NIGP CPP Focus Areas 4-7 Combined

Seven steps to problem solving:

(1) Clearly identify the problem (2) Actively listen to stakeholders and seek to understand everyone's perspective (3) Brainstorm and list all possible options to solve the problem. (4) Evaluate by determining the benefits and disadvantages of each option. (5) Select the best option(s). (6)Document the agreed-to solution. (7) Monitor the effectiveness of the implemented solution and evaluate the outcome.

Methods of Training and Engagement Opportunities

Form committees of diverse staff members to exchange ideas and knowledge. Encourage employees to participate in conferences and seminars. Then, ask them to give a brief report or presentation of what was learned at the conference to their colleagues. Employees learn many new skills while on job itself. Share examples where an employee showed tremendous intelligence, used his innovative ideas, and utilized his skills to find a solution to any problem. Job shadowing is another opportunity for an employee to learn additional skills. This allows an employee to follow colleagues and gain from their experience and expertise. Ask employees to work in teams. Every individual has his/her own area of expertise. Let employees gain from each other's knowledge and experience. Motivate employees to help each other learn new skills. Establish a mentorship program, to match mentors and mentees within the entity.

Third Party

Generally, a contractor or supplier who ultimately receives monetary payment (grant funds) from the grantee as a result of rendering contractual goods or services in satisfaction of a contract that was funded by the grant.

The critical characteristics of high-performance entities include the following:

A flatter, horizontal organizational structure instead of a vertical hierarchy; Work is done by teams organized around processes; teams are empowered to make decisions; management is decentralized and participative; Empowered employees possess high skill levels and are cross-trained; rewards are granted for team performance; Collaboration must be continuous among teams, between staff and management, and with suppliers; Focus is on customers, quality and continuous improvement; and Flexible technologies are used.

Truckload

A quantity of freight to which truckload rates apply; indicates full truckload as opposed to LT (less than truckload) shipment. Motor carriers will charge less per Cwt if a shipper is moving full truckloads (TL).

Modes of Transportation: Advantages and Disadvantages (Air)

ADVANTAGES Faster delivery International use Handle sensitive cargo DISADVANTAGES Higher costs Requires other modes

Modes of Transportation: Advantages and Disadvantages (Pipeline)

ADVANTAGES High dependability Ideal for oil industry DISADVANTAGES Limited accessibility Requires other modes

Modes of Transportation: Advantages and Disadvantages (Water)

ADVANTAGES International use Transport bulk items DISADVANTAGES Limited accessibility Requires other modes

Modes of Transportation: Advantages and Disadvantages (Rail)

ADVANTAGES Move large volumes Low cost structure DISADVANTAGES Limited accessibility

Inventory Count In-House

Advantages Familiarity with inventory and warehouse Commitment to organization Knowledge of entity policies Disadvantages Time consuming Limits ability to do regular work Higher labor costs

Inventory County by Third Party

Advantages Limited to occasional use Frees up time for warehouse staff Low cost services Disadvantages Lack of organization knowledge Other customer commitments Unfamiliarity with inventory items

Modes of Transportation: Advantages and Disadvantages (Truck)

Advantages: High availability Ease of accessibility Reliable service Disadvantages: Impacted by weather Limited international use

The (5) connecting principles:

Connecting increases your influence in every situation; Connecting is all about others; Connecting goes beyond words; Connecting always requires energy; and Connecting is more skill than natural talent

The (5) connecting practices:

Connectors connect on common ground; Connectors do the difficult work of keeping it simple; Connectors create an experience everyone enjoys; Connectors inspire people; and Connectors live what they communicate.

Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for Logistics Management

Customer Service, On-Time Delivery, Lead Time, and Green Products

administration

Deals with setting the parameters under which a project or organization goals will be achieved

Necessary steps that should occur in the recruiting process:

Develop a pipeline of potential candidates. Create an internship program. Conduct community-level recruitment (ongoing) Network in the community. Participate in job fairs. Partner with other entities (universities, etc.) Promote the profession to the community. Promote the profession/department on social media.

DISC

Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Conscientiousness

Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones were benchmarking their procurement practices, and at some point the conversation turned to how they managed their staff. Mr. Smith, was a self-admitted "micro-manager" type and proud of it. He not only had an electronic procurement system, but an extensive companion "how to" manual that explained to an exact degree how to make entries in the electronic system. In addition, every transaction went through his "approval mailbox." He set up the system this way because he could then reduce risk to a minimum since he was in control. He wasn't getting a lot done, but by gosh it was all correct. Which theory most closely portrays Mr. Smith's management style?

McGregor's Theory X a regimented management approach and assumes that employees have a distaste for work and lack ambition. Theory X managers must organize all elements of the work, direct employee efforts, and control their actions to fit the needs of the organization.

