#ways to improve supplier relationships

[smithlee1221]

Analytical and Relational Skills in Procurement

Analytical and relational skills are essential for procurement success. Comprara’s expert team helps you enhance decision-making and foster stronger supplier relationships. Strengthen your procurement function with targeted strategies from Comprara.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Big Tech disrupted disruption

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/08/permanent-overlords/#republicans-want-to-defund-the-police

Before "disruption" turned into a punchline, it was a genuinely exciting idea. Using technology, we could connect people to one another and allow them to collaborate, share, and cooperate to make great things happen.

It's easy (and valid) to dismiss the "disruption" of Uber, which "disrupted" taxis and transit by losing $31b worth of Saudi royal money in a bid to collapse the world's rival transportation system, while quietly promising its investors that it would someday have pricing power as a monopoly, and would attain profit through price-gouging and wage-theft.

Uber's disruption story was wreathed in bullshit: lies about the "independence" of its drivers, about the imminence of self-driving taxis, about the impact that replacing buses and subways with millions of circling, empty cars would have on traffic congestion. There were and are plenty of problems with traditional taxis and transit, but Uber magnified these problems, under cover of "disrupting" them away.

But there are other feats of high-tech disruption that were and are genuinely transformative – Wikipedia, GNU/Linux, RSS, and more. These disruptive technologies altered the balance of power between powerful institutions and the businesses, communities and individuals they dominated, in ways that have proven both beneficial and durable.

When we speak of commercial disruption today, we usually mean a tech company disrupting a non-tech company. Tinder disrupts singles bars. Netflix disrupts Blockbuster. Airbnb disrupts Marriott.

But the history of "disruption" features far more examples of tech companies disrupting other tech companies: DEC disrupts IBM. Netscape disrupts Microsoft. Google disrupts Yahoo. Nokia disrupts Kodak, sure – but then Apple disrupts Nokia. It's only natural that the businesses most vulnerable to digital disruption are other digital businesses.

And yet…disruption is nowhere to be seen when it comes to the tech sector itself. Five giant companies have been running the show for more than a decade. A couple of these companies (Apple, Microsoft) are Gen-Xers, having been born in the 70s, then there's a couple of Millennials (Amazon, Google), and that one Gen-Z kid (Facebook). Big Tech shows no sign of being disrupted, despite the continuous enshittification of their core products and services. How can this be? Has Big Tech disrupted disruption itself?

That's the contention of "Coopting Disruption," a new paper from two law profs: Mark Lemley (Stanford) and Matthew Wansley (Yeshiva U):

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4713845

The paper opens with a review of the literature on disruption. Big companies have some major advantages: they've got people and infrastructure they can leverage to bring new products to market more cheaply than startups. They've got existing relationships with suppliers, distributors and customers. People trust them.

Diversified, monopolistic companies are also able to capture "involuntary spillovers": when Google spends money on AI for image recognition, it can improve Google Photos, YouTube, Android, Search, Maps and many other products. A startup with just one product can't capitalize on these spillovers in the same way, so it doesn't have the same incentives to spend big on R&D.

Finally, big companies have access to cheap money. They get better credit terms from lenders, they can float bonds, they can tap the public markets, or just spend their own profits on R&D. They can also afford to take a long view, because they're not tied to VCs whose funds turn over every 5-10 years. Big companies get cheap money, play a long game, pay less to innovate and get more out of innovation.

But those advantages are swamped by the disadvantages of incumbency, all the various curses of bigness. Take Arrow's "replacement effect": new companies that compete with incumbents drive down the incumbents' prices and tempt their customers away. But an incumbent that buys a disruptive new company can just shut it down, and whittle down its ideas to "sustaining innovation" (small improvements to existing products), killing "disruptive innovation" (major changes that make the existing products obsolete).

Arrow's Replacement Effect also comes into play before a new product even exists. An incumbent that allows a rival to do R&D that would eventually disrupt its product is at risk; but if the incumbent buys this pre-product, R&D-heavy startup, it can turn the research to sustaining innovation and defund any disruptive innovation.

Arrow asks us to look at the innovation question from the point of view of the company as a whole. Clayton Christensen's "Innovator's Dilemma" looks at the motivations of individual decision-makers in large, successful companies. These individuals don't want to disrupt their own business, because that will render some part of their own company obsolete (perhaps their own division!). They also don't want to radically change their customers' businesses, because those customers would also face negative effects from disruption.

A startup, by contrast, has no existing successful divisions and no giant customers to safeguard. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain from disruption. Where a large company has no way for individual employees to initiate major changes in corporate strategy, a startup has fewer hops between employees and management. What's more, a startup that rewards an employee's good idea with a stock-grant ties that employee's future finances to the outcome of that idea – while a giant corporation's stock bonuses are only incidentally tied to the ideas of any individual worker.

Big companies are where good ideas go to die. If a big company passes on its employees' cool, disruptive ideas, that's the end of the story for that idea. But even if 100 VCs pass on a startup's cool idea and only one VC funds it, the startup still gets to pursue that idea. In startup land, a good idea gets lots of chances – in a big company, it only gets one.

Given how innately disruptable tech companies are, given how hard it is for big companies to innovate, and given how little innovation we've gotten from Big Tech, how is it that the tech giants haven't been disrupted?

The authors propose a four-step program for the would-be Tech Baron hoping to defend their turf from disruption.

First, gather information about startups that might develop disruptive technologies and steer them away from competing with you, by investing in them or partnering with them.

Second, cut off any would-be competitor's supply of resources they need to develop a disruptive product that challenges your own.

Third, convince the government to pass regulations that big, established companies can comply with but that are business-killing challenges for small competitors.

Finally, buy up any company that resists your steering, succeeds despite your resource war, and escapes the compliance moats of regulation that favors incumbents.

Then: kill those companies.

The authors proceed to show that all four tactics are in play today. Big Tech companies operate their own VC funds, which means they get a look at every promising company in the field, even if they don't want to invest in them. Big Tech companies are also awash in money and their "rival" VCs know it, and so financial VCs and Big Tech collude to fund potential disruptors and then sell them to Big Tech companies as "aqui-hires" that see the disruption neutralized.

On resources, the authors focus on data, and how companies like Facebook have explicit policies of only permitting companies they don't see as potential disruptors to access Facebook data. They reproduce internal Facebook strategy memos that divide potential platform users into "existing competitors, possible future competitors, [or] developers that we have alignment with on business models." These categories allow Facebook to decide which companies are capable of developing disruptive products and which ones aren't. For example, Amazon – which doesn't compete with Facebook – is allowed to access FB data to target shoppers. But Messageme, a startup, was cut off from Facebook as soon as management perceived them as a future rival. Ironically – but unsurprisingly – Facebook spins these policies as pro-privacy, not anti-competitive.

These data policies cast a long shadow. They don't just block existing companies from accessing the data they need to pursue disruptive offerings – they also "send a message" to would-be founders and investors, letting them know that if they try to disrupt a tech giant, they will have their market oxygen cut off before they can draw breath. The only way to build a product that challenges Facebook is as Facebook's partner, under Facebook's direction, with Facebook's veto.

Next, regulation. Starting in 2019, Facebook started publishing full-page newspaper ads calling for regulation. Someone ghost-wrote a Washington Post op-ed under Zuckerberg's byline, arguing the case for more tech regulation. Google, Apple, OpenAI other tech giants have all (selectively) lobbied in favor of many regulations. These rules covered a lot of ground, but they all share a characteristic: complying with them requires huge amounts of money – money that giant tech companies can spare, but potential disruptors lack.

Finally, there's predatory acquisitions. Mark Zuckerberg, working without the benefit of a ghost writer (or in-house counsel to review his statements for actionable intent) has repeatedly confessed to buying companies like Instagram to ensure that they never grow to be competitors. As he told one colleague, "I remember your internal post about how Instagram was our threat and not Google+. You were basically right. The thing about startups though is you can often acquire them.”

All the tech giants are acquisition factories. Every successful Google product, almost without exception, is a product they bought from someone else. By contrast, Google's own internal products typically crash and burn, from G+ to Reader to Google Videos. Apple, meanwhile, buys 90 companies per year – Tim Apple brings home a new company for his shareholders more often than you bring home a bag of groceries for your family. All the Big Tech companies' AI offerings are acquisitions, and Apple has bought more AI companies than any of them.

Big Tech claims to be innovating, but it's really just operationalizing. Any company that threatens to disrupt a tech giant is bought, its products stripped of any really innovative features, and the residue is added to existing products as a "sustaining innovation" – a dot-release feature that has all the innovative disruption of rounding the corners on a new mobile phone.

The authors present three case-studies of tech companies using this four-point strategy to forestall disruption in AI, VR and self-driving cars. I'm not excited about any of these three categories, but it's clear that the tech giants are worried about them, and the authors make a devastating case for these disruptions being disrupted by Big Tech.

What do to about it? If we like (some) disruption, and if Big Tech is enshittifying at speed without facing dethroning-by-disruption, how do we get the dynamism and innovation that gave us the best of tech?

The authors make four suggestions.

First, revive the authorities under existing antitrust law to ban executives from Big Tech companies from serving on the boards of startups. More broadly, kill interlocking boards altogether. Remember, these powers already exist in the lawbooks, so accomplishing this goal means a change in enforcement priorities, not a new act of Congress or rulemaking. What's more, interlocking boards between competing companies are illegal per se, meaning there's no expensive, difficult fact-finding needed to demonstrate that two companies are breaking the law by sharing directors.

