Foundation for Strategic Sourcing

F4SS INITIATIVE TEAMS

Members have identified the most significant areas of opportunities relative to eliminating redundancy (cost savings), cost avoidance, and industry development. Three Initiative Teams have been chartered to address these opportunities. Please find the team charters below:

NEW! RF Team

We are pleased to announce the formation of the "RF" Team. This team is focused on discussing opportunities to improve the RF process, be they RFI, RFS, RFP, RFQ or RF whatever! This has been a hot topic in the industry over the last year. The deliverables/charter will be developed by the team during the first call. We are also pleased to announce that Dan Brosseau with the VisualPak Companies has volunteered to lead the effort. Our first 1-hour call will be held on Monday, December 14, 11am EST on the F4SS conference line.

VISION INITIATIVE TEAM

The F4SS Vision Team will define the 5 year vision of the state of theindustry between customers and suppliers (defined as contract manufacturers and secondary packagers) by key business process (e.g., Quality, Supply Chain). Following definition, the team will conduct a gap analysis versus the current state, which will result in key development priorities for the future upon which the F4SS strategic plan will be based.

Building Trust Initiative Team

Following our Winter Conference (2008) we chartered a team to address the issue of Building Trust within the industry, as it is believed to be the root preventing us from achieving our goals.

Charter:

The F4SS Building Trust Team will define industry barriers to the establishment of trusting relationships between customers and suppliers (defined as contract manufacturers and secondary packagers). Following definition, the team will develop recommendations to foster and develop relationships built on trust.

CSOP (CUSTOMER SUPPLIER OPERATIONS PLANNING) - NO TOUCH REPLENISHMENT TEAM

The F4SS CSOP Team is responsible for developing a plan and the capabilities to ultimately achieve no-touch replenishment. Activities include benchmarking CPG industry CSOP processes between and within customers and suppliers, analyzing those processes and identifying best practices; facilitating the sharing of best practices among members; establishing recommended metrics template and developing a detailed recommendation on an industry standard process.

No Touch Replenishment Vision

No human "touch" or intervention required from the demand signal through to payment, globally.

Begins at consumer point of purchase, or in the case of a promotion or new product, with a forecast.
Flows through to raw material suppliers.
Continues through to payment

QAI (QUALITY ASSURANCE INITIATIVE) TEAM

The F4SS QAI Team will add value and eliminate losses in the Quality Assurance relationships and work processes between branded marketers (customers) and suppliers. Specific outcomes include the following: Industry benchmarking, a Community of Practice for QA leaders, agreed-to industry standards & practices, minimize audits/inspections and rigorous elimination of waste and redundancy. Our approach will use the Lean Management process of Continuous Improvement.

CAPEX (CAPITAL EXPENDITURE) INITIATIVE TEAM

Charter:

The F4SS Capital Expenditure Alternatives Initiative Team will define industry best practices in resourcing capability development between customers and suppliers (defined as contract manufacturers and secondary packagers). Following definition, the team will develop a menu of options to fund new capabilities including possible principles or factors that may lead to use of one option versus another.

SCORECARD HARMONIZATION INITIATIVE TEAM

Charter:

Develop a menu of F4SS supported ,supply chain related, key performance indicators ("KPI's") under the headings of Cost, Quality, and Service. The KPI's will include those capable of measuring performance of both suppliers and customers.

SUSTAINABILITY TEAM