You Can’t Negotiate From What You Can’t See
The person with the data has the leverage, and it usually is not you. Six numbers to bring to a vendor meeting so it starts on your terms instead.
Behind the Line
One Hour a Week That Protects Your Margin
One hour a week on your agreements and the processes inside them protects more margin than any negotiation. What actually belongs in that hour.
How to Run a Real Re-Quote
A re-quote that saves eight percent on paper can still cost you money. Lock the spec, quote total cost, and make sure the savings reach the P&L.
The Vendor You Haven’t Questioned in Years
Every operation has the vendor nobody questions any more. Comfort has a price and it does not show up anywhere you are looking. How to run the review.
How to Take the Fire Drill Out of Friday
Twenty-five invoices on the bookkeeper\’s desk at 3 PM Friday is not a staffing problem. It is a system problem. What creates the fire drill and how to end it.
The 10 Items Worth Re-Quoting First
You cannot re-quote everything. Start with the ten items where a small correction is worth the most, and here is how to find them in your own spend.
The Credits Sitting on Your Statements
There is money on your vendor statements right now that is already yours. Unclaimed credits, how they pile up, and how to go and get them back.
The Number You Think You’re Paying
The invoice price is only the start of what an item costs you. Yield, pack size and substitutions all move the real number. How to actually see it.
The Margin You Lose a Few Cents at a Time
Food cost rarely jumps. It creeps a few cents per case at a time while nothing on the line looks wrong. How the drift happens and where to catch it.
Where I Learned the Job
One in the morning at the Fulton Fish Market, buying whole fish off the dock. Where I learned what purchasing is, and why it still shapes the work.