Next: create a nondiscrimination policy that requires the largest tech companies that share data with some unaffiliated companies to offer data on the same terms to other companies, except when they are direct competitors. They argue that this rule will keep tech giants from choking off disruptive technologies that make them obsolete (rather than competing with them).

On the subject of regulation and compliance moats, they have less concrete advice. They counsel lawmakers to greet tech giants' demands to be regulated with suspicion, to proceed with caution when they do regulate, and to shape regulation so that it doesn't limit market entry, by keeping in mind the disproportionate burdens regulations put on established giants and small new companies. This is all good advice, but it's more a set of principles than any kind of specific practice, test or procedure.

Finally, they call for increased scrutiny of mergers, including mergers between very large companies and small startups. They argue that existing law (Sec 2 of the Sherman Act and Sec 7 of the Clayton Act) both empower enforcers to block these acquisitions. They admit that the case-law on this is poor, but that just means that enforcers need to start making new case-law.

I like all of these suggestions! We're certainly enjoying a more activist set of regulators, who are more interested in Big Tech, than we've seen in generations.

But they are grossly under-resourced even without giving them additional duties. As Matt Stoller points out, "the DOJ's Antitrust Division has fewer people enforcing anti-monopoly laws in a $24 trillion economy than the Smithsonian Museum has security guards."

https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/congressional-republicans-to-defund

What's more, Republicans are trying to slash their budgets even further. The American conservative movement has finally located a police force they're eager to defund: the corporate police who defend us all from predatory monopolies.

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[attheexactlyrighttimeandplace]

It has been more than 24 hours since the last massacre of Palestinian civilians organized by the Americans and jewish zionists in Gaza, and Algeria has still not officially reacted to the crimes committed.

No declarations from the usual communication channels which are our Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Algerian Press Agency which exclusively represents the voice of our President since last April (he "appropriated" it by decree because the war approaches our borders).

I wonder if this silence is a turning point. The final nail in the coffin on what has been a very turbulent journey to try to change our relationship with the United States.

The journey began with the war in Ukraine in 2022: like all Arab countries, we really angered the United States by refusing to side with the EU against Russia. And we reached the point of open conflict with the United States (they sent their deputy secretary of state in March 2022) when we terminated our energy contract with Spain (we are their main supplier of gas) after the Spanish Prime Minister began supporting Morocco's claims on Western Sahara's land.

But Algeria surprisingly backed down on many points and began to rapidly improve its relations with the United States - Blinken, the US Secretary of State came to Algeria several times, our Foreign Ministry was invited to Washington - to the point that our country, which has been a faithful ally of Russia for 60 years seemed on the verge of joining NATO last April (I think Algeria might become a Major Non Nato Ally but is hidding its true intention for various reasons linked to the international context in North Africa, more precisely in the Sahel where 3 countries have expelled, under the influence of Russia, the American and French military bases from their lands and are openly eyeing the Algerian borders to destabilize us, in addition to the conflict with Morocco).

A few decades ago, the genocide of the Palestinians would have stopped these efforts very quickly, probably leading to a further breakdown in diplomatic relations with the United States.

Not this time: Algeria was still signing massive contracts in fossil fuels and unconventional energy (shale gas) with major American companies like Exxon Mobile and Chevron (although at a slower pace than expected) in May 2024, and our president was invited to the G7 summit which will take place next week in Italy, an invitation designed as a reward for Algeria's support for Europe's energy security and for its fight against illegal immigration which largely benefits Europeans.

This is why the decision of the Algerian mission to the UN to oppose the very important vote scheduled for Friday, June 7 to transform Biden's plan for Gaza into a resolution at the UN Security Council, was the most stupid move ever taken.

Blinken, the US Secretary of State, made a very special call to our Department of Foreign Affairs to obtain our consent to the plan proposed by Biden. This call was heavily promoted as a turning point by the entire US diplomatic network on all social media platforms, including on X: from the US Embassy in Algiers to the US State Department account, and their X account in Arabic for the MENA region.

Algeria obviously adhered to this plan, there is no other way to explain our pure and simple abandonment of the resolution we wrote to implement the latest decision of the ICJ which ordered the end of all operations in Rafah.

It is therefore easy to measure the extent to which Algeria has been incoherent, senseless and dangerous for itself and for Palestine in this context where the United States show no mercy, approve of genocide and have repeatedly rejected our demands during the previous negotiations in the UN Security Council to save more lives - when through the voice of our ambassador to the UN, Algeria gave the feeling of thinking that it could once again stop the vote, and try to negotiate new demands regarding Palestinian prisoners.

This is not surprising when you consider who our ambassador to the UN is: an overly old diplomat who has been unable to include the American point of view in his analysis. His conviction of being right against the rest of the world, his romantic views on resistance and his desire to play the savior of Palestine lead him to demonstrate a lack of humility and a lack of relevance in his analysis (like in his speech on terrorism at the UN where he asked for compassion for terrorists as if we hadn't lost 100,000 people in a civil war because of terrorism (!).

However, I do not believe that it was supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or by our President. We have experienced a lot of management problems in the last 15 days at the highest level of the state, due to keeping the wrong people in important positions for the wrong reasons, to the point that it has had disastrous consequences, with deadly human consequences. Last week, some civil servants were fired and others were forcibly transferred, but explaining that doesn't cover the extent of the problem.

But back to the UN, after a revised version of Biden's plan was presented, we were given a 48-hour period of silence to object. In the end, the vote was to take place on Friday June 7, 2024, but due to Algeria's intervention in the Security Council, it was postponed until next Monday. There is no doubt that Algeria is responsible for the breakdown of consensus on the plan, because China seems to have forgotten the issue and only reacted and opposed it after us, and Russia only followed China!

The next day, the massacre took place in the Nuseirat camp: the latest reports say that there were 274 deads, 814 injured.

I really wonder, given the timing, how it would be possible that Algeria's decision, which comes after a long period of tense disagreements with the United States in the UN Security Council, not only on Palestine but also Africa and the Arab world, might not have triggered the so-called rescue? The United States had known for weeks where the hostages were because English planes had been flying over the area to gather information for weeks as well, so the plan was set and ready to be executed in case it was needed.

Which to me is the decisive proof that this was an American operation from conception to execution, Netanyahu would not have waited a second to take the opportunity to increase his popularity, and could never have carried it out without American support (his genocidal zionist soldiers only know to drop bombs on civilians). On the same day of the Nuseirat massacre, Gantz, a member of Netanyahu's war cabinet and government, was expected to resign. A few weeks ago, at the request of the United States, he issued an ultimatum to Netanyahu to find a solution for Rafah, or to accept his (Gantz) resignation which would have led to new elections that Netanyahu was certain to lose. Yesterday, not knowing what to do after the rescue, Gantz asked the United States what they wanted and the United States' response was that they do not interfere with Israel's internal politics! Algeria probably also ruined this plan indirectly.

My impression is that the United States did not betray Algeria: it did not intend to carry out its rescue mission because it was more concerned about the potential support Algeria could provide in the war against Russia (the Algerian army has been training with live ammunition for weeks, and my theory is that a large Algerian contingent is going to be sent to Ukraine), than they cared about the zionist settlers and zionist soldiers being held hostage by Hamas.

But Algeria's inability to keep its word after Biden's plan was officially accepted by our officials made us truly unreliable, even to be sent to Russia, and even though Algeria is the best card the West has, given the Ukraine's lack of soldiers (Algeria has been Russia's main customer for all types of military contracts for decades and is very familiar with Russian aircraft and equipment, and has conducted joint military exercises with Russia even deep within Russian territory).

If our president decides to save Algeria's commitments to the West: he should really fire our ambassador to the UN, and completely review and change our internal process of opposition to resolutions at the UN (we have a status of non-permanent membership until the end of 2025, which the United States helped us gain).

If he doesn't save it, and doesn't go to the G7 summit, I don't know how we will survive future wars to come: Morocco has expansionist views, and its military capacity is currently being improved by the genocidal Israeli. who are building a drone factory on our borders and launching two satellites for Morocco; Russia, which threw us under the bus because we refused to help Putin in his plan to destroy the EU's energy security, entered Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Libya militarily, made them its vassals and now claims a percentage of our oil and gas resources!

I don't know what the future holds for us….

[asirensrage]

The Road to Hell

Title: The Road to Hell Fandom: Tokyo Revengers Rating: Explicit Pairing: Sanzu Haruchiyo x Unnamed!Undescribed!FemaleOC Word count: 2306 Warnings: Dark!fic. Dub-con. Drug overdose. Non-con drug use. Obsession. Forced Relationship. Sex. Coercion. Forced Relationship. Unbeta'd. *warnings are not exhaustive* Summary: It's pure luck that she stumbles across him alone in the middle of an overdose. He thinks it's fate.

MANGA SPOILER WARNING! This fic mentions events in the manga that have not yet been shown in the anime. You have been warned.

Notes: okay, I don't completely love how this came out with the pov change, but I can't figure out how to improve it yet. If I do, I'll rewrite/repost it like I dd the Ran oneshot. It is a dark fic. Consider yourself warned. It was inspired by my mother talking about kids accidentally overdosing in parks and how I should pick up one of these kits. The POV change shifts in the middle and there's a bit of timeshifting in it, but I hope it makes sense. (please tell me if it doesn't so i can fix it. I've looked at it too much myself and I don't have a beta for my TR fics) I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know what you think.

“Ha–Haru–” she tries to say his name, unable to catch her breath from the way he’s thrusting into her. 

