Asset Management Flashcards
According to experts, what is the definition of strategic sourcing?
Strategic sourcing is an organizational procurement and supply management process used to locate, develop, qualify, and employ suppliers that add maximum value to the buyer’s products or services.
What is the main objective of Strategic Sourcing?
To locate and form relationships with those suppliers that best promote the strategic and operational goals of your organization.
How can Strategic Sourcing be used as an approach to supply chain management?
It formalizes the way information is gathered and used so that an organization can leverage its consolidated purchasing power to find the best values in the marketplace.
Why might you want to limit the amount of suppliers to your Fleet?
You become a more desirable customer by making larger purchases and dealing repeatedly with the same buyer.
Describe the differences between traditional sourcing and strategic sourcing.
Traditional sourcing focus is cost. Strategic sourcing focus is competence. TS approach is Ad Hoc (on demand) with suppliers, SS is to Network. TS playing field is National, SS is Global. TS buyer’s motives is short term (initial cost), SS is long term (total cost of ownership).
TS supplier’s motives is turnover, SS is customer. TS has numerous suppliers, SS has few. TS relationship is contract, SS is trust. TS risk is individual, SS is shared. TS activities are standard, SS is specific.
What are the benefits of Strategic Sourcing?
Limited number of suppliers, lower prices for paying in bulk,
How can Strategic Sourcing generate benefits to the Fleet department?
Warranty, On-Time delivery, Speedy delivery, Order Accuracy, Service/Product defects, Location, Employee Diversity, Long-term goals, Sustainability Practices, Supplier Market Position, Financial Risk Profile, Supplier Ownership.
Why is it important to measure Supplier Performance?
Can lead to better decisions when deciding between acquiring a new supplier or staying with the current one. Decision-making transparency is positively affected when objective reasons are supported by data.
How does Strategic Sourcing benefit Suppliers?
Larger purchases & more orders
Improved communication,
Not having multiple small contracts with a vast array of customers
Communication in real time eliminating over/underproduction, & late shipments
Improved ability to order materials timely
What Risks are involved with Strategic Sourcing?
Overpaying the initial costs
Supplier requirements are too strict or narrow
Potential change of suppliers
Describe some of the costs involved with Strategic Sourcing
Paying a higher price with a new supplier
Fees for breaking a contract
Why is Strategic Sourcing time consuming?
It is more complicated
It requires more knowledgeable and skilled personnel
What are the four steps in the Strategic Sourcing process?
Understand the spend category
Assess Potential Suppliers
Create a Strategy
Select a supplier
Cultivate relationships
What should your purchasing team do during the first phase of the Strategic Sourcing Process?
Identify purchasing and price constraints
Time & money it takes supplier to acquire the assets
Identify historic purchases in asset categories
What do you want in a Strategic Sourcing partner?
Competent
Trustworthy
Communicative
Offer deals that are valuable & fairly priced
How can you create a strategy for Strategic Sourcing?
Identify how competitive the supplier marketplace is
Ensure other departments are on board with supplier choices
What tool is discussed in order to help select Suppliers?
A balanced scorecard to objectively measure & compare each supplier’s offers
What are Performance Improvement Requirements and how are they used?
Improving cycle time
Cost
Quality
Delivery Performance
To keep the buying & selling processes a positive experience
What type of teams should be created in order to help select suppliers?
Teams that will organize, evaluate, select, develop, and manage suppliers.
What systems should be developed & how can they help the organization?
Purchasing systems - lead to an increase in useful technology & information systems.
What are team member purchasing responsibilities?
Points of contact with specific suppliers
Research new potential suppliers
What is a cross functional sourcing team?
A group that is maintaining relationships with the fleet suppliers & identifying the sourcing needs of the fleet
What is the Fleet Manager’s role in the cross functional sourcing team?
Thoroughly examining fleet purchasing activities & supplier selection
What is the focus of many purchasing groups & what are the the fleet managers’ responsibilities?
