by Mary Ruth Williamson, CEO | Mar 25, 2026 | RFQ/E-Sourcing
In procurement, RFQ and RFP get used interchangeably all the time. In manufacturing, that’s a problem. They’re not the same document. They’re not interchangeable tools. And using the wrong one doesn’t just create confusion — it actively weakens...
by Mary Ruth Williamson, CEO | Mar 19, 2026 | Direct Materials Sourcing
Supplier consolidation is one of the most common cost-reduction strategies in manufacturing—and one of the easiest to misunderstand. Yes, consolidation can create leverage, simplify operations, and reduce cost. Under the wrong conditions, it does the opposite: it...
by Mary Ruth Williamson, CEO | Mar 17, 2026 | Direct Materials Sourcing, Featured
Industrial commodity markets are entering a volatile phase — and “volatile” is doing most of the heavy lifting in that sentence. This evolving industrial metals outlook for 2026 is directly impacting how manufacturers approach sourcing, supplier selection,...
by Mary Ruth Williamson, CEO | Mar 11, 2026 | RFQ/E-Sourcing
Most direct materials RFQs don’t fail at the negotiation table. They begin to fall apart wherever someone put together a loosely worded email, attached a drawing, and called it a sourcing event. An email asking for a price isn’t a structured RFQ. A...
by Mary Ruth Williamson, CEO | Mar 5, 2026 | RFQ/E-Sourcing
Most manufacturers have run RFQs. Far fewer feel like they got what they were promised: real savings, clearer decisions, better suppliers, and fewer headaches. That’s not because competitive sourcing is broken. It’s because RFQs are often treated as a transactional...