“Yeah, baby?” he asks, grinning down at her. 

Her arms are tied above her, making her arch her chest up towards him a little more. She’s so fucking pretty like this, tears in her eyes as she begs him for more. He leans down and kisses her, letting her taste the remnants of herself on his tongue. 

God, he wants more. 

He didn’t think there was ever a woman who would drive him to madness, but here he has her under him. His angel. His fucking saviour who’s too good for him but Sanzu doesn’t give a shit. Tasting her is better than any of the drugs he’s been on. She makes him fucking crazy.

“Come on, baby. Lemme see you come for me again.” 

She whines, shifting as though she can resist him. He knows better. He leans down, kissing her neck as he adjusts the angle of her hips. She feels so fucking good. If he hadn’t looked into her, researched everything about her, he’d think she was a virgin with the way she was squeezing him this tight. 

She cries out as he picks up his pace and it’s music to his ears. 

“Fuck!” he groans against her skin, kissing her hard again. “Gotta come for me, baby. Come with me. Show me how fucking pretty you look.”

Her eyes are closed, lost in the feeling of him. She’s fucking glowing with sweat from how long they’ve been fucking. “Open your eyes, baby. Look at me.” When she doesn’t move fast enough, lost in how good he’s making her feel, he grabs her neck forcing her attention back on his face. “Look at me.”

Her eyes open, glaring at him for the distraction. As if he’s going to deny her the pleasure only he can bring.

He grins at her. “There’s my angel.” 

🩹

Some time ago…

He doesn’t mean to do it. He doesn’t. It’s not like he takes more than he usually does. He’s slipped something by one of his usual suppliers but something is wrong. He knows something is wrong and he’s trying to get some air, shoving his way outside as he grabs his phone to call someone for help and he drops. The world is spinning around him and he laughs. He can’t move. 

“Hey, are you okay? Hey, look–” 

A face appears over him but he can’t make out the features. Things are blurring. They’re saying something else but he can’t make it out. He calls for Mikey, reaching for his phone but his vision goes black and he passes out. 

🩹

Being sober fucking sucks. 

It makes him more irritable than normal. He wants to succumb to the feeling of weightlessness, of drifting away from the world just enough that he can actually do his work. But since he was fucking poisoned and nearly died because of the pills, Mikey’s ordered him off of them. Even if he already killed the dealer who gave it to him. 

He’s fiddling with one of the pens that he stole from the purse of the girl who saved him. At least, that’s what he had been told. Whatever she gave him kept him alive long enough for the doctor they have on staff to drag him back from the edge. 

He doesn’t remember more than the sound of her panicked voice and the way the light in the alley acted like a halo framing her head. He’s seen her license, but photos never really do someone justice. He just wants to know…why did she save him?

He tries to shove it out of his mind. He doesn’t have time to wonder about a stranger, not when he has traitors to dig out and Mikey to protect. He’s number two, after all. He has work to do. 

🩹

He can’t stop fucking thinking about her. Why did she save him? Why him? Of all the people he could have stumbled across…it was the one woman probably in the whole country who didn’t fear him, who had something in her bag that kept him alive. 

He’s always felt justified in his choices, in his decisions to follow Mikey. He was certain he wouldn’t let that old timeline come to pass, he’d do what Shinchiro set out to do and keep Mikey alive. But her? She was like an angel in his time of need…the thought stops him. 

He didn’t believe in religious junk, but something brought Shinchiro back, something saved Mikey…and something sent this woman into his path. Maybe there was more to it than just saving him…maybe it was Shinchiro sending his thanks for looking after Mikey. He snorts at the idea but the more he ruminates on it, the more it makes sense. Clearly, she’s meant for him. Otherwise, why would she have saved him? Why would she have been there?

🩹 🩹 🩹

Honestly, it’s a lot of luck on his part that she happened to be walking by. She doesn’t usually like to get involved in the affairs of strangers, but it’s easy to see with one look at him that he’s blissed out. Until he falls and she can see the way his breathing catches, the way he’s struggling. 

When he drops, she’s moving without thinking. She kneels, praying he doesn’t throw up on her and calls out to him. 

“Hey! Are you okay? Hey! Look at me!” His eyes can’t focus, pupils nearly erasing the irises. 

“Mik–” his voice slurs and he passes out in front of her. At first, she’s just going to turn him over to make sure if he does throw up, he won’t choke. Then he fully stops breathing. 

He’s lucky because she’s trained in first aid. Because her mother had been watching the news about children accidentally overdosing on drugs somehow left on playgrounds and strongly recommended that she carry the drug meant to help keep someone alive if they overdose on her person. So she digs it out of her bag, yelling for help as she unzips the pack and shoves the first one into one of his nostrils and presses it. She calls 911 and puts it on speaker since no one is coming to help and starts CPR. 

She talks to the operator, trying to tell them where she is but she’s not from this district and she’s trying to get this man to start breathing. She pauses and instead of putting her mouth against his, she shoves the second dose of it into his other nostril and sprays it in. 

He coughs and throws up. She jolts back, turning him towards her so that he can get it out and not choke. The operator is asking her what’s happening but he’s finally breathing that it takes her attention until she has him in a recovery position. 

She grabs her phone but before she can actually confirm that he’s alive and ask where the ambulance is, someone knocks it out of her hand. She looks to get it but someone steps on it, fully shattering the screen and making it go black. 

“HEY!”

The click of a gun, the cool metal touching her temple stops her from reaming them out. 

“What the fuck did you do to him?”

“Saved his life!” she snaps back. “He needs a hospital and you just broke my call that the operator was probably tracking!” 

“What’s this shit?” another voice asks and she sees a foot kick the pack that the naloxone was in. 

“It’s Naloxone. When used fast enough, it can save someone from overdosing. Now instead of interrogating me, call an ambulance!”

They refuse, instead dragging the man off and leaving her in the alley, covered in his sick after they threaten her if she says anything to anyone. It’s not until she’s home and locked out that she realizes that they took her purse. 

It all goes to shit after that. 

🩹

It all goes to shit after that. 

Getting all of her IDs, cards and papers replaced takes longer than she wants. She does, however, tell her mother that she was right and she did help someone. Even if it wasn’t a child like her mother feared. Honestly, she didn’t know where her mother thought they lived but it was clearly somewhere more dangerous than they did. 

She expected that to be the worst of it. 

Until she runs into him by accident. 

She’s leaving a convenience store and putting her wallet away when she accidentally stumbles into him. He grabs her by the shoulders, steadying her. She looks up, an apology on her lips when she realizes who it is. 

“Oh my god, you’re alive!” 

He looks a little startled at her reaction before he smiles. “It’s you.”

“I didn’t think I’d ever see you again. I didn’t think you made it,” she admits before remembering the rest of the night. “You stole my purse.” 

“Me? I was dying,” he says clearly. “I couldn’t have.” 

“Your friends then,” she replies. Now that he’s alive and seemingly healthy, she can finally stop thinking about the incident. 

“Let me make it up to you.” He stares down at her and she shifts under the sudden intensity of his gaze. His pink hair falls to his shoulders and his suit looks finely pressed. The scars on the edge of his mouth make him look intimidating. It’s a huge change from the last time she saw him. 

“You don’t need to,” she says. She doesn’t need to get involved with anyone who overdoses and has friends ready to murder her in retribution for causing his death. “I appreciate the offer but it’s fine. I’m just glad I could help.”

He steps forward. “You did. They said I wouldn’t have made it without you. Come on,” he grins at her. “I want to say thank you.”

“You just did,” she points out.

“Properly.”

🩹

She doesn’t think much of it at first. 

Sanzu Haruchiyo, as he properly introduced himself as, is persistent in his determination to say thank you. She expects dinner and refused, not wanting to get more involved with the man than she already was. 

He sends her flowers with a card that holds a number. When she doesn’t call it, choosing to dispose of it instead, her work receives an anonymous donation for upgrades and her class is the first chosen. She refuses the upgrades but then her vacation days are suddenly increased. He pays her rent for the next six months. 

It’s enough to make her track him down so she can get him to stop. She knows the feeling of a gun against her head because of him. She doesn’t want anything else. 

It’s not an easy thing, but she tracks him down to a club. In the process, she learns the name of the criminal organization he’s involved with: Bonten. It’s enough to make her second guess finding him, the criminals more serious than she ever anticipated. She watches the news. She knows the reports of just what they do and how often bodies are found with them as the main suspects. 

It makes her more determined to find him, to get him to stop. It leads to her eventually arguing with the bouncer of the VIP area of the club she waited in line for over an hour to get in. She just wants this to be over. 

She doesn’t know when he spots her, but he approaches with a grin, waving off the guard and leaning in towards her. His pink hair falls between them, brushing her bare shoulders. She’s forced herself into a borrowed skimpy dress to get into this club but she’s more uncomfortable now with him so close. 

“What have I done to earn seeing your face again, angel?”

He doesn’t look high but she doesn’t have enough experience with drugs to confirm it. 

“Why did you pay my rent? Or send that donation to my work. That was you, wasn’t it?” 

He reaches out, brushing her hair back out of her face. “You never called. Wouldn’t let me take you to dinner.”

“And that’s your response?” She stares at him incredulously. It was more than a little overkill. 

He grins at her. “Let me make it up to you?” he asks again, almost a parody of the last time. She stares at him for a long moment. If she says no, there’s no telling what else he’ll do. So she accepts.

🩹

Sanzu keeps her. 