Finding the lowest cost
Voicing concerns when the focus is on low cost suppliers without taking other fleet-related concerns into mind
What is rightsizing the Fleet?
Determining the correct customer service levels for internal service & rental fleets
Understanding the vehicle-task suitability
What is the Advertising cost on a vehicle invoice?
A percent of MSRP (typically 1%) or a flat dollar amount set by the factory
Define the term Bid Assistance
Additional negotiated rebates that may replace or be in addition to the national fleet rebates
What is the Dealer Invoice price and how is it calculated?
Amount the dealer pays the manufacturer for a specific vehicle
What are Factory to Dealer incentives?
Money paid to the dealer by the manufacturer to sell specific models
What is meant by the term financing on a Dealer invoice?
Flat dollar amount that is included in the factory invoice
What are Fleet incentives and who funds them?
Money given by a manufacturer as an added incentive for buying a vehicle.
Usually funded 100% by the factory
What is a Factory Holdback?
Amount paid by the factory to dealer after the vehicle has been sold
Define the term MSRP
Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price - retail selling price of the vehicle
What is triple net invoice?
Manufacturer-to-dealer invoice price less holdback less advertising & financing
What is the most important document in a vehicle purchase?
The Factory invoice
What information do you need to know in order to get the lowest possible price for a vehicle?
The dealer cost - what the dealer has actually paid
What is a good starting price to use for negotiating with a vehicle supplier?
The invoice price - before any holdback & incentives
What type of information is contained on a standard factory invoice?
Price, features and details regarding the purchase & delivery. Holdback, incentive programs and cost categories. VIN, destination and delivery charge.
What is the most important strategy to use when considering multiple vehicles?
Be consistent in how you evaluate each invoice. Use the same starting point for each negotiation.
What is the Formulae for Triple Net?
Invoice - Holdback - Advertising - Financing = Triple Net Cost
How can Fleet sales benefit a car dealer?
They can sell a large quantity of vehicles in a short time. The potential exists to sell a service contract to the fleet.
What are some of the vehicle manufacturer’s requirements for Fleet pricing?
Purchase 5 or more vehicles
Minimum of 10
Term basis - leasing 15 one year as well as purchasing/leasing 5 new vehicles each year
What are some of the advantages of purchasing vehicles in bulk?
Price
Servicing deals
Top price on trade-in
Why would an organization want standard vehicle specifications?
Achieve cost-saving benefits
What are the best practices for lowering costs using standard vehicle specifications?
Centralize Fleet Management
Distinguish “needs” from “wants”
Conduct annual specification reviews
Develop standards based on vehicle role and location
Why is it important to centralize Fleet Management?
Allows one person to be the decision maker when making purchases
Considers the “whole” not just the “one”
What are potential areas to save costs when identifying needs and wants?
Cloth or vinyl vs leather
Bench vs bucket
Two wheel vs Four wheel
Gasoline vs diesel
Four cylinder vs 6 or 8
Standard length vs extended
Describe the two categories of pricing incentives
National Fleet - own 10-15 vehicles, has a Fleet Identification Number - automatic manufacturer discout
Competitive Pricing Assistance (CPA) - negotiate individual incentive dependent on vehicle volume commitment
What is a good indicator of the true vehicle cost?
Total Cost of Ownership
What warranty considerations does the Fleet Manager have to keep in mind during the purchasing process?
Most warranties are not negotiable
If it is considered, have a prediction of expected life & how it adds up to the warranty
Who can a Fleet Manager contact at the dealership for information on the manufacturers Fleet programs?
Commercial or Government sales person
What does a Fleet Manager need in order to receive Fleet discounts?
Fleet Identification Number
What is a volume rebate and how can the Fleet manager obtain it?
Discount for purchasing multiple units at once
Ask for it
List the advantages of ordering vehicles from the factory
Personalized customization
Can specify the vehicle to fit specific needs
Better pricing offered by the dealer
Opportunities to add or delete options that are not available in a retail sale
What are some of the disadvantages of ordering vehicles from the factory?