A procurement officer is responsible for preparing a monthly report on the Procurement Card (PCard) program. The report requires information from other departments in order to complete his report. A staff member located in another department is consistently late in providing information for the report. The procurement director is aware that the officer is experiencing problems with obtaining the needed information. He is reliable with all of his other job responsibilities despite being late each month with the PCard report. The officer's ability to submit reports on time is an appraisal objective in his annual performance evaluation. Should his tardiness in completing his reports be reflected as sub-standard work in his performance evaluation?

No, because his supervisor should remove all obstacles that would hinder his progress in completing required tasks and that prevents him from putting his best efforts forward in submitting reports in a timely manner

3 Kinds of People

People who don't know what they would like to do, People who know what they would like to do, but don't do it, and People who know what they would like to do and do it

PLAN AHEAD

Pre-determine the change that is needed. Lay out steps or develop a plan Adjust your priorities Notify key people Allow time for acceptance Head into action Expect problems Always point to the successes Daily Review

Level of Leadership-Permission

Relationships. People follow because they want to. At this level, people give you permission to lead them because they give you their trust based on the integrity that you modeled. However, it is essential to move to the next level by showing your competence. Staying at this level means that you have established good relationships with your team/peers but have stayed at a level of commonality.

Level of Leadership-people development

Reproduction or developing other leaders. People follow because of what you have done for them. Very few leaders attract and develop leaders. This is a level of mentorship in which you develop leaders around you. Approximately, 5% of leaders attract and develop leaders.

Level of Leadership-pinnacle

Respect. People follow because of who you are and what you represent. This is the ultimate level of leadership and not many people achieve this level.

Level of Leadership-production

Results. People follow because of what you have done for the organization. You have shown your competence and what you can accomplish for the organization. This is a good position to be in, but if you want to retain good people and keep them engaged, you need to help them develop as leaders. When you start developing leaders, you move to the next level of leadership. Approximately 80% of the leaders do not go beyond this level.

Asset disposition options may include any of the following:

Reuse, recondition, return, resell, reclaim, recycle, remove

Level of Leadership-position

Rights. People follow because they have to. This is the lowest level of leadership. When you are recognized and given a promotion, know that this is your starting point and that you have a small window to move to the next level of leadership.

Logistics Management

The discipline responsible for the movement, routing, distribution, transportation, and coordination activities that apply to goods delivery and/or service performance.

Carload

The minimum weight, as defined by law, of a shipment entitled to a reduced freight rate. The shipment amount that fills a freight car (or truck). A load that fills the maximum capacity of a transporting unit.

Mode

The type of average that indicates the most frequent instance of a number or happening. The number in a distribution that occurs most frequently.

3PL (Third Party Logistics)

This is the term for a third-party logistics provider that manages the transportation needs of another organization

Lean Six Sigma discipline 5 Whys

This strategy helps get to the root of the problem and avoids treating symptoms instead of the cause of the problem. Every time you ask why, it helps you get to the next layer of the problem.

Training and development can be initiated for a variety of reasons for an employee or group of employees, such as:

To be use when a performance appraisal indicates that performance improvement is needed; To "benchmark" the status of improvement so far in a performance improvement effort; To be included as part of an overall professional development program; To be used as a part of succession planning to help an employee be eligible for a planned change in role in the entity; or To "pilot", or test, the operation of a new performance management system.

Training

a continuous process that is necessary to develop and retain the best employees.

RFQu

a document which is issued by a procurement entity to obtain statements of the qualifications of potential responders (development teams or consultants) to gauge potential competition in the marketplace, prior to issuing the solicitation

demurrage

a fee charged by a carrier against a consignee, consignor, or other responsible party to compensate for the detention of the carrier's equipment in excess of allowable free time for loading, unloading, reconsigning, or stopping in transit. The term is also used by suppliers of material delivered in a variety of returnable containers, such as gas cylinders, rail containers, and equipment

Bill of Lading

a legally required document that parties involved must complete before a shipment can be allowed to deliver its goods. It serves as a protection for both the carrier and the shipper since it contains a detailed description of the exact weight of the shipment, its exact value, its type, the quantity, and destination of the material being transported. The carrier will be the one to issue the document that will be submitted to the shipper of the goods.

decentralized warehouse

a method of maintaining several smaller warehouses spread out to different areas in order to better serve different markets or stocking different products

IFB

a procurement method used to solicit competitive sealed bid responses, sometimes called a formal bid when price is the basis for award

symptom

a sign of the existence of something else. Something that indicates the existence of something else

closed-looped supply chain

a supply chain, you recycle all the components when the product reaches the end of its usable life.

tariff

a tax or duty to be paid on a particular class of imports or exports.

