurement is a fairly recent concept. A few pioneers are developing and establishing its methods and conventions:
The New Zealand government has been a leader in introducing syndicated procurement among different government agencies. The New Zealand Ministry of Social Development has been particularly active in encouraging syndicated procurement. [3] [4]
In commerce, supply chain management (SCM) deals with a system of procurement, operations management, logistics and marketing channels, through which raw materials can be developed into finished products and delivered to their end customers. A more narrow definition of supply chain management is the "design, planning, execution, control, and monitoring of supply chain activities with the objective of creating net value, building a competitive infrastructure, leveraging worldwide logistics, synchronising supply with demand and measuring performance globally". This can include the movement and storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, finished goods, and end to end order fulfilment from the point of origin to the point of consumption. Interconnected, interrelated or interlinked networks, channels and node businesses combine in the provision of products and services required by end customers in a supply chain.
Wholesaling or distributing is the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers; to industrial, commercial, institutional or other professional business users; or to other wholesalers and related subordinated services. In general, it is the sale of goods in bulk to anyone, either a person or an organization, other than the end consumer of that merchandise. Wholesaling is buying goods in bulk quantity, usually directly from the manufacturer or source, at a discounted rate. The retailer then sells the goods to the end consumer at a higher price making a profit.
Inventory or stock refers to the goods and materials that a business holds for the ultimate goal of resale, production or utilisation.
Distribution is the process of making a product or service available for the consumer or business user who needs it, and a distributor is a business involved in the distribution stage of the value chain. Distribution can be done directly by the producer or service provider or by using indirect channels with distributors or intermediaries. Distribution is one of the four elements of the marketing mix: the other three elements being product, pricing, and promotion.
Discounts and allowances are reductions to a basic price of goods or services.
Disintermediation is the removal of intermediaries in economics from a supply chain, or "cutting out the middlemen" in connection with a transaction or a series of transactions. Instead of going through traditional distribution channels, which had some type of intermediary, companies may now deal with customers directly, for example via the Internet.
Anti-competitive practices are business or government practices that prevent or reduce competition in a market. Antitrust laws ensure businesses do not engage in competitive practices that harm other, usually smaller, businesses or consumers. These laws are formed to promote healthy competition within a free market by limiting the abuse of monopoly power. Competition allows companies to compete in order for products and services to improve; promote innovation; and provide more choices for consumers. In order to obtain greater profits, some large enterprises take advantage of market power to hinder survival of new entrants. Anti-competitive behavior can undermine the efficiency and fairness of the market, leaving consumers with little choice to obtain a reasonable quality of service.
In theories of competition in economics, a barrier to entry, or an economic barrier to entry, is a fixed cost that must be incurred by a new entrant, regardless of production or sales activities, into a market that incumbents do not have or have not had to incur. Because barriers to entry protect incumbent firms and restrict competition in a market, they can contribute to distortionary prices and are therefore most important when discussing antitrust policy. Barriers to entry often cause or aid the existence of monopolies and oligopolies, or give companies market power. Barriers of entry also have an importance in industries. First of all it is important to identify that some exist naturally, such as brand loyalty. Governments can also create barriers to entry to meet consumer protection laws, protecting the public. In other cases it can also be due to inherent scarcity of public resources needed to enter a market.
A purchase order, often abbreviated to PO, is a commercial document issued by a buyer to a seller, indicating types, quantities, and agreed prices for products or services required. It is used to control the purchasing of products and services from external suppliers. Purchase orders can be an essential part of enterprise resource planning system orders.
The United States Navy Working Capital Fund (NWCF) is a branch of the family of United States Department of Defense (DoD) Working Capital Funds. The NWCF is a revolving fund, an account or fund that relies on sales revenue rather than direct Congressional appropriations to finance its operations. It is intended to generate adequate revenue to cover the full costs of its operations, and to finance the fund's continuing operations without fiscal year limitation. A revolving fund is intended to operate on a break-even basis over time; that is, it neither makes a profit nor incurs a loss.
Business-to-business is a situation where one business makes a commercial transaction with another. This typically occurs when:
B2B e-commerce, short for business-to-business electronic commerce, is the sale of goods or services between businesses via an online sales portal. In general, it is used to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a company's sales efforts. Instead of receiving orders using human assets manually – by telephone or e-mail – orders are received digitally, reducing overhead costs.
A blanket order, blanket purchase agreement or call-off order is a purchase order which a customer places with its supplier to allow multiple delivery dates over a period of time, often negotiated to take advantage of predetermined pricing. It is normally used when there is a recurring need for expendable goods. Blanket orders are often used when a customer buys large quantities and has obtained special discounts. Based on the blanket order, sales orders and invoice items can be created as needed until the contract is fulfilled, the end of the order period is reached or a predetermined maximum order value is reached.
A marketing channel consists of the people, organizations, and activities necessary to transfer the ownership of goods from the point of production to the point of consumption. It is the way products get to the end-user, the consumer; and is also known as a distribution channel. A marketing channel is a useful tool for management, and is crucial to creating an effective and well-planned marketing strategy.
In a supply chain, a vendor, supplier, provider or a seller, is an enterprise that contributes goods or services. Generally, a supply chain vendor manufactures inventory/stock items and sells them to the next link in the chain. Today, these terms refer to a supplier of any goods or service.
Government procurement in Russia relates to the public procurement in Russia by all governmental, regional and local authorities. The government procurement in Russia represents a big segment of the budgetary expenses. The volume of government purchases makes about 25 trillion rubles in 2015 and 30 trillion rubles in 2016. The government purchases system is constantly modernized due to changes in legislation, technical components and information.
Trade marketing is a discipline of marketing that relates to increasing the demand at the wholesaler, retailer, or distributor level rather than at the consumer level. However, there is a need to continue with Brand Management strategies to sustain the need at the consumer end. A shopper, who may or may not be the consumer themself, is the one who identifies and purchases a product from a retailer even though they might not purchase the goods at the end of the day. To ensure that a retailer promotes a company's product against competitors', that company must market its product to the retailers as well by offering steep discounts versus competitors. Trade marketing might also include offering various tangible/intangible benefits to retailers such as commissions made for sales.
There are many types of e-commerce models, based on market segmentation, that can be used to conducted business online. The 6 types of business models that can be used in e-commerce include: Business-to-Consumer (B2C), Consumer-to-Business (C2B), Business-to-Business (B2B), Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C), Business-to-Administration (B2A), and Consumer-to-Administration
The invoice price is the actual price that the end-customer retailer pays to the manufacturer or distributor for a product.
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