Cost modelling

Understand the differences between spend analytics, should-cost tools, and negotiation insight solutions. Published on industryweek.com in March 2021 Purchasing has been underserved by technology in the last 10-15 years; however, there has been an explosion in software solutions that go far beyond ERP to address the unique and numerous use cases of procurement, sourcing, and […]

Published in the October issue of  DEAL! The corona crisis has highlighted the risks of sourcing in Asia. There are plenty of opportunities to buy closer to home. Cost specialists Robert Driessen and Jan Valkhof show with facts and figures how appealing this can be. Due to the move of production to low-wage countries, the […]

This article is part of a Whitepaper by Eric Hiller. It was recently published in Industry Week. Scroll down, fill in the form and directly receive the full Whitepaper in your mailbox. There has been a lot written over the years extolling the virtues of “should-cost” in the world of product cost management. There are […]

A negotiation process is usually an unfair process. This needs to end. Everyone is entitled to a fair price and to achieve this, it is important to work with transparent data and to have an open and honest conversation. As a young procurement professional, I looked up to the often experienced account managers on the […]

On January 1st everything is suddenly more expensive due to random price increases. Because…? There were fireworks? We’re putting up a new calendar? Someone heard a champagne cork pop? It seems like some sort of culturally decided habit, but as it often is with culture: what was the motivation behind these random price increases? In […]

By Jan Valkhof and Robert Driessen in DEAL!  Buyers: The facts are there for the taking! Negotiating is inherent to buying, but does that mean that all buyers are good at it? And, if so, what is the quality of this competence based on? The ritual mating dance Experience shows that most negotiations still start from […]