Questions to Consider These questions are designed to encourage answers that lead to a better understanding of your organizations local environment. Please consider them as a starting point to our discussion. How do you manage your internal business processes and your supply chain and/or demand chain? Is it working out for you? The chain consists of the buyers and sellers who do business with each other, beginning from the raw material to the end product or service; consumed or recycled to recreate the raw material again.   How do you resource for small and/or large goods and services? Are you satisfied with the resources regarding quality, service, delivery and price?   How do you presently procure large-value goods and services? Is there good competition between suppliers, for both, goods and services? Is the competition as mandated by the owners or the financing institutions?   Can you negotiate well so all parties feel okay?   Can you deliver the goods, services and the overall project within budget and on time?   How do you presently meet the laws and regulations that apply to each transaction?   How do you meet standards of quality, service and competitive pricing at an international scale? Such standards are becoming increasingly prevalent as good industry practices and are required by lenders and other trade organizations to conduct business with them, on their behalf, or with their funding. Such organizations are: World Trade Organization (WTO), World Bank, European Union, United Nations and Federal and State governments of the United States and most other countries. The private industry, as a competitive advantage, uses these practices as well.   Are you keeping good track of your details in spending for capital goods and services; by business function, items, quantities, vendors, prices quoted, prices paid, schedules and budgets? In other words: Do you know where your money went? And did you use it wisely? This activity is also referred as 'Transparency of the transaction' and the 'review, accountability and enforcement' is called 'Oversight'. More so than an 'Audit' which takes place after the fact, this is a continuous activity and is becoming a standard way of conducting business.   Are you keeping track of and/or seeking the best logistics to move your products and services to/from the market?   Do you know what is stored in your godowns (warehouses)? Is it sufficient to take care of your needs in the near future and long-term? Is there too much in storage that is either not needed or cannot be used in a timely manner? How much money is tied up in your inventory?   Are your suppliers communicating well with each other? About how much of the communication is via telephone, fax or the internet? Is your production line coordinated or do you have idle-time gaps along the way, costing you time and money?   Do you feel that there is a lot of wasted time and motion with little accomplished?   Do you think that there are local people who are capable to do the work, if only they could be trained?   Are you using any software to do any of the above functions at your office? Would you like to learn and manage the functions that we discussed above?