“A good negotiator should be a nice guy,” according to Khaled Chatila, senior procurement officer for the United Nations’ World Food Programme in Egypt. “You should be caring, clear and an active listener who is honest and willing to compromise or offer solutions,” said Chatila, at the CIPS Middle East Conference focus day in Dubai […]
Nice-guy negotiators come first, says United Nations Read More »
Organisations continue to face considerable obstacles, linked to transparency, efficiency and other ills of government procurement systems around the world, a new World Bank Group report finds. Such obstacles negatively affect the ability of small and medium sized organisations to do business with governments, says the Benchmarking Public Procurement (BPP) 2016 Report, which assesses
“The new draft regulations, if they are accepted, will legalise wholesale corruption at an even grander scale than we are currently witnessing,” said Helen Zille, Democratic Alliance (DA) premier of the Western Cape Government. Speaking on amendments to Preferential Procurement Regulations put forward by government, the premier said that amendments to the procurement law
Draft regulations have the “potential to legalise corruption” Read More »
Initial outcomes from a study are finding that while finance and legal are still seen to be the most powerful functions during the negotiation process, supply chain directors are becoming increasingly involved in initial negotiations with potential suppliers. The six-year study, entitled ‘Director Level Perceptivities on Aspects of Supply Chain Management‘, to be released
New study highlights directors’ perceptions on supply chain negotiations Read More »
With daily technological advances in the SAP world, focus tends to fall on the next-best technology and users forget that they already use a set of powerful basic supply chain management (SCM) tools. In fact, users may have never known about these SCM tools, and if they did, they may have ‘lost’ them through
Return to ‘SCM first principles’ before scheduling more SAP training Read More »
“Recent benchmark reports have shown price variances for specific items of more than 60% and on A4 paper in excess of 40%.” Alan Low has seen both sides of the stationery supply world: from benchmarking stationery supply arrangements for many of South Africa’s top organisations, to being the Managing Director of a UK stationery
Stationery – Managing and optimising a complex category Read More »
In order to reverse the current bargaining trends in Africa, it is important that supply chain organisations, professionals, executives and directors move away from price-chiselling practices towards long-term negotiation, said Professor Douglas Boateng, the founder and CEO of PanAvest International and Partners. Speaking at the Institute of Directors Zimbabwe’s ‘Director of the Year Awards’,
Negotiate, agree on specificities and then contract Read More »
Every contract seems to provide adequate protection when it is negotiated and signed. However, during contract performance, disputes often arise between buying organisations and their suppliers. The following checklist, from Next Level Purchasing, aims to help you review your contracts before signature so that you avoid some of the most common procurement contract pitfalls.
A buyer’s 11-point contract review checklist Read More »
A relative lack of negotiation on the African continent is hampering region-wide service delivery, organisational value chain performance and competitiveness and broader socio-economic development, among other things. In the increasingly competitive supply chain environment organisations, businesses and individuals are continually seeking ways to ensure sustainability, competitiveness and growth. While numerous strategies and tactics are
Long-term value suffers when bargaining is confused with negotiating Read More »
Can a negotiation checklist improve your results? Preparing for a negotiation is critical to success. Though not intended as a substitute for learning, preparing this checklist, from Next Level Purchasing, can steer your negotiation preparation for great results. 1. Identify the primary supplier to negotiate with. 2. Identify your second-best option in case you
A 21-point negotiation checklist Read More »
