Combatting Carbon Emissions with Reverse Auctions: A White Paper from the Clean Air Task Force (CATF)

OK, whether you think global warming is an imminent threat or a complete hoax, this is a very interesting concept paper from the Clean Air Task Force (CATF), based in Boston, MA. It is entitled, "Using Reverse Auctions in a Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) Deployment Program," and you can read the entire paper at Read Publication.

Interesting application of the reverse auction model, no doubt, if it comes to pass as part of the debate over U.S. energy policy.

David

From the Reverse Auction Research Center: http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/

From the Reverse Auction Research Center: http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/

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Reverse Auctions for Government Jobs?: Newt Gingrich Proposes a Radical Idea

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OK, here's a interesting idea that - depending on your perspective, your political philosophy, and perhaps your "compassion threshold" - might be right - or wrong - for our times. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has proposed what is no doubt a rather radical idea - letting prospective, qualified workers compete in a reverse auction for government jobs. He summarized his thoughts on this speaking of conditions in Michigan, which are really not that different than in many parts of the country, by stating: "In an era of 15 percent unemployment, he said, "people would be willing to do the job for half the current rate and be relatively happy to have the job."

Read the full article from the Great Lakes Technology and Innovation Report at Gingrich: China Is Michigan's Yardstick - WWJ Newsradio 950

This should draw some interesting takes - post your thoughts here. Is this a bridge too far - or matching a technological solution to the economic conditions we face, where individuals need work and governments need to save money?

David

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The 15th Anniversary of the Reverse Auction?

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Ok, we can quibble over who invented the reverse auction and when (really, they existed before Internet auctions, so 15 years is really underselling the matter!). However, this is a very interesting discussion put on by Ariba (who claim - via FreeMarkets - to have invented the concept). You can access the podcast here (after supplying them with a bit of marketing info):

Spend Management, Supplier Management, and Working Capital Management Software | Ariba, Inc.

Still, the speakers are very good! The roster includes:

Harikrishnan Shankaranarayanan, Vice President, Aegis Limited
Larry Bender, Director of Contract Management, Diebold
Shannon Moore, eSourcing Manager, Home Depot
Gerald Clarke, B2B Enablement Project Manager, IBM

Well worth a listen....break out the champagne to celebrate - what do you get someone for a 15th Anniversary anyway (quick, Wikipedia....). And the answer is....Crystal!

David http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/

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Chicago Blues: City to try new ways of procurement to cut costs

If there's one certainty about our precarious times in the public sector today, it is the fact that government executives - at all levels - face tough, tough decisions on how to raise revenue and save money. Wait, the latter is an easy call, and in a dire budget crisis, the "city of big shoulders" has opened its eyes to the possibilities for cost savings offered by employing reverse auctions. Mayor Richard Daley and the Chicago City Council's Budget Committee have now issued a directive to all municipal departments in this city (whose budget is bigger than some states!) to use reverse auctions to save taxpayer dollars to help plug the huge hole the city's budget.

Read:
City to try new ways of procurement to cut costs :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: City Hall

This will be one to watch on the municipal level - as Chicago is a big fish! And with the State of Illinois Budget mess (see Illinois facing 'outright disaster' amid budget crisis 'We are not paying bills for absolutely essential services ... that is obscene') - a mess that in all states runs downhill, limiting city and county government options for increasing revenue, turning to reverse auctions should be pursued by all governments in Illinois and all other states!

David  http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/

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BP Oil Spill Relief Well Scenarios: What Happens If It Doesn't Stop Gusher?

Image by The Latest Slub: via Flickr

Uh-oh! I thought we've been told by BP and all federal officials that this would work - they wouldn't lie or mislead in regards to anything related to this oil spill, now would they??


Interesting - and a must read - see:
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

David http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/

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Reverse Auctions for Green Power?: How Energy Efficiency Projects Can Save You Money

Want to "go green" and "save green," too? Whether you are buying for a business location or your own own, a new company, FrozCo2 (http://www.frozco2.com/), has a unique system to allow prospective buyers of solar and wind-based systems for powering a single home or an entire facility to make competitive bidding work for them - while doing good for the planet. Read the details in this article from Greener Living by clicking below:

How Energy Efficiency Projects Can Save You Money | Greener Living

Interesting intersection of the right model in a great marketspace today. Good luck to them!

David

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Intenda – making waves with public sector auctions

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Here's another commentary from my friend Peter Smith at Procurement Excellence. He talks about the UK's Ministry of Defense and its entry into reverse auctions. You can read the full article at:

Intenda – making waves with public sector auctions | Supply, Cost & Procurement Management

Peter makes an excellent point to public sector executives everywhere that:

It is clear that new and non-traditional suppliers of procurement and supply chain technology have some very interesting offerings. If you have a need, then do a proper market analysis, speak to a range of practitioners, and do a proper supplier selection exercise; don’t just go with the ERP add-on or whatever your mate down the road has used!

Good advice if you're a government leader - from a Minister to a Mayor - anywhere in the world!

David

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