It was an accident, pure chance that she saved him, and he has not let her forget it since. Her attempts to tell him no fail every time. He slowly takes over her life and any attempts to make him stop has him increasing his actions until there’s nothing left except him. 

She gave one small thing. He takes everything in return. 

Every attempt she makes at pulling away has him digging himself deeper under her skin. Before she knows it, there’s a bodyguard outside her work. He moves her into his apartment with claims that it’s safer for her. He breaks down every protest, every action, with cool logic, soft touches and warm promises. He distracts her with orgasms and pretty trinkets, burying her until the only things she has are reminders of him. 

And now they’re here.

🩹

He’s slipped her something. 

“Just to help you relax, baby. Let me lead you back to heaven,” he says, murmuring it into her skin. It makes her head spin. 

“Haru…” She breathes before he kisses her. It’s not the first time they’ve kissed, not the first time they’ve tasted each other, but it feels ten times more intense than before. 

“I got you.” 

He whispers promises into her skin. He brings her to her peak with ease, content in devouring her bit by bit until all she can say is his name. He’s breaking her apart every time she cums under his mouth or fingers or cock.

If she wasn’t bound, stars in her eyes and lost in the feelings he was creating, she’d kill him for this. He’d probably enjoy the attempt, tell her it’s more proof they’re meant to be. If she could feel anything except the constant ebb and flow of pleasure, lighting coursing down her spine, she’d–

“Come on, baby. Lemme see you come for me again.” 

She whines, trying to shift away because it’s too much. She’s overstimulated to the point she feels like crying. He kisses her neck, forcing another mark into her skin and adjusts them until she can barely speak from the way it feels. 

 He kisses her again and she can taste herself on his tongue. “Gotta come for me, baby. Come with me. Show me how fucking pretty you look.”

Her eyes are closed because she can barely keep them open, because she doesn’t want to look at the man who’s stolen her life. 

“Open your eyes, baby. Look at me.” She doesn’t want to, but his hand moves to her throat and she feels the pressure he puts as he forces her to face him. “Look at me.”

She glares at him, eyes brimming with tears and anger at the way he won’t let her escape even just as far as the distance of an eyelid. 

He grins at her. “There’s my angel.” 

She’ll give him this. Let him grow comfortable enough that she has space to make her move. She’ll be free of him. One way or another. 

taglist: @raith-way @zeleniafic @veetlegeuse @chickensarentcheap @residentdormouse @themaradwrites @kingsmakers @far-shores

[isocertificatepta]

Benefits of ISO 9001 Certification Implementation

ISO 9001 Implementation : A Blueprint for Quality Excellence

What is ISO 9001?

ISO 9001 is an internationally recognized standard that provides a framework for quality management systems (QMS). It outlines the requirements for a company to ensure that its products and services consistently meet customer expectations. By implementing ISO 9001, organizations demonstrate their commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.

Why is ISO 9001 Important?

Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: ISO 9001 focuses on understanding and meeting customer needs. By implementing a QMS, organizations can improve their products and services, leading to increased customer satisfaction.

Improved Efficiency and Productivity: ISO 9001 promotes process efficiency and reduces waste. This can lead to increased productivity and cost savings.

Enhanced Reputation: Organizations certified to ISO 9001 demonstrate their commitment to quality. This can enhance their reputation and attract more customers and business partners.

Increased Market Access: Many industries require ISO 9001 certification for suppliers. By obtaining certification, organizations can expand their market reach.

Continuous Improvement: ISO 9001 emphasizes continuous improvement. This means that organizations are always looking for ways to enhance their processes and products.

Key Principles of ISO 9001

Customer Focus: Understanding and meeting customer requirements.

Leadership: Strong leadership is essential for implementing and maintaining a QMS.

Involvement of People: All employees should be involved in the QMS and empowered to contribute to its success.

Process Approach: Managing activities as interrelated processes.

System Approach to Management: Integrating and managing processes as a system.

Continuous Improvement: Constantly seeking to improve performance.

Evidence-Based Decision Making: Making decisions based on data and evidence.

Relationship Management: Managing relationships with external providers.

Benefits of ISO 9001 Certification

Increased Efficiency and Productivity: Streamlining processes and reducing waste.

Improved Quality: Ensuring products and services consistently meet customer expectations.

Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: Building stronger relationships with customers.

Boosted Reputation: Enhancing credibility and trust.

Increased Market Access: Expanding business opportunities.

Reduced Costs: Identifying and eliminating inefficiencies.

The Certification Process

Gap Assessment: Identifying the gap between current practices and ISO 9001 requirements.

Documentation: Developing and implementing a QMS that meets ISO 9001 standards.

Internal Audits: Conducting regular internal audits to ensure compliance.

Certification Audit: Undergoing an external audit by a certified certification body.

Maintenance: Continuously improving the QMS and maintaining certification.

Conclusion

ISO 9001 is a valuable tool for organizations that want to improve their quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. By implementing a QMS, organizations can gain a competitive advantage and achieve long-term success.

Would you like to know more about the specific requirements of ISO 9001 or the certification process?

[sujoychandroshil]

How to Find and Win Lucrative Electronics Tenders

Electronics is a broad and ever-growing sector in which many contractors and suppliers can be awarded a very wide range of tenders. Whatever the business—involving manufacturing electronic components, providing repair and maintenance services, or innovating state-of-the-art technologies—knowing how to find and win tenders in electronics is another key part of business development and success. 

With this, we've put together some tips to help you make your way through the world of electronics tenders and give you more opportunities for winning profitable contracts.

Identifying relevant tender opportunities

First, one has to identify the tender opportunities that correspond to the capabilities and areas of expertise your company has in the electronics field. This is carried out by:

Monitor the tender portals and websites on a day-to-day basis to know about major operating tender portals and websites functioning in your region—for example, government procurement portals for most countries and electronic industry websites. Create an alert for new tenders on electronics immediately after being posted.

Participate in Industry Events and Networking Sessions: Conferences, exhibitions, and networking sessions offer an opportunity to interact with new potential customers, grasp the existing trends in the market, and in so doing, learn about upcoming tender opportunities.

Developing relationships with key procurement professionals will certainly be helpful in developing better relations with target organizations, assisting the acquisition of relevant information on their needs and procurements, then forwarding tenders.

Offer tender tracking and notification services: point out any subscription services that offer to track and notify tenders in the electronics industry. Such services shall significantly spotlight opportunities with an assurance of value to the tender process.

Preparing an Effective Tender Document

Once a suitable tender opportunity has been identified, the next thing is to prepare an effective tender submission. Considerations include

Understand the requirement of the tender: Be able to understand the technical specification, work to be done, and evaluation criteria, and you shall consequently make your submission according to the requirements of the buyer.

Experience and relevant expertise: Show proof that your company has conducted projects similar to others, identifying the competence of your technical team. Mention case studies, references, and testimonials obtained from prior clients.

Competitive advantages: State what your firm has that no other competitors do. Leverage such an advantage for your tender submission. This could be in the form of unique technologies, innovative solutions, or mechanisms for cost savings.

Ensure that the submission is well-structured and free from errors: Tender guidelines were quite clear explaining that the response is to be prepared in a well-set-out, clear, and error-free format.

Relationship Development with Purchasers

Indeed, a strong relationship with the buyers is one of the key players for winning electronics tenders. Some strategies that would help you build and maintain these relationships include:

Attend pre-tender meetings and site visits - It is attended in order for one to get a clear view of the needs of the buyer in addition to showing interest in the project.

Good customer service: In dealing with the customers whom you have interfaced with before, ensure that quality products and services are provided and open communication maintained, so that this gives you a good standing for them to consider you in a tendering process later on.

Follow-up after submission: Once submitted, perform follow-up with the buyer on possible interest in the project and work out outstanding questions and issues.

Continuously improve and adapt.

Electronics change

Electronics is changing daily; new challenges appear each day. Successful companies will get ready for the change and update their tender strategies to keep successfully tapping this opportunity. Following are a few tips on how:

Previously submitted tenders: an analysis of where you have done poorly helps you gain an understanding of where to rectify. You also seek feedback from buyers and tender review services to highlight key areas of strengths and weaknesses.

Industry Trends and Regulations: Keep up to date with state-of-the-art trends, technologies, and legislation relevant to the electronics industry. This will be useful in pinpointing new opportunities and ensuring that tender submissions made are responsive and compliant.

Always invest in your company's capabilities through constant training, equipment, and research and development to position your company properly for competition in the electronics tender market.

Conclusion.

Building on the said strategies and the ability to keep up with changes in the electronics industry also helps a great deal in finding tenders with increased chances of winning them. Besides, success in the tender process cannot be built without proactive research, compelling submissions, and strong relationships with buyers.

[elsa16744]

Obstacles Confronting the Private Equity Sector

Laws and regulations have undergone significant changes, impacting how a private equity (PE) professional can meet clients’ demands for reliable investment and exit strategies. In recent years, amid geopolitical and financial upheavals, PE advisors have faced recessionary threats. This post will delve into the main obstacles the private equity sector will encounter in 2024.

An Overview of the Private Equity Sector

The PE sector centers on investing in private companies. Additionally, private equity researchers facilitate buyouts of public companies, transitioning them to private ownership. Regulatory requirements render private equity investments complex, yet PE firms remain in demand due to their long-term positive outlook.

