Certification

North to Alaska!

Make plans to attend the 61st Pacific Northwest Purchasing Conference October 7-9, 2004 at the Anchorage Marriott Downtown. Here are some highlights. Sign up for Purchasing Topics and Professional Development with Nationally Recognized Speakers, Networking Opportunities, Unique Workshops, World Class Food, Alaskan Theme Entertainment and Incomparable Scenery.http://www.napmalaska.org/pnwf04Conf.htm

Speakers:
Keynote Speaker: Anthony S. Nieves, C.P.M., A.P.P., CFPM Chairman, ISM Board of Directors
Benjamin Beard, JD
Ross Kopperud, JD
Dr. Oliver Hedgepeth
Dr. Bruno Kappes
Dr. Elisha Baker
Dr. Jim Cummings
Dr. Jang Ra
Mike Taylor, C.P.M.

Download the Conference Brochure and Register today!

Education

ISM is planning to offer a Sarbanes Oxley seminar. The following notice appeared in the July issue of News Line. http://www.ism.ws/MembersOnly/Newsline/Newsline0704f.cfm

COMING THIS SUMMER: SARBANES-OXLEY WEB SEMINAR

August 26, 2004
10:00-11:00 a.m. Pacific
1:00-2:00 p.m. Eastern

In order for supply management professionals to properly comply with the new Sarbanes-Oxley legislation, it is critical to learn how to account for and list off-balance sheet transactions and obligations, maintain and document viable internal controls, and report material events that may impact financial reporting in a timely and efficient manner. Watch for details in the next NewsLine or your e-mail inbox.

Professional Development

Got Procedures?

We've been talking over the past few months about dealing with SOX audit issues. One of the ways that you may have to address auditor concerns is by developing procedures or process controls. When it comes time, there are a multitude of examples and sample available on the web. Just go to www.Google.com and search on the terms "procurement manual" or "contract manual" [with quotation marks]. Below are a few examples I looked at.

After many years of editing and writing procedures, forms and contract terms for our organization, there are a few tips I can offer:

Write in plain language. Don't try to make it sound legal or formal; everyone will interpret the words differently. Say what you mean.
Be careful when using words like "all", "never", "always", "none", etc. Most contracting situations are not black and white. If the boss can authorize an exception, make sure you allow for it.
Start with the basic determinations/decisions/authorizations that must be made and define who, when and how. Keep these at a minimum to satisfy company requirements. You can always do more, but your procedure should cover the minimum. example:

Who can authorize the budget expenditure?
Who can decide the product specification?
Who can select the supplier?
Who can sign the contract?

Look for minimum applicable requirements in company accounting controls, environmental regulations, corporate requirements, customer contract requirements, FAR/DEAR, etc. flowdowns, and good business contracting and ethical practices. Again, boil it down to the minimum requirement. Do we have to comply? If so, what is the minimum I have to do.
Keep track of revisions and revision dates. You will want to be able to verify what the procedure said when a specific transaction happened.

ISM News

NAPM Columbia Basin Web site is moving. Our new URL is www.ismcb.org

It's time to make sure that your affiliate officers are correctly identified on the ISM web site. Please submit your Annual Affiliate Officers Update Form online at www.ism.ws/MembersOnly/AffiliateOfficerUpForm.cfm. The online roster is prepopulated with the information on file at ISM. All you have to do is verify the information and make changes as needed. If you have any questions, contact Melanie DePalma at 480/752-6276, extension 3062.

Hotlinks

A few examples of procurement manuals I found on the web:

FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION BEST PRACTICES PROCUREMENT MANUAL
http://www.fta.dot.gov/library/admin/BPPM/toc.html
[check out the sample memorandum of negotiations]

Also very interesting reading is the FAQ page:
http://www.ftahelpline.com/frequently_asked_questions.htm

**********

The Harvard University Procurement Management Department
http://vpf-web.harvard.edu/ofs/procurement/pro_pro.shtml

University of Iowa Procurement Card
http://www.uiowa.edu/~purchase/procurement/manual/PCtoc.html

Check out the card holder agreement form. Takes a long time to download
http://www.uiowa.edu/%7Eeforms/prch/pcagree1.pdf

	Find more news and articles in the BuyTrain Archive
	Visit the Purchasing Toolbox for more articles on negotiation, E-Commerce and Professional Development
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That's about all for now. Hope you find something useful!

Provide Feedback and suggestions for future newsletters at any time. I'll try and use what I can.

NOTE: I appreciate those of you who take the time to write and comment on this newsletter.

	MLTWEB is assembled and maintained by Michael L. Taylor, C.P.M.
	Materials and articles prepared by Mike may be shared for purchasing education provided that this source is cited and no fee is charged. The rights for any other use are withheld.
	Copyright; Michael L. Taylor, C.P.M.
	Last Updated: 05/21/2008