Editors note: We thought it might be useful to procurement professionals to get some INSIDE INFORMATION FROM THE OTHER SIDE. This article is written by a consultancy specialising in advising sales people to deal with procurement. Enjoy!: “It has been said over the past couple of years that procurement departments are becoming increasingly powerful. They […]
Sales perspective: 5 tips on how to deal with procurement Read More »
It is now apparent that procurement can deliver an extensive value proposition in addition to traditional savings and compliance. Procurement has the potential to be a revenue centre, empower suppliers’ product innovation, manage risks, contribute to customer satisfaction and so much more. Traditional procurement strategy that pragmatically concentrates on return on investment (ROI) and the
The management of procurement value Read More »
From left to right: Goodall Gondwe, Minister in Finance, Economic Development & Planning, Malawi; Margaret Mwanakatwe, Minister in Finance, Zambia; Mizinga Melu, CEO of Barclays Bank, Zambia. Delegates at the inaugural Africa Procurement & Enterprise Development Summit (APEDS) threw their weight behind a drive to ensure that the public and private sectors harness procurement for
Harness procurement for socio-economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa Read More »
Join us at Smart Procurement World 2019, where one of our conference themes will be “Walk the talk: High-impact procurement” Procurement work is much more than just securing the right products, in the right quantity and quality at the right place… Let’s think wider, more holistically, writes Robert Freeman, a procurement and supply chain expert
Love procurement – because it can impact society and the environment Read More »
If supply chain professionals can secure a seat at the table, it becomes easier to share insights, challenge processes, support the business and be part of strategy creation – ultimately it becomes easier to deliver value. “Supply chain functions act as an extension of the organisation as a whole”, says Laura Faulkner, CPO and Director:
Getting and keeping supply chain’s seat at the table Read More »
Supply chain partners that collaborate drive continuous improvement and innovation. But getting there takes a new approach, writes Steven Bowen and Kate Vitasek. Today’s supply chain practitioners are under constant pressure to add value to their organisations. Two of the biggest supply chain challenges are exponential growth in supply chain complexity and cost-savings fatigue driven
Optimising value with a win-win supply chain Read More »
To become more agile, organisations are re-evaluating their workforce strategies. Although strategists often talk about ‘total workforce management’, what their business functions – procurement included – need most is something much simpler: total workforce optimisation (TWO). For most business functions, human capital is the most important asset and its largest single operating expense. It is
6 steps to optimise your procurement workforce Read More »
No one introduces complexity into their supply chains just for the sake of it. Complexity emerges as organisations pursue their profit goals. Within every strategy or action that an organisation pursues to improve profitability, lies a hidden cost of complexity, which supply chain practitioners must be aware of, capture and deal with. This is necessary
Supply chain complexity drivers are also profitability drivers Read More »
Local government procurement practitioners need to recognise the inextricable link between good governance, accountability and long-term socio-economic development, says Prof. Douglas Boateng. Many people on the entire African continent are frustrated and angry. High unemployment, almost stagnant economic growth, poor quality service delivery, a decreasing standard of living, and limited resources for infrastructure upgrades, are
Good governance + accountability = long-term socio-economic development Read More »
Call it ‘purchasing’, ‘procurement’, ‘supply management’ or ‘sourcing’, the role of procurement within organisations is changing significantly. Purchasing departments are, at last, moving from reactive to proactive, responding to management’s demand that they add value to an enterprise rather than retain their traditional role as cost centre. Consequently, the procurement manager of today needs to
Skills and characteristics of a successful global procurement manager Read More »