Services Provided by Private Equity Experts

High-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) and institutional investors frequently utilize investment banking services for wealth management and privatization goals. Meanwhile, PE professionals assist them in several ways:

1| Long-Term Investment Guidance

PE investments extend over several years. Consequently, private equity firms can enhance the value of acquired companies through strategic management. Their innovative interventions go beyond operational improvements and financial restructuring, including data-driven market expansion, product development, and talent acquisition.

2| Active Capital Management

PE firms adopt a hands-on approach to portfolio management, differentiating themselves from passive investors. They employ experienced financial professionals and collaborate with tech consultants to optimize performance. Their active capital management methods attract investors seeking higher returns. The expertise of PE specialists provides reassurance and confidence in the investment.

3| Leverage

Private equity transactions frequently involve substantial borrowing to finance acquisitions, using the acquired company’s assets as collateral. This leverage can enhance returns but also increases risk. Consequently, stakeholders perceive private equity deals as high-stakes endeavors.

4| Exit Strategies

Initial public offerings (IPOs) allow PE firms to exit investments. Alternatively, selling to strategic buyers is common. They also conduct secondary sales to other private equity firms. These exit strategies can yield substantial returns for investors.

Primary Obstacles in the Private Equity Sector

1| Managing Inflation and Interest Rate Pressures

Global inflation and tighter monetary policies necessitate careful management of private market portfolios. Therefore, limited partners (LPs) must leverage the best tools and talents to assess the impact of these macroeconomic pressures on their portfolios.

LPs need to monitor margin erosion, cash flow generation, and debt covenants. They can reassess which portfolio companies will thrive despite inflation or interest rate pressures.

For example, an organization that leads its market or excels in maintaining strong customer and supplier relationships will likely outperform others. However, LPs and private equity professionals must evaluate whether it has contractual pricing with minimal exposure to input price volatility. These traits boost a company’s resilience to macroeconomic forces.

Similarly, portfolio companies with high cash conversion ratios or conservative capital structures will be more rewarding. Businesses with flexible terms are expected to thrive in challenging market conditions.

Conversely, companies lacking these attributes will likely face significant challenges in the private equity sector. Therefore, stakeholders must pay closer attention to them.

2| Data Availability and Validation Issues

Private equity stakeholders require accurate data on an enterprise’s corporate performance, legal compliance, and sustainability commitments. Public information sources may not provide sufficient insights into target businesses' core metrics and risk-reward dynamics. Premium data providers might also employ data-driven profiling and recommendation reporting.

Insufficient information and poor data quality hinder PE stakeholders' portfolio improvement efforts. They must navigate markets using well-validated intelligence rather than biased information from public platforms. Malicious actors can falsify claims about a brand’s performance due to undisclosed interests.

Therefore, ensuring data quality to develop the best portfolio strategies remains a significant challenge, underscoring the need for ethical, transparent, and tech-savvy PE experts.

3| Employee Retention Challenges

Retaining top talent is crucial for PE firms to succeed in the private equity sector. Therefore, private equity managers and researchers must foster a healthy workplace culture that allows professionals to grow based on performance metrics. They must also offer competitive compensation packages and retention bonuses.

Collaborating with consultants to create guidelines and training programs can support your core team. Additionally, utilizing automation and third-party assistance can reduce the workload on employees. If PE firms neglect their employees' interests, staff may leave or underperform. Miscommunication between leaders and team members can exacerbate this issue, leading to high employee turnover.

4| Increasing Competition Amidst Fewer New Businesses

Private equity firms have grown by 58% between 2016 and 2021. However, new company registrations often include more startups, with few qualifying to raise funds through PE-supported pathways. While PE research providers have increased, established companies and investors must select the best ones.

As a result, firms and financial professionals have developed strategies to overcome competition-related obstacles in the private equity sector. They offer multiple buyout methods and leverage fintech scalability. They have also enhanced risk-reward modeling and data sourcing to meet clients’ expectations, particularly regarding legal compliance requirements.

However, processing a deal may not always proceed as initially envisioned. Although company owners, limited partners, and interested investors witness new deals, only a fraction reach completion. Therefore, PE businesses seeking a competitive edge must expedite screening, feasibility reporting, and data gathering with modern technologies. This approach is essential for private equity stakeholders to identify the right deals with long-term benefits.

Conclusion

The private equity sector must navigate macroeconomic risks such as inflation, tight monetary policies, and data quality issues. Embracing innovative fintech systems and engaging domain experts to optimize internal processes can help. If each PE firm enhances its operations, it will succeed despite public companies and strategic buyers adopting buy-to-sell principles for business acquisitions.

Competition from fellow PE firms for a relatively stable number of viable businesses seeking investors has prompted a more dynamic and risk-taking approach. Amid these obstacles facing the private equity sector in 2024, firms must prioritize talent acquisition and employee retention. Additionally, limited partners must continually revisit, expand, and optimize their portfolios as global events continue to impact PE deals.

[kanaka-survey]

Revealing Trust: How Transparency is Reshaping B2B

As companies increasingly prioritize trust and open communication, transparency is reshaping the way B2B relationships are built and maintained. This article explores how transparency is transforming the B2B landscape and why it is essential for businesses to embrace this change.

What is Transparency in B2B?

Transparency in B2B refers to the practice of being open, honest, and straightforward in all business dealings. This includes sharing accurate information about products, services, pricing, and processes. Transparency also involves clear communication, admitting mistakes, and providing visibility into the decision-making process. By being transparent, businesses can build trust with their partners, clients, and suppliers, leading to stronger, more collaborative relationships.

Why Transparency Matters

Building Trust: Trust is the foundation of any successful business relationship. When companies are transparent, they demonstrate reliability and integrity, which helps to build trust. Trustworthy partners are more likely to stick around, even when challenges arise.

Improving Collaboration: Transparency fosters open communication, making it easier for businesses to collaborate effectively. When all parties have access to the same information, they can work together more efficiently to solve problems and achieve common goals.

Enhancing Reputation: Businesses that are known for their transparency tend to have better reputations. A strong reputation can attract new clients, partners, and investors, giving the company a competitive edge.

Driving Accountability: Transparent practices encourage accountability. When businesses are open about their actions and decisions, it is easier to hold everyone involved accountable, leading to better performance and results.

How to Implement Transparency in B2B

Clear Communication: This includes everything from marketing materials to contract negotiations. Avoid jargon and be straightforward about what you can and cannot deliver.

Share Information: Make relevant information accessible to your partners and clients. This might include product specifications, pricing structures, and process timelines.

Admit Mistakes: No business is perfect. When mistakes happen, own up to them quickly and provide a plan for resolution.

Engage in Open Dialogue: Foster an environment where feedback is welcomed and valued. Regularly check in with partners and clients to understand their needs and concerns.

Showcase Decision-Making Processes: Provide visibility into how decisions are made within your organization. This can include sharing the criteria for selecting suppliers or the rationale behind pricing changes.

The Future of B2B Transparency

As technology continues to advance, transparency in B2B is likely to become even more important. Digital tools and platforms make it easier to share information and collaborate in real-time, breaking down traditional barriers. Companies that embrace transparency will be better positioned to adapt to these changes and thrive in a rapidly evolving marketplace.

In conclusion, transparency is reshaping the B2B sector by building trust, improving collaboration, enhancing reputations, and driving accountability. Businesses that prioritize transparent practices will not only strengthen their existing relationships but also open the door to new opportunities. Embracing transparency is not just a trend; it is a fundamental shift that is essential for long-term success in the B2B world.

To know more: get paid for surveys

earn money and rewards

[aggrandizeven]

5 Ways Freight Forwarding Software Can Boost Your Business's Efficiency

In today's fast-paced logistics industry, efficiency is key to success. One tool that can significantly enhance efficiency in your business operations is freight forwarding software. But what exactly is freight forwarding software, and how can it revolutionize your logistics processes? This blog post will explore the five key ways in which freight forwarding software can boost your business's efficiency, from streamlined communication to cost savings.

Streamlined Communication

Centralized Platform for Communication A major benefit of using freight forwarding software is its centralized platform, for all communication regarding shipments. This ensures that everyone involved, from suppliers to carriers and customers stays informed and connected at all times.

Real-Time Tracking and Updates: The real time tracking features of freight forwarding software allow you to keep tabs on your shipments throughout their journey reducing the chances of misunderstandings and delays.

Reduction of Communication Errors and Delays: By automating communication processes freight forwarding software helps minimize errors and prevents delays caused by miscommunication leading to operations.

Automated Processes

Automated Documentation and Paperwork Handling paperwork manually can be time consuming and prone to errors. Freight forwarding software automates tasks like generating bills of lading and invoices making the paperwork process more efficient.

Integration with Customs Regulations and Compliance: Compliance with customs regulations is essential in shipping. Freight forwarding software integrates, with customs databases to ensure your shipments meet all requirements.

Reduction of Manual Data Entry and Human Error: Automating data entry tasks reduces the likelihood of error improving the accuracy and efficiency of your logistics operations.

Improved Planning and Optimization

Route Optimization and Shipment Consolidation: Freight forwarding software offers features like route optimization and shipment consolidation, enabling you to plan the most efficient delivery routes and reduce transportation costs.

Forecasting and Demand Planning Features: To stay ahead of demand, freight forwarding software provides forecasting tools that help you anticipate market trends and plan your logistics operations accordingly.

Capacity Management and Resource Allocation: By optimizing capacity and allocating resources effectively, freight forwarding software ensures that your business operates at its fullest potential, maximizing efficiency.

