Contract Administrators Telephone Seminars

Boilerplate Contract Terms: Yes, They Really Matter BenefitsThis live audio conference will address the parts of a contract that often go overlooked and underappreciated: the boilerplate terms, the provisions toward the end of the contract that are often left to the lawyers, that are not heavily negotiated, but that matter most when things go wrong. The program will also discuss damages and warranty provisions, choice of law and forum clauses,  more...

Construction Documentation: Preparing Effective Job Records BenefitsAlthough the term 'papering the file' is often associated with increased documentation efforts in preparation for litigation after a job has gone bad, it shouldn't be. Effective communication and accurate recordation of those communications can keep the parties - and the project - on course and out of litigation. Should an irreconcilable dispute nevertheless arise, thorough project  more...

Purchase Order Fundamentals BenefitsPurchase order fundamentals will be an interactive experience covering the basics of a current procurement office and how purchase order systems are used. The topics covered will give the beginner an understanding of basic purchasing processes and how to avoid common mistakes. The experienced professional and manager will be able to discuss interactively and share their experiences and ask  more...

Service Level Fundamentals: Maximizing Business Value BenefitsService levels provide targeted, effective incentives to cause service providers to achieve their customers' desired business outcomes. However, too often customers discover that those service levels are being achieved with reports showing 'green' while the service itself feels 'red.' In these situations, customers often find that those service levels: measure the wrong aspects of the  more...

Incoterms 2010 Fundamentals BenefitsIncoterms are global shipping terms to define each party's responsibilities for the movement of goods. This live audio conference is a must-attend event for importers and exporters. We will review the purpose of Incoterms and what has changed since Incoterms 2000. We will cover each Incoterm in detail and its definitions, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each term, so that  more...

User Requirements and Specification Fundamentals BenefitsPoorly written requirements often result in the customer not getting what the customer wanted or needed. In worst case scenarios, the final product doesn't solve the problem or produce anything of value for the customer. The result is money and time wasted. This live audio conference helps those responsible for purchasing products or getting the right thing built generate requirements  more...

Battle of the Forms and Managing the Contracting Process BenefitsEffective contracting practices are critical to ensuring that contracts are made on acceptable terms. Ineffective practices can lead to a failure to achieve required terms or worse, a contract on terms that are contrary to one's objectives. Our fast-paced world increases the pressure as it is very easy for conflicting terms to be exchanged electronically without a complete meeting of the  more...

Electronic Contracts: Best Practices and Legal Implications BenefitsThe legal landscape affecting the enforceability and proper use of electronic contracts continues to change. While such contracts are now widely used, certain issues remain unsettled, including unilateral modification of contracts and attribution of electronic signatures to a particular user for enforceability issues. Jason Epstein, William Norton and Geoffrey Vickers will provide  more...

Use of Terms and Conditions in Purchase Agreements BenefitsThis live audio conference will discuss various provisions commonly found in the terms and conditions of agreements for the purchase and sale of goods. How many times do you get boilerplate agreements without truly reading the small print? When is small print even acceptable? What do these terms and conditions mean? How do I go about negotiating the terms? Do they really matter? This audio  more...

Statement of Work Contract Fundamentals BenefitsA good statement of work is the only thing between you and failure, whether it's a project, contract, grant application or proposal. Success is in the details of the SOW. Without it, you can't compete or communicate. Those who have managed contracted work know that poorly written SOWs can lead to communication breakdowns, misunderstandings, disputes, rework, delayed completion and added  more...

Keys to Understanding and Writing Purchasing Contracts BenefitsProfessional purchasers demonstrate their level of professionalism by their degree of sophistication in writing their own contracts. Many purchasers relinquish their responsibility for writing contracts and leave it up to their legal staff to accomplish this critical skill. A few purchasers develop their knowledge, skills and ability writing contracts, and thus distinguish themselves  more...

Purchasing Contract Remedies BenefitsAccording to the old proverb, 'When things get tough, the tough get going.' A corollary might be, 'When things go wrong, call the lawyers.' At which point a headache could easily become a nightmare. Is there a better way? Of course there is. Litigation can, and should be, a last resort. After all, litigation takes time and our business clients typically need something NOW: the steel for  more...

Best Practices in Performance-Based Service Procurement BenefitsPerformance-based service procurement is a commercial best practice for many types of service procurements. The General Accountability Office says performance-based procurement is the government's primary resource for correcting problems in service procurement. In both the public and private sectors, it benefits the buying organization in many ways when done right. Performance-based  more...

Best Practices in Electronic Invoices and Electronic Payments BenefitsIt may seem impossible to escape the paper-heavy processes in your AP department and achieve the coveted paperless status, but pulling off this caper is not a feat reserved for only paper mavericks. Instead, we can show you there is a way to achieve a paper-free environment and realize your ROI. In this teleconference, e-invoicing architect Henry Ijams will discuss your options for a  more...

Best Practices for MRO Purchasing BenefitsMany organizations lack thorough MRO purchasing strategies that are comprised of a guiding strategy and supporting tactics to achieve the goals that have been identified for the MRO purchasing function. This is often a significant opportunity to reduce operating cost and improve mean time to repair. This teleconference will help you understand and design the MRO purchasing system and  more...

