Purchasing leads desktop PC buy team to success
By Susan Avery -- Purchasing, 11/5/1998
At many companies across the U.S., corporate buyers work in tandem with information technology managers to purchase desktop personal computers. These cross-functional PC buying teams regularly meet their objectives and are, in fact, a rousing success at most companies, say 95% of respondents to a Purchasing Magazine survey."Our PC buying team is meeting and, at times, exceeding our goals," says Ed LaFlamme, purchasing manager, Convergent Communications, Englewood, Colo. The team's objective at Convergent: "To maintain a continuous flow of quality PCs for users at a competitive cost."
Survey results show that corporate desktop PC buyers measure a team's success based on its capability to reduce total cost and deliver quality PCs on time to end users--efforts, respondents say, that are best accomplished when purchasing works closely with end users, representatives of the information technology and finance functions, and top company management.
These teams are in place at 97% of respondents' companies.
How the team accomplishes its goals, corporate buyers say, is through standardization efforts. By standardizing on computer equipment used throughout a company, PC buying teams help to lower inventory levels, as well as costs of installation and support, and training.
Before putting together a team to source PCs, one purchasing manager from Louisiana says that his company's buying operation "was receiving specifications that forced us toward certain higher-cost suppliers." Now, with the team in place, purchasing is "given proper specs and has been able to lower costs."
At another company in the South, the objective of the desktop PC buying team is "to ensure that the purchase is to spec and that specifications are complete enough for purchasing to make a quality decision."
"IT knows what it wants, but has no idea how to get it cost-effectively," agrees Denise M. Schlosser, purchasing manager, Peoples Services, Canton, Ohio. "Purchasing knows where to negotiate with suppliers and how to find new sources."
Purchasing know-how
Survey respondents are split as to which function should lead the PC buying team: Thirty-six percent say it's purchasing at their company; 43% say it's information technology. Another 21% insist it's a collaborative effort, with the duty shared by IT and purchasing.
"Purchasing will or should always be leading the team to ensure upgrades and compatibility," says Chris Jenkins, purchasing manager, Laminating Company of America, Garden Grove, Calif. At Jenkins' company, purchasing leads the team because of buyer skill at researching information and satisfying customer requirements.
Another respondent says that purchasing heads the team at his company because "contractual agreements drive decisions." Purchasing steers the cross-functional effort at a company in Tennessee because of buyer expertise at "maintaining low prices for the best value."
At Convergent Communications, both purchasing and IT share the lead "except when it falls toward cost (purchasing) or technical standard (IT) then that function leads," says LaFlamme.
Representatives of the information technology function lead the buying teams at one company because "they have to set up and maintain the equipment." Another reason respondents cite: knowledge of the system and technology.
Suppliers, surprisingly, are not invited to sit on PC buying teams: Ninety percent of respondents say they don't ask PC suppliers for their input. Even at companies where desktop PC buying teams are an ongoing effort, suppliers typically are not represented.
Teams are ongoing at 50% of respondents' companies. Others say teams have a limited life, meeting just for the duration of the project.
At one respondent's company in the Midwest, desktop PC purchasing is a "continuous process primarily due to software and hardware changes. The team controls which products are acquired to maintain standards and control costs."
PC buying teams purchase desktop PCs both directly from manufacturers and through computer resellers. Supplier-selection criteria most important to the desktop PC buying team are total cost, quality, service, and technical capability.
"Relationships with manufacturers that ensure their ability to get our standard products, total cost, overall service, and technical capability," is the most important selection criterion to the team at one respondent's company. Another is especially interested in a supplier's warranty policies.
Talkback
Related Content
Related Content
Sponsored Links
View All Blogs
Now Playing:
