It’s that time of year again when the madness of the impending end of the fiscal year begins. Ours for some reason started at the beginning of the month of May. The finance department is diligently working to see what is open that can be closed, where money can be freed up to assist with last minute purchases and looking towards when to open up the next fiscal year so that business can continue as the calendar year proceeds. End users are scrambling to used all the money they can, working with vendors to get goods and services delivered before the June 30 deadline, and hoping that nothing slows down the processes to get them delivered.
For Purchasing it is busy on a two fold measure. On top of all the orders to be processed, sourcing to be found and in general assistance of helping our end users do business, we also have a large number of contracts that run from fiscal year start to fiscal year end that either need to be renewed, renegotiated or re-solicited. This added burden can mean lots of gray hairs, some late nights (or in my case earlier mornings) and of course added stress of getting it all done by COB on June 30. Oh and did I mention all the vendors that “just have to have” a meeting with you to discuss next year? While we try to accommodate as many as possible there are just not enough hours in the day to do it all.
Remember to take things in stride, plan your day and give yourself time for those unexpected calendar changes and drop ins. Remember to take care of yourself, even if it is simply a 15 minute walk at lunch to get you away from your desk and out of the office. Leave the office at the office when you do go home to ensure you get a good nights rest. Try to eat healthier to ensure your energy and focus level are top notch. Most importantly – VENT – yes I said VENT. Vent to your coworkers, procurement colleagues or significant other just to get out the frustrations of the moment or the day.
As with everything, this too shall pass…. until next year! Happy End of Fiscal Year! Stay Strong! You Got This!
procurementrulz 