Here is an interesting take from "Across the Pond!" It comes from my friend, Peter Smith, who is an independent consultant today who has served both as the former President of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) and the Procurement Director for the Department of Social Security (the DSS happens to be the largest central department in the government of the United Kingdom!).
Peter wrote a very interesting piece on his blog, Procurement-Excellence, with the very provocative title "Why aren’t reverse auctions used more by procurement people?" I think that this should be required reading by all in the public procurement community - both in Europe and the United States, and indeed, anywhere in the world. He gives an insider's perspective on why some procurement staff - and even executives - may be hesitant to "do the right thing" by using competitive bidding to save on the taxpayer's tab for governmental operations.
Hats-off to Peter - give it a read and forward my post on to all in your procurement organization! And do book mark our site, the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/), to keep up with the latest developments and trends in the world of competitive bidding in electronic marketplaces around the world.
Competitive Bidding Can Resolve the Long-Standing Problem of “Empty Miles” in the Trucking Industry and Produce Great Results for Truckers and Shippers Alike.
Here’s some food for thought. As you are cruising down the highway this summer – whether you have kids in the car or not – help pass the time not just by texting, but by playing the much safer game of “how many trucks can you count.” Odds are, no matter how high your little fella or gal in the car-seat in the back can count – be it 10 or 10,000 (now that could get annoying…), a significant portion of those trucks are rolling by are completely or significantly empty. Much to the consternation of truckers and the trucking industry, no matter how many technological innovations have come down the pipe, many times, truckers have to run a “dead-head” – delivering their goods at the desired location and then returning empty back to their home base or to the next job. These are dubbed “empty miles.” They are inefficient, they cost trucking firms tons of money, it can be disastrous for the little guy (the independent trucker), and it causes millions – maybe billions – of gallons of unnecessary fuel to be used, and needless to say, more carbon emissions being released to pollute the atmosphere. If there ever was a market screaming for rationality and efficiency, this is most certainly it.
For years, there have been matching services trying to find ways to match the empty trucks with paying loads that could help offset the empty miles conundrum. At first, these matching services operated through having truckers phone in to broker services trying to fill their trailers via an 800 number. A few years ago, these operations moved to the Web, greatly improving the accessibility and information available in the marketplace. Now, if I’m in Wichita Falls, Texas and have to drive to my next job in Wichita, Kansas, I can log-in to see if there are loads available that match my route and trucking capability. Using services such as http://www.findfreightloads.com/ and the aptly, but somewhat sacredly named http://www.getloadedtrucker.com/, independent truckers and trucking companies can avoid the dreaded dead-head run back home or to the next paying customer. Now, a new, innovative use of reverse auctions has entered the marketplace. In the United Kingdom, a young entrepreneur saw dead-head trucking as a problem ripe for a better, more efficient solution, based on competitive bidding.
In early 2008, Robert Matthams was a Manchester Business School graduate who was prompted to explore the issues involved when he made note of seeing a truck driver returning to London empty with an empty trailer after delivering a pool table to a friend in Manchester. Mr. Matthams said that: “After doing some research, I realised the problem was a lot more serious than I had first thought, with figures from (the UK) Department of Transport stating 25% of all lorries travel empty on British roads.” The British Government reported that all those unnecessary miles added-up to a whole lot of environmental costs – with over 112,000 lorries and 450,000 vans pumping out a shocking and unnecessary 36 million tons of CO² a year! So, he formed Shiply.com (http://www.shiply.com) to match empty trucks with potential shippers – and the results have been outstanding. In just two years time since the founding of the company in 2008, its registry has grown to include over 14,000 British trucking companies, and Shiply estimates that the firm has saved truckers from driving more than 10 million empty miles (equivalent to going around the world 400 times)!
This is a reverse auction model that works for all involved. Truckers find load that help pay all – or at least part – of their trips that would otherwise have been “dead-head runs.” Shippers find better prices by having trucking companies compete for their business in these spot, time and location-pair dependent markets. And overall, society benefits from having lowered shipping costs factored in to products and from having less unnecessary truck trips (and thus, lower emissions) – and all of this is done on a rapid basis. So, just as airlines, hotels, and sports teams have find that through yield management they can maximize revenue by filling otherwise empty slots of their time-dependent assets, trucking is ripe for application of competitive bidding for these spot trips. It will be interesting to see the future path for Matthams and Shiply, and to see whether his firm and/or rivals can replicate the reverse auction-based business model across Europe and in the United States as well. For sure though, it could well diminish the prospect of the dreaded “dead-head” for truckers – saving time, money, and yes, carbon and even lives, in the process.
