By Elaine Porteous Corruption is not unique to Africa, nor is it a new problem. However, Africa is perceived as the most corrupt region in the world as well as the most under-developed. Corruption is a complex social, political and economic phenomenon that slows economic development and contributes to governmental instability. There is no simple […]
Corruption and collusion: lessons from Africa Read More »
In a previous article, Ben Goldwasser, Business Development Professional, Spendrix, discussed how to spot risky behaviour when communicating with suppliers. In this month’s SmartProcurement, Goldwasser identifies supplier risk and explores what to look out for during on-site evaluations. This is specifically beneficial in the transportation and logistics industries when visiting carriers in person. While on-site
How to spot supplier risk during on-site evaluations Read More »
Inconsistency in procurement processes is prevalent. In many published articles on a variety of topics, corruption is much like a mushroom, it thrives in the dark. The benefit of competition is well-recognised by economists but, to a large extent, concern around public procurement processes is based more on the concerns of political science rather than
Procurement perspectives: corruption thrives on secrecy in government procurement Read More »
Communication is a critical component of any business and is no less crucial in supplier relationships. When your company has great communication with its suppliers, it can be like adding another department to your organisation. There are a large number of suppliers who do an excellent job communicating with their customers. You probably have several
How to spot supplier risk in communication Read More »
How do you achieve effective procurement − by affording all departments the opportunity to purchase directly? What are the risks of such an approach and how can you reduce such? Most mid-sized and big businesses already have a dedicated department responsible for providing the company with everything from paper to spare parts for production-line repairs.
4 reasons to get your whole business to do procurement Read More »
By Mira Ristovich, Founder of MRC, a consulting firm that assists with various end-to-end projects, and Senior Associate at Bespoke Group Africa, an organisation dedicated to the strategic procurement outsourcing of projects. Two decades after I began my work in procurement (I was involved in business performance management and measurement prior to joining the procurement
Is not spending, a saving? Read More »
Smart Procurement World is bringing its regional conference to the Free State. Partnering with the Free State Department of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (DESTEA) has enabled Smart Procurement World to take its procurement and supply chain indaba into its fourth South African province. Since beginning in Gauteng in 2009, Smart Procurement
Free State welcomes Smart Procurement World Read More »
One of the primary components of any procurement function’s strategy is, or should be, to ensure that the company has an optimised vendor base. This is aimed at achieving a more cost effective and high-quality supply chain. Most companies therefore go through a vendor rationalisation process at some stage and continually review vendor categories to
Vendor database optimisation: Are you doing it right? Read More »
It is important to do business with the right vendors if you want you want to stay on the right side of the law while ensuring that the business’ needs are met. With hundreds of suppliers offering relevant products and services, the vendor selection process can appear strenuous and time consuming. However, if done the
6 steps to maintain a successful vendor selection process Read More »
What ‘procurement masters’ are doing and how they are benefitting An Accenture study involving more than 125 chief procurement officers observed a profile of how high performers in risk management operate. The study identified “procurement masters” in organisations that save at least ten times as much as it costs them to operate their procurement organisations.
High-performance procurement risk management Read More »
