In his frequent conversations with procurement professionals, it’s become clear to Alex Saric (Vice President of Business Networks Marketing at SAP) that the importance of increasing collaboration with suppliers is well recognised, but, when we start to discuss what that means in practice there is far less clarity. For example, few seem to understand […]
Top 4 ways procurement can leverage business networks Read More »
Do you practice supplier quality management? Supplier quality is a relative thing: all suppliers aspire to a level of quality, but some are more committed to higher quality than others. How can you assess the degree of your suppliers’ commitment to quality? A thorough assessment requires extensive supply chain quality skills, but the following
12-point supplier quality checklist Read More »
When does a collaborative supply relationship become unethical? When parties are driven by the objective of creating a mutual gain, is it fair that a single supplier is privy to information about the buyer’s operations – information that is excluded from the open market for every other supplier to have a fair chance to
“Don’t even try to argue with Dr. John Gattorna that supply chains really just boil down to a system of distribution centres, procurement processes, technology tools, and transaction routes. You won’t win,” says the respected supply chain thought-leader’s website. “I argue that supply chains are driven by people and their behaviour, all along the
Supply Management techniques for improved supply chain design Read More »
To significantly change South Africa’s service delivery issues, it is imperative that government implements an effective supply chain management strategy, supported by the appropriate skills. However, South Africa is hampered by a dire shortage of executive-level supply chain management and procurement professionals, says Professor Douglas Boateng of the Unisa Graduate School of Business Leadership
Effective SCM skills needed to improve service delivery quality Read More »
National Treasury is aware of the shortcomings of government’s existing public procurement processes, admitted National Treasury chief director of strategic procurement in the office of the chief procurement officer Estelle Setan in her address at the Smart Procurement World Conference in September. She noted that her office had placed current public procurement realities under the microscope
Moves to implement strategic sourcing on R136bn public procurement Read More »
Ineffective procurement, expressed as value leakage, is estimated to have cost the African continent $31.5-billion, revealed KPMG in a recent report. Sub-Saharan Africa contributed $24.9-billion to that amount. While the report noted that the role of procurement in organisations was becoming increasingly strategic, 73% of C-level executives polled during KPMG’s Power of Procurement 2.0
Inefficient procurement cost Africa $31.5-billion – KPMG survey Read More »
Today, the linear ‘take, make, dispose’ economy that relies heavily on cheap resources for growth, is under threat from increasing commodity prices and growing consumer demand. The ‘circular economy’ offers a viable alternative, with cost savings estimated at over $1-trillion per annum by 2025. The supply chain has a key role to play in
Reducing supply chain costs through the circular economy Read More »
It is not about the numbers. For many South African companies, Broad-Based Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) up until now may have been about tallying numbers on a scorecard to achieve compliance. However this will no longer be enough, and amendments to the B-BBEE measurement codes published on 11 October 2013 by the Department of Trade
BEE prepared and it will benefit all Read More »
Being an entrepreneurial supplier is exhilarating, but at times challenging. In fact, supply relationship managers involved in enterprise development may have sleepless nights wondering if their small or self-employed suppliers may be considering throwing in the towel because their businesses are not working. Don Pitsoe, Business Mentor at The Hope Factory offers 10 words
People fail, not suppliers… Read More »