So, a tip of the hat to Mr. Matthams, who was recently named the BT Entrepreneur of the Year, as he and his firm may well be creating a model that will rewrite the rules of the trucking industry.
Appendix: How Shiply works:
Here at the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/), we’re focused on how to best make use of reverse auctions across all sectors of business and government to maximize the value of each and every purchasing dollar for organizations. If you’re interested in learning more – or if you have a story to share about your own experiences using reverse auctions, please contact me at dwyld.kwu@gmail.com.
About the Author:
David C. Wyld (dwyld.kwu@gmail.com) is the Director of the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/). He currently serves as the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a noted expert on reverse auctions and e-procurement topics, being widely published on the topic and a recognized expert/consultant in the area. He has been named among the Rising Stars in Federal Information Technology by Federal Computer Week.
This overview of Workplace Spirituality was prepared by Arthur Smith while a Finance major in the College of Business at Southeastern Louisiana University.
Introduction
This article was produced to show how a company can embrace workplace spirituality. Using workplace spirituality will allow employees to feel like they belong, by giving them a sense of purpose not only with the company, but also in life.
The Idea in a Nutshell
As a human being, we all want that sense of belonging or sense of purpose. By introducing the workplace spirituality movement in the early 1990s, it allowed working to live by their spiritual values not only in life, but in their workplace also. Spirituality leads to creativity, which leads to fun, and when a person enjoys what they do they tend to work harder for their company. It also helps employees deal with the pressure and stress of living and working in this fast pace life.
The Top Ten Things You Need to Know About Workplace Spirituality
1. Strong Sense of Purpose – Builds a strong bond around the company because of the company’s meaningful purpose. While making a profit is important, other issues such as helping the environment and improving working conditions can be viewed upon as important also.
2. Focus on Individual Development – Recognizes the value of every employee individually and not as a whole. This allows employees to feel like they are not just working a job, but they are at a company that will allow them to learn and grow.
3. Trust and Openness – Companies who demonstrate spirituality tend to be honest and open. This allows employees to not be afraid to make mistakes. It also tends to allow the company to be upfront with customers.
4. Employee Empowerment – Management allows employees to make decisions when it comes to certain situations, such as customer service. This allows the employees to feel like they are not just another employee, but a real part of the company.
5. Toleration of Employee Expression – Companies allows their workers to express their emotions and feelings without the fear of being reprimanded. It cuts down on unhappy employees who may be afraid to express themselves.
6. Prizes Creativity – Creativity is not limited to a certain set of people. These companies provide resources to help employees reach their creativity max.
7. Diversity – Companies are becoming the core source in most communities. Spiritual companies are hiring people who would be unlikely be hired at other companies, such as people with physical disabilities who have the skill set needed to perform a certain job.
8. Promotes Vocation – Acknowledges that one’s growth for spiritual fulfillment should not be separate from work. Companies help lay the ground work for spiritual development.
9. Emphasizes Sustainability – Understanding that sustaining growth and development over the long run takes a well-thought out strategy. This refers to the business side as well as the spiritual side of the company.
10. Develops Principles – Assist employees to better understand themselves and develop both successful professional and personal relationships. This allows employees to view the impact they have on other people as well as the impact other people have on them.
The Video Lounge
This clip is a flash presentation that touches on workplace spirituality.
My Take
Spirituality is definitely still alive in the workplace today. With so many different people and cultures in today’s society you need that sense of diversification. Companies who have not jumped on board with this concept should do so very quickly. Just working for a company is not enough anymore. People want to work for companies that have not only profits, but diversification when it comes to spiritually.
References
Robbins, S. P., & Coulter, M. (2009). Management. Spirituality and Organizational Culture, 55-56.
Rhodes, K. (2006). Six Components of a Model for Workplace Spirituality. Volume 9(Issue 2). Retrieved from http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/062/workplace.html
Dr. Guillory, W., & Guillory, K. (2002). Spirituality in the Workplace. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIaYRL6R8ow.
If you enjoyed this publication, why not make one of your own with us! Are you a college or university student from anywhere in the world who would be interested in publishing your work in an edited online journal appropriate to your topic? Such a move can help put muscle into your resume and make a great impression on potential employers and graduate schools (and needless to say – and perhaps most importantly in the age in which we live – likely be the first thing that companies/universities view about you when “Googling” you)! If so, we can help you get that first publication for free (and more if you desire)! Visit Wyld Publishing Services (http://wyldpublishingservice.yolasite.com/) for details. We can work with you to publish your quality essays, research articles/papers, reviews, etc. – and even audio and visual media and PowerPoint presentations – given our network of edited publications and relationship with publishers around the world who want to work with you and your work. Contact us today at dwyld.kwu@gmail.com.
