Unethical behaviour begins with a choice. But, once begun it is a downhill slide on a slippery slope. Some professionals justify their behaviour by judging themselves against their intentions rather than against their actions. However, a decisive litmus test is whether you would feel comfortable if the press spoke to your suppliers about your […]
Tricky procurement ethics questions and related answers Read More »
E-sourcing, global trading networks, online communities and procurement’s scrutiny into still-cloaked categories may force market pricing for goods and services to become so transparent that negotiation would be a lost art in the future, envisions a report on Ideas for Procurement in 2020, the outcome of a dialogue between Ariba and leading procurement practitioners. “We
Prices so transparent they’ll spell the end of negotiation Read More »
Have you ever sat in a sourcing negotiation where one of your own made a gaffe by blurting out an unplanned question or statement? It happens more often than you think and can cause the group to suddenly lose ground when it was going oh, so well, says Elaine Porteous, SmartProcurement contributing editor. In a
Negotiators with two left feet – how not to be your own worst enemy Read More »
“Zuma intervenes in public sector strike in its third week.” President Jacob Zuma intervened in the 13-day public sector strike in the early hours of Monday morning, instructing ministers to immediately return to the negotiating table. “He appealed to both sides to put the interests of the country first. That would mean give and take
Strike action – 5 tips for breaking negotiation deadlock Read More »
India’s influence in Africa is growing. Elaine Porteous, SmartProcurement Associate Editor and Procurement advisor discusses how to make the most of this partnership. Indian companies are increasingly investing in Africa. “India will invest US$1,5-trillion in the next five years,” declared Anand Sharma, India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, at a recent conference in Nigeria on
Playing with giants – India Read More »
Several questions arise when it comes to negotiating. As one goes into a negotiation, there is one striking question that one needs to ask oneself: “Is the price the only subject for negotiation?” The fourth article in SmartProcurement’s World-Class Procurement Practice series will discuss the need for Procurement professionals to not only limit their negotiations
Negotiating for the ‘best fit’ Read More »
An impasse or deadlock in negotiations is not uncommon. An issue or condition that neither side seems able to agree upon brings the entire negotiation to a grinding halt. SmartProcurement wonders what a negotiator can do when faced with a deadlocked negotiation. Are there techniques which can be used to break the deadlock? Andrew C.
Break the deadlock and move forward! Read More »
During the recent Advanced Negotiations Skills Workshop, hosted on the 23rd & 24th of July 2008 in Centurion by SmartProcurement, several interesting issues around the whole ‘skills-set’ were raised and debated. The workshop was facilitated by Tom Beasor who hails from the UK and has consulted to companies and organisations in over 30 different countries
What is the Value of Negotiation Skills in Public Sector Procurement? Read More »
“Organisations can no longer only rely on their products and services to differentiate themselves”, Tom Beasor, an acclaimed international negotiator told SmartProcurement. “Often, it is the actual level of training of their personnel that makes the deciding difference.” This applies as much to your hard skills (technical competence) as it does to your soft
15 Simple Rules for effective Negotiations Read More »
By Bernie van Niekerk Its that time of the year…. Your SOLE supplier is about to present you “their valued customer” with their “negotiated” increase. They know, and you know that there is not much that you can do about it…. Now for whatever reason (part 1 of this article dealt with making sure you
PART 2: How to negotiate with a SOLE Supplier Read More »
