Bernie van Niekerk, Author at Smart Procurement

How You Can Help Accelerate the Sustainable Transition in the New Year

With the breadth of challenges facing humanity, each new year gives us the collective opportunity to reflect on the progress we’ve made toward creating a more sustainable future for all. Lazar Armianov, EcoVadis Regional Sales Director, Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa, points out that those of us in the procurement space have a significant role […]

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Green and sustainable purchasing – what, why and how?

Leave a Comment / Sourcing Strategy, Sustainable Procurement / Bernie van Niekerk

Everything we use every day has an impact on the environment. So why, asks “The Little Green Queen”, Lorraine Jenks in this punchy article, don’t we use the incredible power we have to demand better, safer products with every purchase we make? Whether as individuals, Chief Procurement Officers or junior buyers in the public or

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Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index March 2022

Leave a Comment / Leadership and People, PMI / Bernie van Niekerk

The seasonally adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) increased for a third consecutive month to reach 60.0 in March, up from 58.6 in February. The sustained improvement in the headline PMI bodes well for the continued recovery of the manufacturing sector after it was dealt a blow in the third quarter of last year. Indeed,

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Why Green Procurement Matters Now!

Leave a Comment / Sourcing Strategy, Sustainable Procurement / Bernie van Niekerk

Johannesburg business consultant, Dumi Jere, points out in Part 1 of two articles that the procurement space has enormous power in the fight against climate change, and advises us not to miss the Green boat. Early last year, I became a verified member of Leaders For Climate Action. At its core, this not-for-profit organisation is

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Procurement should stay up to speed with Big Data

Leave a Comment / Big Data, Technology / Bernie van Niekerk

Businesses which neglect to embrace Big Data will be left behind in the fast-moving world of procurement technology, warns Swiss-based procurement specialist, Oliver Engelbrecht. In a world where hundreds of social apps and platforms are being developed on a daily basis, while billions of people are sharing copious amounts of information every millisecond, rapid growth

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Thriving Procurement: The Essential 4Ps

Leave a Comment / Enterprise Development, Supplier Management / Bernie van Niekerk

Leading light in the South African procurement space, Dr Faith Mashele, reminds us to focus on the 4 Ps to ensure that our industry thrives in the post-pandemic era. Two months into the year 2022, remnants of the COVID-19 pandemic have continued to remain prevalent in our day-to-day lives. For many of us, it feels

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Entrepreneurs & small business suppliers: Different but equal

Leave a Comment / Enterprise Development, Procurement Strategy / Bernie van Niekerk

Johannesburg Enterprise and Supplier Development expert and internationally-recognised thought leader on entrepreneurship, Hepsy Mkungo, spells out the commonalities and differences between small businesses and entrepreneurs that procurement specialists should know about. While both entrepreneurs and small business owners devote a huge amount of commitment and effort into their operations, there is a fundamental distinction between

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Getting ethics back into procurement!

Leave a Comment / Legal / Contract, Procurement Strategy / Bernie van Niekerk

Procurement specialists can fight fraud and corruption if they stand united, says South Africa’s Lerato Sebata, who is passionate about accomplishing a profession that is ethical, respectful and effective. It is International Fraud Awareness Week, and, as experts in the procurement industry, we play a pivotal role in reducing fraud by taking a strong stance

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Procurement is the new green … or can be

Leave a Comment / Sourcing Strategy, Sustainable Procurement / Bernie van Niekerk

Cape Town based Green Economy leader, Dr Jaisheila Rajput, whose client base is spread across Africa, Asia and Europe, talks about the importance of unlocking green business value, with long term benefits. Is green procurement the post-COVID-19 gamechanger we’ve all been waiting for? Here’s why it should be an essential part of your procurement strategy.

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Key to success is knowing about supplier sustainability

Leave a Comment / Sustainable Procurement / Bernie van Niekerk

Carsten Primdal from Sydney is, amongst other things, an expert on sustainability programme management. He ardently believes that procurement specialists can make all the difference to both businesses and society at large if they equip themselves with knowledge of sustainable procurement and supply chain. There is mounting pressure for companies to ramp up their sustainability

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Author name: Bernie van Niekerk

How You Can Help Accelerate the Sustainable Transition in the New Year

Green and sustainable purchasing – what, why and how?

Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index March 2022

Why Green Procurement Matters Now!

Procurement should stay up to speed with Big Data

Thriving Procurement: The Essential 4Ps

Entrepreneurs & small business suppliers: Different but equal

Getting ethics back into procurement!

Procurement is the new green … or can be

Key to success is knowing about supplier sustainability

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