Enhanced Customer Service

Transparency and Visibility for Clients: With freight forwarding software, you can provide your clients with real-time visibility into their shipments, fostering trust and transparency in your business relationships.

Quicker Response Times to Inquiries: The ability to access up-to-date information on shipments enables you to respond promptly to customer inquiries, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Customizable Reporting and Analytics for Client Insights: Freight forwarding software offers customizable reporting and analytics tools that provide valuable insights into your clients' shipping patterns and preferences, allowing you to tailor your services to their needs.

Cost Savings

Reduction in Administrative Costs: By automating administrative tasks, freight forwarding software reduces the need for manual input, saving time and money on administrative work.

Avoidance of Penalties through Compliance Automation: Compliance errors can result in costly penalties. Freight forwarding software helps you avoid these penalties by automating compliance processes and ensuring regulatory adherence.

Optimization of Resources Leading to Lower Operational Costs: Through efficient resource allocation and capacity management, freight forwarding software optimizes your resources, minimizing operational costs and maximizing profitability.

Conclusion

In conclusion, freight forwarding software is a powerful tool that can transform your logistics operations and boost your business's efficiency in numerous ways. From streamlined communication and automated processes to improved planning and optimization, enhanced customer service, and cost savings, investing in freight forwarding software is a wise decision for any business looking to stay ahead in the competitive logistics industry. So why wait? Upgrade your business today and experience the benefits firsthand!

[yisabray]

Yisa Bray Gwinnett County - The Keys To Becoming A Successful Pharmacy Entrepreneur.

Yisa Bray Gwinnett County: To be a successful entrepreneur in the pharmacy field, there are several key things to keep in mind. Firstly, it's essential to have a strong knowledge of the industry, including regulatory requirements and market trends. This can be gained through education and experience, as well as staying up-to-date with the latest developments in the field.

Secondly, it's important to have a clear business plan that outlines your goals, target market, financial projections, and marketing strategies. This will help you to stay focused and make informed decisions about how to grow your business.

Thirdly, building strong relationships with suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders is crucial. This can be achieved through effective communication, networking, and providing excellent customer service.

Fourthly, embracing new technologies and innovations can give you a competitive edge in the industry. For example, incorporating digital tools into your business model can help you to streamline processes, improve efficiency, and enhance the customer experience.

Finally, persistence and perseverance are essential qualities for any entrepreneur. Building a successful business takes time, effort, and patience, and there will inevitably be setbacks along the way. Like any startup, there are risks involved in starting a pharmacy business. Some of the main risks to consider include:

Regulatory compliance: The pharmacy industry is highly regulated, and there are many laws and regulations that pharmacies must comply with. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in fines, legal action, or even the loss of your pharmacy license.

Financial risks: Starting a pharmacy can be expensive, and there is always the risk that you may not be able to secure the funding you need to get your business off the ground.

Competition: The pharmacy industry is highly competitive, with many established players in the market. New pharmacies may struggle to attract customers and compete on price with larger, more established businesses.

Technological risks: Technology plays an important role in the pharmacy industry, and there is a risk that new pharmacies may struggle to keep up with the latest developments.

Operational risks: Running a pharmacy requires careful management of inventory, staff, and customer interactions. There is a risk that operational issues could arise, such as supply chain disruptions, staff turnover, or customer complaints, which could negatively impact your business.

Yisa Bray- Overall, starting a pharmacy requires careful planning, research, and risk management to minimize the chances of failure. It's important to have a clear understanding of the risks involved and to take steps to mitigate them where possible.

[ruchikalts]

Achieving Cost Savings through Supplier Collaboration in Siemens Teamcenter PLM Software

In the dynamic landscape of modern business, collaboration is the cornerstone of success. This holds true not only within an organization but also across the entire supply chain. Suppliers play a pivotal role in the journey from concept to creation, and their collaboration can yield significant cost savings and operational efficiencies. Teamcenter PLM's supplier collaboration features are transforming the way organizations interact with suppliers, leading to negotiated cost savings, improved procurement processes, and enhanced cost control. In this article, we delve into how Teamcenter PLM is fostering this collaborative spirit, backed by real-world examples.

A New Paradigm in Supplier Collaboration

Gone are the days of transactional relationships between organizations and suppliers. The modern approach is based on collaboration, where suppliers are viewed as strategic partners integral to the success of a project. Siemens PLM Software, with its comprehensive suite of supplier collaboration tools, empowers organizations to seamlessly integrate suppliers into their product development processes.

Negotiated Cost Savings: A Win-Win Scenario

Supplier collaboration in Teamcenter PLM opens the door to negotiated cost savings. When suppliers are brought into the design phase, they can offer valuable insights into cost-effective materials, manufacturing processes, and alternative components. By tapping into their expertise, organizations can optimize designs for cost efficiency without compromising on quality. For instance, a manufacturer collaborating with a supplier might identify a more cost-effective yet equally durable material for a component, resulting in substantial cost savings over the product's lifecycle.

Improved Procurement Processes: Streamlining Efficiency

Procurement is a critical component of the supply chain, and any inefficiencies can lead to increased costs. Teamcenter PLM's Cost Management Software supplier collaboration features streamline procurement processes by providing real-time visibility into supplier capabilities, capacities, and lead times. This enables organizations to make informed decisions about sourcing, reducing the risk of delays and costly last-minute changes. For instance, a company collaborating with a supplier can receive updates on raw material availability, helping them plan their production schedule and avoid costly supply shortages.

Enhanced Cost Control: Data-Driven Insights

Effective cost control requires accurate and up-to-date information. Teamcenter PLM's supplier collaboration features enable organizations to access real-time cost data from suppliers. This transparency empowers procurement teams to make strategic decisions based on actual costs rather than estimates. Furthermore, collaboration with suppliers can help organizations identify cost drivers and areas where cost reductions can be implemented. For instance, a company working closely with a supplier might discover opportunities to consolidate shipments, reducing transportation costs.

Real-World Examples of Success

Real-world examples illustrate the power of supplier collaboration in achieving cost savings. Consider a consumer electronics company partnering with a supplier to design a new smartphone. By collaborating closely, they identify a more cost-effective battery design that doesn't compromise on performance. This leads to reduced manufacturing costs and a competitive edge in the market.

In the automotive industry, a car manufacturer collaborates with a supplier of advanced materials. Together, they explore innovative materials that are not only lightweight but also cost-efficient. This collaboration results in cost savings due to reduced material consumption and improved fuel efficiency in the final product.

Conclusion: Empowering Future Success

Supplier collaboration through Teamcenter PLM software transcends traditional boundaries. It's a strategy that fosters innovation, efficiency, and cost savings. By involving suppliers early in the product development process, organizations can tap into their expertise, optimize designs, and make informed decisions that positively impact the bottom line. As the business landscape continues to evolve, organizations that embrace supplier collaboration are not only achieving cost savings but also laying the foundation for future success and growth.

For Free PLM Software trial, download Siemens Teamcenter PLM software trial!

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The long sleep of capitalism’s watchdogs

There are only five more days left in my Kickstarter for the audiobook of The Bezzle, the sequel to Red Team Blues, narrated by @wilwheaton! You can pre-order the audiobook and ebook, DRM free, as well as the hardcover, signed or unsigned. There's also bundles with Red Team Blues in ebook, audio or paperback.

One of the weirdest aspect of end-stage capitalism is the collapse of auditing, the lynchpin of investing. Auditors – independent professionals who sign off on a company's finances – are the only way that investors can be sure they're not handing their money over to failing businesses run by crooks.

It's just not feasible for investors to talk to supply-chain partners and retailers and verify that a company's orders and costs are real. Investors can't walk into a company's bank and demand to see their account histories. Auditors – who are paid by companies, but work for themselves – are how investors avoid shoveling money into Ponzi-pits.

Attentive readers will have noticed that there is an intrinsic tension in an arrangement where someone is paid by a company to certify its honesty. The company gets to decide who its auditors are, and those auditors are dependent on the company for future business. To manage this conflict of interest, auditors swear fealty to a professional code of ethics, and are themselves overseen by professional boards with the power to issue fines and ban cheaters.

Enter monopolization. Over the past 40 years, the US government conducted a failed experiment in allowing companies to form monopolies on the theory that these would be "efficient." From Boeing to Facebook, Cigna to InBev, Warner to Microsoft, it has been a catastrophe. The American corporate landscape is dominated by vast, crumbling, ghastly companies whose bad products and worse corporate conduct are locked in a race to see who can attain the most depraved enshittification quickest.

The accounting profession is no exception. A decades-long incestuous orgy of mergers and acquisitions yielded up an accounting sector dominated by just four firms: EY, KPMG, PWC and Deloitte (the last holdout from the alphabetsoupification of corporate identity). Virtually every major company relies on one of these companies for auditing, but that's only a small part of corporate America's relationship with these tottering behemoths. The real action comes from "consulting."

Each of the Big Four accounting firms is also a corporate consultancy. Some of those consulting services are the normal work of corporate consultants – cookie cutter advice to fire workers and reduce product quality, as well as supplying dangerously defecting enterprise software. But you can get that from the overpaid enablers at McKinsey or BCG. The advantage of contracting with a Big Four accounting firm for consulting is that they can help you commit finance fraud.

Remember: if you're an executive greenlighting fraud, you mostly just want to be sure it's not discovered until after you've pocketed your bonus and moved on. After all, the pro-monopoly experiment was also an experiment in tolerating corporate crime. Executives who cheat their investors, workers and suppliers typically generate fines for their companies, while escaping any personal liability.