Longer wait time
Lost incentives
Production windows may close
Some options or models not available for Fleet orders
Why might ordering from the factory be cheaper than ordering from stock?
Limits exposure to finance charges
What might make ordering from the dealership cheaper?
Dealer incentives
Long factory delivery times
What is the basic rule for negotiating vehicle price?
Use the same terms and same starting point as dealer
What should the Fleet Manager do in order to get the best price?
Know the difference between dealer and triple net invoice
Purchase in volume
Order early
What are the two approaches to negotiating?
Start at Dealer invoice and work down
Start at Triple Net invoice and work up
What is an alternative to negotiating vehicle prices?
Bidding
What is a vehicle selector list?
A predetermined list of vehicles that drivers or others can choose from to meet their vehicle requirements
What are some questions that manager should address in order to help them in the vehicle selection process?
How many choices exist?
What is important to management?
How much input do drivers have?
Can drivers purchase options?
Philosophy - work or perk?
Why can offering too many choices be a disadvantage?
Prevents bulk discounts
Administrative burden
List some of the factors a Fleet Manager may consider in the vehicle selection process
Upfront cost vs TCO
Driver input
Driver Purchase Options
Work or Perk?
How can a Fleet Manager get driver input and what information should they ask for?
Annual Survey, Fleet Steering Committee
Color - Model - Options
What are some considerations to be made when deciding whether the vehicle should be work or perk oriented?
Which features will or will not be paid by the organization
Why is it important to select the right vehicle?
The upfront cost is significant
Suboptimal vehicles will wait to be replaced
What are some important vehicle selection considerations for both Government and Private Fleets?
Select a vehicle that fits your needs
Determine vehicle function
Why is it important to select vehicles that meet company needs?
Cost
Perception/Image
What vehicle selection input should be solicited from management?
Organizational priorities
Cost considerations
work vs perk criteria
exterior graphic designs
Environmental concerns
What are some concerns of stakeholders in the organization when developing selection criteria?
Cost
Relation
Safety
Reliability
List the four steps in the selector development process
Identify selection criteria
Rank the criteria
Assign a weight to the criteria
Conduct a trial vehicle selection
What stakeholders should the Fleet manager seek feedback from?
Drivers and staff
Customers
Organization leadership
List some factors that might impact the vehicle selection criteria
Terrain
Duty cycle
Environmental factors
Cost of purchase
Life cycle costs
Safety
What are quantifiable and non-quantifiable factors?
Quantifiable can be measured and tested in non-subjective ways
Non-quantifiable are measured through subjective methods
What should the Fleet Manager keep in mind while ranking selection criteria?
The big picture - know what is important to the organization & which criteria will return the most value
What should the Fleet Manager consider while assigning a weight to the selection criteria?
The criteria & quantify how much more important each successive factor is
How does the Fleet Manager test vehicle options against the selection criteria?
Research each target vehicle
Evaluate a minimum of 2-3 vehicles
Score the vehicles
Review results
How does the Fleet Manager determine a points total in the selection process?
Score each vehicle from 1- (how many evaluating) in selection criteria
Multiply that by applicable weight
How can the Fleet Manager manipulate the results of a selection matrix?
By changing the weight and ranking of the criteria
Who should be included in a user input group and what are the responsibilities of the group?
Drivers
Managers
Supervisors
Maintenance workers
Evaluate & keep clear records of their notes
Collect information from various avenues
How should the Fleet Manager treat the input provided by several input groups?
It should be taken seriously and considered
Who makes the final decision on which vehicle to purchase?
Fleet Manager
What should be done once the final decision on vehicle selection has been made?
Reconnect with the group that provided input. Explain final decision and that group’s input was considered
What is Lifecycle Cost Analysis?
A technique used primarily to evaluate bids on a basis other than low purchase cost