Friday, May 18, 2007
Supply Chain Management
It integrates supply and demand management within and across companies. According to the Council of Supply Chain Management (CSCMP), “Supply Chain Management encompasses the planning and management of all activities involved in sourcing and procurement, conversion, and all Logistics Management activities. Importantly, it also includes coordination and collaboration with channel partners, which can be suppliers, intermediaries, third-party service providers, and customers. In essence, Supply Chain Management integrates supply and demand management within and across companies.”
One of the most important things in supply chain management as it applies to Private Investigation Agencies is the availability and cost of sub-contractors and specialists. In order to provide the quality investigation the client deserves, the investigator must be able to supply the appropriate expertise for the investigation and stay within the client’s investigative budget. This entails acquiring and maintaining an in-house base of a qualified private investigator, supplemented by sub-contractors who can provide the competencies not currently available with the in-house private investigators.
Acquiring and maintaining an affordable sub-contractor base can benefit both the sub-contractors and the Investigations Agency by providing consistent and profitable work for all while providing the quality investigation the clients expect and deserve.
The most difficult part of acquiring and maintaining a qualified sub-contractor base is determining the qualifications and competencies of the sub-contractor. It has been my experience, and I am sure that of others, that some agencies used as sub-contractors do not have the competencies necessary to provide the work product expected. This can cause difficulties both with the investigation and with the clients.
In order to avoid this situation, those who are considered as sub-contractors should be thoroughly researched to determine the areas and extent of their competencies. It is important to know this in order to properly make use of the sub-contractor base.
Another important aspect of having an established sub-contractor base is the ability to determine geographic costs. This information can be used to determine the funding necessary for the different types of investigations in diverse locations. This information will allow the investigative agency to provide an approximate cost of the investigation during the initial client consultation. This will lead to a better funded investigation and a more satisfied client. It will also benefit the agency, which delivers profitable investigations that are accomplished in a timely and cost-effective manner.