Freight on Board (FOB)

a term in international commercial law specifying at what point respective obligations, costs, and risk involved in the delivery of goods shift from the seller to the buyer under the Incoterms standard published by the International Chamber of Commerce

performance specification

a type of specification that describes the desired outcome or intended use of a commodity and how the commodity will perform (e.g., number of items, distance to travel, time required).

design specification

a type of specification that establishes the characteristics an item must possess, including details indicating how it is to be manufactured. May include engineering plans or drawings, and blueprints. It states to the contractor in prescriptive terms what the contractor must provide to the buyer

The Procurement Official for a state agency notices that a new Procurement professional is eating lunch frequently with the same office supply sales representative. The agency does not have a policy prohibiting employees from accepting lunches from suppliers, but the manager is becoming increasingly concerned about the frequency of lunch appointments with the representative. As the manager, what would be the best approach to take in this situation?

advise the procurement professional of the importance in public procurement of avoiding the appearance of favoritism and unethical behavior

Within the first six months of employment with the city, a procurement professional is assigned to handle the mailing services contract (valued at $125,000 annually) which must be re-competed since all available renewal options on the existing contract have been exercised. Upon reviewing the file, the procurement professional notices that a mailing company which is owned by his godmother's brother has won the contract the last two times it was competed. The end user has been satisfied with the performance and has directed the procurement professional to make sure this company is on the list of companies to be solicited for the new contract. What should the procurement professional do?

advise the supervisor of a possible appearance of a conflict of interest

sourcing strategies

alternative procurement plans that give guidance to assess, evaluate, and manage the supply base in ways that are consistent with overall entity objectives

Disc

an assessment tool that measures how you respond to challenges, how you influence others, your preferred pace for speaking and processing, and how you respond to rules and procedures

embargo

an official ban on trade or other commercial activity with a particular country.

Leaders with good problem-solving ability demonstrate five qualities:

anticipate problems, accepts the truth, see the bid picture, handle one thing at a time, and don't give up on a major goal when feeling discouraged

supplier's history of performance

can be a good indicator of how well they are likely to perform for an organization

manager

can move the project forward, but to move people in a different direction, he/she must possess leadership skills.

facility characteristics

consideration should be given to the design and capabilities of the facilities that the product will flow through

As cross functional teams begin to multiply in the organization, what steps should be taken to ensure quality participation by staff and the continuity of the work flow within the department?

cross training for operational support

Leadership

deals with influencing people

The transit system needed to replace outdated buses. The director of the transit system leaked word to bus manufacturers about the upcoming solicitations. The person in charge of transportation contracts was inundated with offers from suppliers willing to provide all expense paid site visits for the committee working on the solicitation. The companies wanted to ensure that "proper" specifications were written. What direction should the head of the procurement department provide?

decline the all expense paid trip(s) in favor of a trip organized, planned and paid for by the agency

A Physical Therapist insists that a specific purchase should be made from one company and files it as a sole-source procurement. The dollar value is above the single quote limit and you notify her. She continues to insist this company is the only one to meet her needs but provides no explanation why. When you explain the requirement for sole source documentation she becomes verbally abusive. What do you do?

document the situation and wait for the physical therapist to call you back once she has cooled off

How to Assess Equipment Fleet and Distribution Facility

evaluation may include scheduling a site visit to physically inspect their equipment and distribution facility, and checking to see if the supplier has the appropriate fleet of trucks and equipment

management

focuses on maintaining systems and processes

Internal training sources include

formal procurement training with procurement staff, training sessions with entity subject matter experts, job shadowing, cross training, and coaching.

When meeting with the facilities manager, a senior buyer is told that a contract is needed for a local delivery service. What information would be needed by the buyer?

how often deliveries are required and to what locations

External training sources may include

industry procurement training, conferences, online training opportunities, and webinars.

Logistics

is a determination of how a shipment will move from the point of origin to the destination including the selection of carriers and geographic routes

cause

is something or someone that produces an effect, result, or condition; something or someone that makes something happen or exist

Sara is looking for alternative ways to provide materials to the point of use other warehousing and delivering them for her entity. Her goal is to have suppliers provide inventory items, but she doesn't want to purchase them until the items are used. A valid option for Sara to consider is:

just-in-time delivery

Nancy is discussing the importance of lifecycle management processes for capital assets with her colleagues in the warehouse. Which of the following reasons is NOT something she should focus on during the conversation?

lifecycle management processes maximize consumable opportunity

Capital Equiment

long-lasting goods a firm acquires and owns but does not consume in the ordinary course of business. These may include assets such as machines, trucks, large computers, and office furniture. Items will have a minimum useful service life of one year or more; have a certain threshold identified by policy and contribute value to an agency's business

dunnage

loose wood, matting, or similar material used to keep a cargo in position in a ship's hold

