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A SUPPLIERS' GUIDE TO THE SEATTLE TIMES

This guide is designed to provide suppliers with a quick introduction to the scope of operations, organization, and purchasing policies and practices at The Seattle Times Company. Our goal is to provide suppliers with a clear understanding of how to do business with us so that we can achieve mutually beneficial goals and objectives.

The Seattle Times relies on outside sources to supply many critical products and services. We conduct all business relations ethically and fairly. We welcome suggestions and proposals that will enable us to reduce costs, improve service and provide greater value to our organization and our customers.

We look forward to the opportunity to do business with you!

Our Mission
What We Purchase
Contract Authorization
The Bidding Process
The Decision Process
Policies and Procedures

Our Mission

The mission of our Contracts & Supply Management department is to provide service and value through partnerships with customers and suppliers. Our goals are to provide timely service and continual improvement to meet our customers needs and contribute to organizational profitability.

At The Seattle Times, our goals are the fair and impartial treatment of all suppliers and their representatives. Ability, capacity, integrity, financial status, geographic location, performance, reliability, quality of product, cost of product, delivery, early payment discounts, responsiveness, return policies, inventory levels, customer-supplier relations, references and past performance history are just some of the factors we consider when evaluating and selecting sources of supply. The Seattle Times maintains a policy of equal opportunity for all suppliers.

What We Purchase

The Seattle Times purchases many materials and services, from nuts and bolts and furniture to computers, office supplies and business forms. We also contract for facilities, production, information technology, software/maintenance, repair and operating supplies.

Contracts & Supply Management Contract Authorization

The Contracts & Supply Management department is the only department authorized to commit the company to a purchase contract or agreement. As a result, any commitments to purchase or any changes to existing contracts by other company departments are not valid and may not be honored.

Unauthorized purchases or changes may result in unpaid invoices. All purchases must include a Seattle Times ProCard (MasterCard) number or Seattle Times Purchase Order number to be considered valid. We will not be responsible for invoices that do not contain an appropriate Seattle Times ProCard or Purchase Order number.

Although the ordering of certain small dollar materials and services has been decentralized via our corporate ProCard (MasterCard) program, all negotiations, administration and control is retained by the Contracts & Supply department in Seattle.

Invoicing and Terms
All invoices for goods or services must be sent to the Accounts Payable Department for payment at: PO Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111. We require the original invoice and do not pay from statements.

Discounts offered may be considered when comparing costs and proposals. Please notify us of discounts your company may offer for early payment of invoices. Invoices allowing for early payment discounts are generally processed for payment in time to achieve the discounts. Net invoices are paid within 30 days of receipt of proper invoice. Early payment discounts apply to both Purchase Orders and ProCard.

The Bidding Process

Request for Quotation/Request for Proposal
We maintain an impartial and confidential environment during the bid process. Your prices and terms are not revealed to your competitors or to unauthorized Seattle Times employees. Since all information is confidential, we cannot reveal details about our competitive quotations. All quotations are considered to be your best and final offer.

All quotations should be made in accordance with our specifications and to be considered must be submitted on The Seattle Times Request for Quotation/Request for Proposal form. We'll let you know if we are already under contract for services and not able to consider other options at this time or, if appropriate, will provide you with the proper information and form.

The Decision Process

Value Analysis
The Seattle Times encourages the introduction of new products, services and ideas that will add value, reduce cost, improve service to customers or otherwise contribute to organizational efficiency or value to our customers. Suppliers should direct initial correspondence to the Contracts & Supply Management department. In most cases, new product literature and information will be forwarded to the department where such material or services would be used. Follow-up calls are appropriate when requested or when you have new or additional information. In general, new or sample products will be accepted for testing only when proven to have definite savings potential and acceptance within The Seattle Times. When testing does occur, The Seattle Times will be the sole judge of the test results.

Policies & Procedures

Gifts and Gratuities
Our purchasing policy forbids Contracts & Supply Management department employees from accepting gifts or gratuities in any form, from any supplier, for themselves or their families. Trips, lunches, dinners, travel, tickets, sporting events, apparel, food and advertising specialties are also construed as gratuities. Suppliers are expected to adhere to this policy and refrain from offering gifts and gratuities of any kind.

Supplier Responsibilities
Upon request, suppliers agree to provide The Seattle Times Contracts & Supply Management department with 24-hour contact numbers (pager, voicemail, cell phone, etc.) for use by The Seattle Times buyers.

Upon request, suppliers agree to allow The Seattle Times buyers access to their facilities for inspection. Suppliers also agree to furnish The Seattle Times buyers with reports and other information necessary for evaluation, measurement and improvement of supply management.

Suppliers and their sales representatives are encouraged to inform our Contracts & Supply Management department of contact with other company employees regarding materials and services offered.

On-Time Delivery
All suppliers are expected to adhere to mutually agreed upon delivery dates. Any change or delay in delivery dates should be immediately communicated to the appropriate buyer. This allows us to maintain service to our customers without interruption and to maintain desired levels of inventory. In some cases, our employees have scheduled training, installations and/or other activities based on promised delivery dates.

Contact Contracts & Supply Management

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