By buying your cheating advice from the same company that is paid to certify that you're not cheating, you greatly improve your chances of avoiding detection until you've blown town.

Which brings me to the idea of the "bezzle." This is John Kenneth Galbraith's term for "the weeks, months, or years that elapse between the commission of the crime and its discovery." This is the period in which both the criminal and the victim feel like they're better off. The crook has the victim's money, and the victim doesn't know it. The Bezzle is that interval when you're still assuming that FTX isn't lying to you about the crazy returns they're generating for your crypto. It's the period between you getting the shrinkwrapped box with a 90% discounted PS5 in it from a guy in an alley, and getting home and discovering that it's full of bricks and styrofoam.

Big Accounting is a factory for producing bezzles at scale. The game is rigged, and they are the riggers. When banks fail and need a public bailout, chances are those banks were recently certified as healthy by one of the Big Four, whose audited bank financials failed 800 re-audits between 2009-17:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/28/cyberwar-tactics/#aligned-incentives

The Big Four dispute this, of course. They claim to be models of probity, adhering to the strictest possible ethical standards. This would be a lot easier to believe if KPMG hadn't been caught bribing its regulators to help its staff cheat on ethics exams:

https://www.nysscpa.org/news/publications/the-trusted-professional/article/sec-probe-finds-kpmg-auditors-cheating-on-training-exams-061819

Likewise, it would be easier to believe if their consulting arms didn't keep getting caught advising their clients on how to cheat their auditing arms:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/09/dingo-babysitter/#maybe-the-dingos-ate-your-nan

Big Accounting is a very weird phenomenon, even by the standards of End-Stage Capitalism. It's an organized system of millionaire-on-billionaire violence, a rare instance of the very richest people getting scammed the hardest:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/06/04/aaronsw/#crooked-ref

The collapse of accounting is such an ominous and fractally weird phenomenon, it inspired me to write a series of hard-boiled forensic accountancy novels about a two-fisted auditor named Martin Hench, starting with last year's Red Team Blues (out in paperback next week!):

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865854/redteamblues

The sequel to Red Team Blues is called (what else?) The Bezzle, and part of its ice-cold revenge plot involves a disillusioned EY auditor who can't bear to be part of the scam any longer:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctorow/the-bezzle-a-martin-hench-audiobook-amazon-wont-sell

The Hench stories span a 40-year period, and are a chronicle of decades of corporate decay. Accountancy is the perfect lens for understanding our modern fraud economy. After all, it was crooked accountants who gave us the S&L crisis:

https://scholarworks.umt.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=10130&context=etd

Crooked auditors were at the center of the Great Financial Crisis, too:

https://francinemckenna.com/2009/12/07/they-werent-there-auditors-and-the-financial-crisis/

And of course, crooked auditors were behind the Enron fraud, a rare instance in which a fraud triggered a serious attempt to prevent future crimes, including the destruction of accounting giant Arthur Andersen. After Enron, Congress passed Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), which created a new oversight board called the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB).

The PCAOB is a watchdog for watchdogs, charged with auditing the auditors and punishing the incompetent and corrupt among them. Writing for The American Prospect and the Revolving Door Project, Timi Iwayemi describes the long-running failure of the PCAOB to do its job:

https://prospect.org/power/2024-01-26-corporate-self-oversight/

For example: from 2003-2019, the PCAOB undertook only 18 enforcement cases – even though the PCAOB also detected more than 800 "seriously defective audits" by the Big Four. And those 18 cases were purely ornamental: the PCAOB issued a mere $6.5m in fines for all 18, even though they could have fined the accounting companies $1.6 billion:

https://www.pogo.org/investigations/how-an-agency-youve-never-heard-of-is-leaving-the-economy-at-risk

Few people are better on this subject than the investigative journalist Francine McKenna, who has just co-authored a major paper on the PCAOB:

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4227295

The paper uses a new data set – documents disclosed in a 2019 criminal trial – to identify the structural forces that cause the PCAOB to be such a weak watchdog whose employees didn't merely fail to do their jobs, but actually criminally abetted the misdeeds of the companies they were supposed to be keeping honest.

They put the blame – indirectly – on the SEC. The PCAOB has three missions: protecting investors, keeping markets running smoothly, and ensuring that businesses can raise capital. These missions come into conflict. For example, declaring one of the Big Four auditors ineligible would throw markets into chaos, removing a quarter of the auditing capacity that all public firms rely on. The Big Four are the auditors for 99.7% of the S&P 500, and certify the books for the majority of all listed companies:

https://blog.auditanalytics.com/audit-fee-trends-of-sp-500/

For the first two decades of the PCAOB's existence, the SEC insisted that conflicts be resolved in ways that let the auditing firms commit fraud, because the alternative would be bad for the market.

So: rather than cultivating an adversarial relationship to the Big Four, the PCAOB effectively merged with them. Two of its board seats are reserved for accountants, and those two seats have been occupied by Big Four veterans almost without exception:

https://www.pogo.org/investigations/captured-financial-regulator-at-risk

It was no better on the SEC side. The Office of the Chief Accountant is the SEC's overseer for the PCAOB, and it, too, has operated with a revolving door between the Big Four and their watchdog (indeed, the Chief Accountant is the watchdog for the watchdog for the watchdogs!). Meanwhile, staffers from the Office of the Chief Accountant routinely rotated out of government service and into the Big Four.

This corrupt arrangement reached a crescendo in 2019, with the appointment of William Duhnke – formerly of Senator Richard Shelby's [R-AL] staff – took over as Chief Accountant. Under Duhnke's leadership, the already-toothless watchdog was first neutered, then euthanized. Duhnke fired all four heads of the PCAOB's main division and then left their seats vacant for 18 months. He slashed the agency's budget, "weakened inspection requirements and auditor independence policies, and disregarded obligations to hold Board meetings and publicize its agenda."

All that ended in 2021, when SEC chair Gary Gensler fired Duhnke and replaced him with Erica Williams, at the insistence of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Within a year, Williams had issued 42 enforcement actions, the largest number since 2017, levying over $11m in sanctions:

https://www.dlapiper.com/en/insights/publications/2023/01/pcaob-sets-aggressive-agenda-for-2023-what-to-expect-as-agency-enforcement-expands

She was just getting warmed up: last year, PCAOB collected $20m in fines, with five cases seeing fines in excess of $2m each, a record:

https://www.dlapiper.com/en/insights/publications/2024/01/pcaobs-enforcement-and-standard-setting-rev-up-what-to-expect-in-2024

Williams isn't shy about condemning the Big Four, publicly sounding the alarm that 40% of the 2022 audits the PCAOB reviewed were deficient, up from 34% in 2021 and 29% in 2020:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/we-audit-the-auditors-and-we-found-trouble-accountability-capital-markets-c5587f05

Under Williams, the PCAOB has enacted new, muscular rules on lead auditors' duties, and they're now consulting on a rule that will make audit inspections much faster, shortening the documentation period from 45 days to 14:

https://tax.thomsonreuters.com/news/pcaob-rulemaking-could-lead-to-more-timely-issuance-of-audit-inspection-reports/

Williams is no fire-breathing leftist. She's an alum of the SEC and a BigLaw firm, creating modest, obvious technical improvements to a key system that capitalism requires for its orderly functioning. Moreover, she is competent, able to craft regulations that are effective and enforceable. This has been a motif within the Biden administration:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/18/administrative-competence/#i-know-stuff

But though these improvements are decidedly moderate, they are grounded in a truly radical break from business-as-usual in the age of monopoly auditors. It's a transition from self-regulation to regulation. As @40_Years on Twitter so aptly put it: "Self regulation is to regulation as self-importance is to importance":

https://twitter.com/40_Years/status/1750025605465178260

Berliners: Otherland has added a second date (Jan 28 - THIS SUNDAY!) for my book-talk after the first one sold out - book now!

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/26/noclar-war/#millionaire-on-billionaire-violence

Back the Kickstarter for the audiobook of The Bezzle here!

Image: Sam Valadi (modified) https://www.flickr.com/photos/132084522@N05/17086570218/

Disco Dan (modified)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/danhogbenspics/8318883471/

CC BY 2.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

[calciumcryptid]

Elseworld 64 | Candace Cobblepot

Candace Cobblepot is a Gotham businesswoman and philanthropist who is invested in the improvement of the city. As Empress Penguin, she is a crime boss using her business as a front for her illegal activities and info-broker.

Candace Cobblepot is the daughter of Oswald Cobblepot, the original Penguin, and his late wife Penny Cobblepot. After her mother's death, Candace was spoiled rotten showered in gifts and the labor of the Penguin's schemes. When she grew older she determined she wanted to take over the family business and head off for a business degree.

In business school, Candace Cobblepot befriended Terrence Wayne. The two quickly developed a platonic relationship and Candace was the one who encouraged Terry to drop out of business school if it wasn't for him. The two tried dating for a while but after the third date they determined they were better off as friends. They remained in contact, and are still fairly close considering their paths in life.

One night, the third Batman crashed into the Iceberg Lounge and fought the goons he was chasing down. The fight came to a halt when Candace, as Empress Penguin, shot a warning shot and proclaimed that this was no way to conduct business with her. She declared the Iceberg Lounge as neutral territory, and no fighting was permitted.

Embarrassed, Batman left but later made an official appointment with her. The first official meeting between Batman and Empress Penguin started with the reveal Candace knew Terry was behind the cowl. Fortunately, Candace was not interested in revealing this information to anyone else and was willing to strike a deal. She would be immune from arrest as long as she served as an informant for the Bats. Terry quickly agreed to her terms, and the two parted once more as friends.

