HEY! LOOK ME OVER

This story describes my involvement in helping to create a procurement policy for SRP. It was not an easy task. 03/10/2016

HEY! LOOK ME OVER

SRP’s General Manager, Rod McMullen, wanted George Nielsen to write a Purchasing Policy document that would formalize its Corporate Purchasing process. George produced a draft copy for me to edit and comment. He had copied it almost verbatim from one used by his former employee, General Dynamics, a large defense contractor.

“SRP does not operate under the Federal procurement guidelines. The language in this draft is inappropriate,” I confided to George.

He chose to submit it to the General Manager anyhow. A few days later, Rod summoned us to a meeting where George and I took turns reading and explaining its provisions. When the presentation ended, the GM said, “Distribute it to my staff for their review.”

A week later, George and I met with the rest of the GM’s staff to discuss the proposed policy. As soon as we began reading it, many of them erupted in rage and anger, especially the company’s chief electrical engineer. He became red-faced, gasping for air, while pointing out its inadequacies and inappropriateness.  I tried to pull George's chestnuts out of the fire a few times, emphasizing some of the policy’s virtues. In a way, George and I played the roles of “bad cop, good cop.” 

The staff rejected the written proposed policy but agreed to implement a few of its provisions voluntarily.             

Long after both George and Rod left the company, I helped create an acceptable procurement policy. It contained provisions that required me to obey certain rigid procurement rules and procedures that had not existed previously. I had found a way to improve the process and increase accountability.           

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