Reverse Auctions: Current Issues and Opportunities BenefitsAll across the spectrum, organizations are seeking ways to save money on their operations. Certainly, gaining efficiencies in your procurement spending can make a tremendous difference on your bottom-line in the private sector and in saving precious budgetary resources in the public sector. How can you achieve 5 to 20 percent or more savings on much of what your organization spends on  more...

Express and Implied Warranties Under UCC Article 2 BenefitsThe warranty provisions under UCC Article 2 and the laws interpreting them provide a vast amount of information that can seem overwhelming at times. This teleconference will provide a general overview of the scope of Article 2 and the types of warranties offered by the UCC, and discuss the various defenses, remedies and damages available for each type of warranty. The discussion will  more...

Lease vs. Buy: Choosing the Best Option BenefitsThe decision to finance business equipment through lease programs or by purchases is one of the most difficult and important decisions faced by businesses every day. Making the wrong choice can not only result in economic loss but significant disruption of business, loss of time and opportunity. This teleconference will provide you with a comparison of the benefits and pitfalls of  more...

Selecting Vendors: An Introduction to RFPs BenefitsThis teleconference is an introductory course for those who are just beginning to consider or use RFPs in their procurement process. It will provide you with a basic understanding of how requests for information and requests for proposals can be used to increase corporate procurement efficiencies and deeper vendor relationships. It will provide insights on best practices in Fortune 500  more...

Doing Business with Distressed Vendors and Customers: Strategies to Employ in Workouts, Litigation and Bankruptcy BenefitsThe strains of the current economic crisis are being felt in every industry and at every point in the supply chain. More and more often, vendors are encountering distressed buyers and buyers are dealing with distressed suppliers. Attend this teleconference and you will learn to recognize the early warning signs of financial distress, and be armed with strategies that can be employed in  more...

Controlling Purchasing Card Risk BenefitsThe backbone of an effective purchasing card program is a good control system. Without it a program may never realize its potential and risk may turn into reality causing a potential program shutdown. Fabian Aragon, P-Card program manager with Sandia National Laboratories, will discuss different ways a program can minimize risk, including basic controls, procedural controls, and assurance  more...

Best Practices in Invoice Processing BenefitsCritical tools such as electronic invoicing, vendor inquiry and Optical Character Recognition are rapidly changing the accounts payable field. Join an accounts payable industry analyst to learn why your job depends on not only understanding these high-power tools, but becoming an expert in their use and application. This teleconference will cover the tangible benefits of streamlining your  more...

GSA Price Reduction Clauses (PRC) in Contracts BenefitsGSA Federal Supply Schedule contracting is a convenient way for companies to sell their products to the federal government. However, doing business under GSA FSS contracts presents a number of compliance issues, with one of the most important being the price reduction clause. This clause is included in all of the GSA Multiple Award Schedule schedules and essentially it guarantees that GSA  more...

Purchasing Law: Breach, Repudiation and Excuse BenefitsYou have survived the battle of the forms or signed a supply agreement but there is a problem - your supplier hasn't delivered, the goods don't work the way they should or you have reason to think that they won't be delivered. This teleconference will provide you a basic understanding about what you can do when your purchase contract goes bad. You will receive a primer on the steps you  more...

Fundamentals of Writing RFPs BenefitsVendors cannot possibly offer an intelligent, thoughtful proposal solution if your RFP is unclear, unorganized and disjointed. This engaging teleconference will provide proven methods for drafting RFPs that are clear, precise and produce desired results. Learn 10 writing tips that will guide you in creating an effective RFP. Learn how to format your RFP to lead vendors toward answering  more...

The Claims Process on Federal Government Contracts - Maximizing the Return on Your Investment BenefitsMany federal contractors incur additional costs for changes, delays, differing site conditions and contract terminations. However, all too often these contractors do not understand how to effectively seek compensation for these additional costs. This teleconference will help you understand the types of costs you can recover, the circumstances under which certain costs may be recovered and  more...

When Bad Things (Unexpectedly) Happen to Good Projects: Force Majeure Clauses in Contemporary Construction Contracts BenefitsWhat happens when unforeseen external events, such as an act of nature (e.g. a hurricane or flood), an act of war (e.g. a terrorist attack) or similar sudden, disruptive developments impact a construction project and result in schedule delays and substantial increased costs? Virtually every construction contract contains a force majeure clause providing for schedule and price relief for  more...

Purchasing Contract Administration BenefitsNegotiated a great deal recently? How's that deal working out for you? Do you expect a raise or a pink slip when your annual evaluation rolls around? This teleconference is an introductory course in understanding how to add real value and avoid tragedy through the contract administration process. It will provide best practices from Fortune 500 companies, tips on how to approach difficult  more...

Purchasing Contract Disputes nBad economic times inevitably result in serious business disputes. This teleconference will help you plan and implement a practical strategy to minimize the business interruptions (and costs) that can occur when purchasing contract disputes occur - and turn potential career-limiting purchasing disasters in 2009 into success stories. This introductory course will help you understand how such  more...

Best Practices in Purchasing Software nNegotiating software licenses can be frustrating for the business owner. Once you get past the 10-point, double column format of most vendors' license forms, you begin to understand that there are no standard terms and conditions for licensing software - each deal is unique. This teleconference will help the person responsible for evaluating, purchasing and maintaining enterprise-wide software  more...