The Empress & the Emperor

During a different hero's time looking over Gotham, Candace waa been arrested and sent to Blackgate Penitentiary. After analyzing her situation, Candace saw her imprisonment as a challenge to busy herself with until the Bats could correct the mistake.

The presence of Empress Penguin had not gone unnoticed by the prisoners, and an individual who went by the title Emperor Blackgate wished to see her. With her head held high, she met Ignatius Ogilvy and the two talked over a chess match. Ignatius tried to intimidate her into standing down and staying silent, but she refused to back down.

Ignatius became enraged at her tenacity, but she would not let up and used her knowledge of his late father's employment under her father to dig further under his skin. Cool as ice, she pointed out the damage she had done in such little time there with the underlying threat he could lose more.

Intrigued by what other damage she could do, their chess matches turned weekly and soon the two fell for one another. Unfortunately, the Bats caught the mistake and all her charges were wiped clean. She left, and the rumor in the criminal underbelly was that she was the one who got away.

Their odd dance continued as Candace became his outside supplier and goons were sent to Candace's doorstep for employment. At some point, Ignatius was released and he immediately set out to formally ask her on a date. Suffice to say, they eventually got married and their territories got a second ruler.

@insomniac-jay

[onlineemenu-software]

How Restaurant Management Software Streamlines Operations and Boosts Efficiency

The restaurant industry is highly competitive, and efficient operations play a crucial role in the success of any establishment. In today's digital age, restaurant management software has emerged as a powerful tool to streamline operations and boost efficiency. This blog post explores the various ways in which restaurant management software revolutionizes the way restaurants operate, enabling them to deliver exceptional customer experiences while optimizing their backend processes.

The Role of Restaurant Management Software:

Online eMenu Restaurant management software is a comprehensive solution designed to handle the diverse aspects of running a restaurant. It encompasses a wide range of features and functionalities that simplify day-to-day operations, enhance productivity, and improve overall efficiency. From Restaurant tasks to Restaurant operations, the software offers a centralized platform to manage and streamline various processes.

Streamlining Restaurant Operations:

In the bustling environment of a restaurant, managing Restaurant operations efficiently is essential. Online eMenu Restaurant management software offers tools for reservation and table management software, allowing customers to book tables online and providing staff with real-time updates on reservations. This helps optimize table turnover and maximize seating capacity, leading to better customer service and increased revenue. Additionally, the software integrates with the point-of-sale (POS) system, enabling seamless order taking and processing.

Enhancing Restaurant Efficiency:

Efficiency in the Restaurant operations is equally important for smooth restaurant functioning. With restaurant management software, staff scheduling and labor management become hassle-free. The software automates scheduling, taking into account factors such as staff availability and workload, resulting in optimized staff allocation and improved productivity. It also tracks labor costs and performance metrics, providing valuable insights for effective decision-making.

Supplier and procurement management is another critical aspect that software addresses. By streamlining the ordering process and managing suppliers, restaurants can ensure timely and accurate deliveries. The software facilitates inventory forecasting, minimizing wastage and optimizing stock levels. Real-time reporting and analytics capabilities empower restaurant owners and managers to monitor sales, expenses, and performance, enabling data-driven decision-making.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM):

Building strong customer relationships is vital for the success of any restaurant. Restaurant management software Customer Relationship Management (CRM) helps in creating and maintaining customer profiles, capturing preferences, and analyzing data to deliver personalized experiences. Additionally, the software facilitates the implementation of loyalty programs and targeted marketing campaigns, allowing restaurants to engage with customers effectively and increase customer retention.

Ensuring Data Security and Accessibility:

Data security is a paramount concern in today's digital landscape. Restaurant management software offers robust security measures to protect sensitive customer information and business data. Cloud-based solutions provide data backup and ensure accessibility from anywhere, anytime, allowing owners and managers to monitor and manage their restaurant's operations remotely. User access control features further enhance data privacy and confidentiality.

Case Studies: Success Stories of Restaurant Management Software Implementation

Real-life examples of restaurants that have implemented restaurant management software can provide valuable insights into its effectiveness. Case studies highlighting specific improvements and outcomes achieved through the software demonstrate how it has helped restaurants streamline their operations, enhance efficiency, and deliver exceptional dining experiences.

Challenges and Considerations:

While restaurant management software offers numerous benefits, it's essential to consider potential challenges and factors when selecting the right software. Factors such as cost, scalability, user-friendliness, and integration capabilities with existing systems should be evaluated before making a decision. Addressing these considerations ensures a successful implementation and maximizes the software's potential.

Conclusion:

Restaurant Management software has become a game-changer in the industry, revolutionizing the way restaurants operate. By streamlining operations, enhancing efficiency, and optimizing processes, this software empowers restaurants to deliver exceptional customer experiences while driving profitability. As technology continues to shape the future of the restaurant industry, embracing restaurant management software becomes essential for those seeking.

[tmsfretron]

Freight Cost in Steel Industry

A Detailed Analysis of Increase in Freight Cost in Steel Industry

Are you searching for efficient ways to reduce freight costs in steel industry logistics operations? Companies with Freight as a crucial part of their business must deal with the continuous rise in transportation of steel industry logistics as a whole. 

This is why finding best ways to transport steel to ensure freight cost optimization is becoming critical. It eventually improves the supply chain procedures and saves money for businesses.

Strategies for logistics cost control can range from streamlining inventory levels, revising smarter shipping networks, providing better processes, improving relationships between suppliers and third parties, etc.

Before looking for the best ways to transport steel cost-efficiently, it is critical to understand the reasons that lead to the rise in Freight logistics costs in the steel industry.

This blog post highlights the reasons behind the ongoing rising Freight costs in the steel industry and ways to reduce freight costs.

[accountsend]

10 ways to grow your business using AccountSend.com B2B decision maker data

Article by Jonathan Bomser | CEO | AccountSend.com

AccountSend.com is a powerful platform that provides businesses with B2B decision-maker data, enabling them to unlock new sales channels, generate more leads, and drive business growth. In this article, we will explore ten effective ways you can leverage AccountSend.com to grow your business and achieve your sales objectives. By utilizing the valuable B2B decision-maker data offered by AccountSend.com, you can identify potential clients, target specific industries, refine your marketing messaging, build targeted email lists, expand your network, enhance customer relationships, identify market trends, conduct market research, and monitor your competitors. Let's dive into these strategies in more detail.

DOWNLOAD THE 10 WAYS TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS

Identify Potential Clients

AccountSend.com's B2B decision-maker data enables you to identify potential clients who are likely to be interested in your product or service. By accessing comprehensive and accurate data, you can focus your efforts on the right prospects, increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of your sales and marketing campaigns.

Target Specific Industries

With AccountSend.com, you have the ability to target specific industries or verticals that align with your business goals. This allows you to tailor your marketing efforts and messages to resonate with the needs and pain points of your target audience, increasing your chances of success.

Refine Your Marketing Messaging

AccountSend.com's data empowers you to create targeted marketing messages that resonate with your audience. By understanding the decision-makers within your target companies, their roles, and their challenges, you can craft compelling messages that highlight how your offering addresses their specific needs.

Build Targeted Email Lists

Email marketing remains a powerful tool for lead generation. With AccountSend.com, you can build highly targeted email lists based on specific criteria such as industry, job title, company size, and more. This ensures that your email campaigns reach the right people, increasing the chances of engagement and conversion.

Expand Your Network

AccountSend.com not only helps you identify potential clients but also allows you to discover potential business partners, suppliers, or vendors that can support your business growth. By expanding your network and forging strategic partnerships, you can tap into new opportunities and leverage shared resources for mutual success.

Improve Your Sales Pitch

The B2B decision-maker data provided by AccountSend.com empowers you to create a sales pitch that directly addresses the pain points and challenges of your target audience. By customizing your pitch to their specific needs, you can capture their attention, build trust, and increase your chances of closing deals.

Enhance Customer Relationships

AccountSend.com's data enables you to identify key decision-makers within your existing customer base. By understanding their roles and responsibilities, you can develop personalized strategies to strengthen your relationships, provide tailored solutions, and uncover opportunities for upselling or cross-selling.

Identify Market Trends

Staying informed about market trends is crucial for business success. AccountSend.com's data allows you to stay up-to-date on industry trends, shifts, and emerging opportunities. This valuable information helps you make informed decisions, adapt your strategies, and stay ahead of your competitors.

Conduct Market Research

AccountSend.com provides you with the tools to conduct market research and gather valuable insights on your target audience. By understanding their preferences, behaviors, and buying patterns, you can refine your offerings, improve your marketing campaigns, and make data-driven decisions that drive business growth.

Monitor Your Competitors

AccountSend.com helps you keep a close eye on your competitors by providing valuable insights into their key decision-makers and business activities. By monitoring your competitors, you can identify areas for differentiation, uncover competitive advantages, and respond proactively to market dynamics.

AccountSend.com's B2B decision-maker data offers a wealth of opportunities for businesses seeking to grow and succeed. By leveraging this data, you can identify potential clients, refine your marketing messaging, build targeted email lists, expand your network, improve your sales pitch, enhance customer relationships, identify market trends, conduct market research, and monitor your competitors. All of these strategies can contribute to your business growth and help you achieve your goals. Take advantage of the power of AccountSend.com and unlock new avenues for success in your B2B sales and marketing endeavors.