Level of Awareness

mastery, experience, discipline, decision, aspiration, mass, animal/autopilot

leader

may also possess the skills to function as a manager and vice versa. Their role is to influence people to move in a certain direction or perform in a certain way.

administrator and the manager

may have similar duties, but the timing of their tasks of those duties may be different.

latent damage

occurs when a device is partially degraded during manufacturing and handling, yet it meets product test specifications and is ultimately shipped to a customer

The five levels of leadership are:

position, permission, production, people development, and pinnacle

The procurement manager for the City of Marionville has been in office for just over one year. Her supervisor has complained that her department processes purchase orders at a snail's pace. Prior to her employment in the Procurement Department, her four employees did not receive a performance review for over 5 years. Despite her efforts to establish individual work plans and goals for each employee, clear evidence indicates that three of the four employees lack motivation and are poor performers. As the next performance evaluation approaches, what action should the manager take with the three poor performers?

prepare their performance evaluations and seek input from them on what is needed in order to perform at a higher level

Procurement professionals should consider the following when choosing a mode of transportation:

product characteristics, facility characteristics, and time constraints

Budget departments and agencies of public organizations rely heavily on procurement agencies to do what?

provide market data, assist in forecasting and provide cost data by understanding the budget process of the organization

A member of the staff has requested approval to attend the NIGP Annual Forum. This staff member has been written up for violating rules and regulations. He has a poor attendance record and is not as productive as some of the other staff members. However, the manager feels that if this request is denied, someone will interpret the decision to be discriminatory. If this person is selected, others who are more deserving cannot attend and will be penalized unfairly. If the manager elects to send this person, an uncomfortable HR issue can be avoided. What do you think would be the best thing to do?

refuse to sign the approval and counsel the employee, explaining why the request has been denied

Maria, the city's warehouse manager, is trying to determine the best order quantity of lawn mower repair parts that the Building & Grounds Department uses. Which of the following is the most relevant consideration?

seasonal changes in use

High-performance entities continually

seek to deliver quality products and services, provide outstanding customer service, and maintain sound financial performance within the constraints of the entity's internal and external environment.

administrator

sets the goals for the organization and the manager has the day-to-day control of the operational aspects and is concerned with adhering to parameters set and the achievement of the goals.

The state's central warehouse stores the same items in a consistent, designated space each time they are received. This is known as:

sound warehousing

time constratints

speed is an important consideration in transportation; faster modes usually cost more money

A cross-organizational team was established to achieve cost savings through the use of cooperative contracts. The top leaders of all five involved organizations have unanimously and publicly heralded the outcome of this joint effort as a great way to get the "biggest bang" for the taxpayers' and stakeholders' money. This is the second bi-weekly meeting of the team and there is a lot of questioning concerning the need for the team as well as complaints about the additional burden the project work will impose on the team members. Which of the following phases would best describe where the team is now?

storming. As the team begins to move towards its goals, members discover that the team can't live up to all their early excitement and expectations.

functions of both the manager and the administrator

tasks and setting parameters to perform those tasks

Influence

the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself

How International Treaties Work

the country is obligated to fulfill the provisions, and may require a country to make changes in domestic laws to fulfill the obligations. They do not have absolute authority; countries can negotiate or reject provisions

RFP

the document used to solicit proposals from potential providers (proposers) for goods and services. Price is usually not a primary evaluation factor. Provides for the negotiation of all terms, including price, prior to contract award. May include a provision for the negotiation of best and final offers.

Management of Logistics and transportation

the process of transporting materials from the point origin to the destination; from the supplier to the entity

Lead time

the time elapsed from order placement to receipt of commodity. this includes the activities of order transmittal, processing, preparation and shipping. When there are multiple links between organization and supplier, lead time is the sum of all lead times. Congested airways, highways and waterways are always a factor in estimating delivery lead times. The total time it takes to complete a series of tasks within a process.

Product characteristics

the type of container that you need to ship in

combination specification

this type of specification includes elements of both design and performance specifications

Lean 8 Wastes

transportation, inventory, motion, waiting, overproduction, overprocessing, defects, and untapped talent

Modes of Transportation:

truck, air, rail, water, and pipeline

Materials can be transported through various modes:

truck, rail, ship, and air

How is history of performance done within an RFP or RFB process?

use of references

A cross-functional team that has been working together for a significant period of time will tend to be:

very productive because the team members will know the other participants and have knowledge of all of the teams' goals and objectives

4 Components to Connecting

visually, intellectually, emotionally, and verbally

Necessary steps that should occur in the hiring process:

Identify the need for the position. Receive approval for the new position. Publicize the job posting. Review applications. Interview the candidates. Check references/perform background checks. Select the most qualified person for the job. Onboard the new employee.