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Popular Articles
CIPS Africa launched to support region's members
Sustainable ambitions need concrete aims and transparency
Government procurement has buy-in and burning platform, says Collington
PL Forum Vienna: Unilever CPO Marc Engel on becoming customer of choice
Procurement Mastery: Introduction
Sustainable Sourcing: Procurement will have no choice about sustainability
Deutsche Telekom CPO to lead BUYIN collaborative purchasing
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Articles in category: Leadership
Upskilling the next generation of procurement leaders
Explore Procurement Leaders Network (May 23 2013)
A topic touched on by all our guest speakers at the World Procurement Congress was the education of procurement professionals and what skills they will need to become the leaders of the future. A topic touched on by all our guest speakers at the World Procurement Congress was the education of procurement professionals and what skills they will need to become the leaders of the future. There are many different routes into procurement, but to fill the CPO’s shoes a new range of business skills are needed. It was interesting to listen to AstraZeneca CPO, Ashley Readshaw’s presentation ...
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Starbucks names new VP of global supply chain
Explore supplymanagement.com (May 22 2013)
Deverl Maserang will join the coffee company on 3 June and head up supply chain including manufacturing, engineering, procurement, distribution, planning, transportation, inventory management and sourcing.
(Read Full Article)
In-house recruitment capabilities gaining sophistication
Explore Procurement Leaders Network (May 9 2013)
Around half of the HR professionals surveyed by Right Management in recent research stated that they would expect to use video or webcam to interview future candidates in the next three years, an increase from 24% in 2012. The increase of HR professionals’ uptake of this method is a sign of the move of parts, if not all, of the stages of the recruitment process in-house. It is now cheaper and easier for companies to reach a wider pool of prospective employees with a reduced need for external recruitment agencies. Interviewing through webcam or video speeds up the initial screening ...
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Supplier audits not up to the challenge
Explore Procurement Leaders Network (May 1 2013)
Over the last week world headlines has been dominated by the news of the collapse of a garment factory complex in Bangladesh, leading to questions about the effectiveness of supplier audits. Over the last week world headlines has been dominated by the news of the collapse of a garment factory complex in Bangladesh, leading to questions about the effectiveness of supplier audits. According to reports on The Wall Street Journal, at least two of the buildings in the Rana Plaza complex, a series of factories located 20 miles outside the capital Dhaka which collapsed killing 382 people, at last count ...
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“Celebrating Procurement Excellence” in the South African Public Sector
Explore MarketSqr (Apr 25 2013)
The inaugural All About Public Procurement Awards (AAPP Awards) will take place on the 15th of August 2013 at the Emperors Palace, Johannesburg. This is an initiative of the State Owned Enterprise Procurement Forum (SOEPF) in partnership with CIPS Africa coinciding with the longstanding CIPS Annual Dinner and Awards.
Entries are invited from all Procurement and SCM officials in all tiers of the South African government and State Owned Enterprises.
(Read Full Article)
Mentions: CIPS Johannesburg
Will the CSR agenda change in the next decade?
Explore Procurement Leaders Network (Apr 23 2013)
It’s a familiar track of business news: CSR is a growing concern. But is there a danger that procurement’s way of understanding the subject is becoming outdated as the issue develops? Last week, Procurement Leaders hosted another Next Decade event, this time in San Francisco. Over 50 CPOs and other senior procurement executives gathered here to discuss their challenges and opportunities for the next decade in a roundtable-style format. One of the central themes featuring at the event was CSR and sustainability, which is of great concern to procurement executives. Many companies today are still using CSR as ...
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Mentions: San Francisco Google
South Africa Airways gets tough with suppliers
Explore Google FeedBurner (Apr 22 2013)
SAA has experienced a tough period recently: last year the company recorded a loss of R1.25bn, which it attributed to high fuel and operational costs. During the same period some of its board members resigned in the wake of a disagreement with the Department of Public Enterprises over a strategic plan and the release of a R5bn bailout guarantee. The company recently appointed a new CEO, Monwabisi Kalawe, its sixth in 10 years, who will oversee the company’s new strategy, part of which involves a new get-tough with suppliers’ attitude. This cost-focussed strategy is seen as key to ...
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Speak Like a CFO and Gain Management’s Attention (and Support)
Explore Supply Chain Management Review (Apr 18 2013)
The topic of how to Speak Like a CFO (and Gain Management’s Attention) is on a lot of minds these days. And it definitely should be on your mind, not just right now, but on an ongoing basis. Being able to communicate with your senior executives in their language, and thereby connect with them, is a key element determining the future of procurement. In my experience, those procurement and SCM departments who invest time and effort to develop and master this skill are the departments heading to the top of the profession.
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The Hackett Group Shares New Trends in Procurement
Explore Supply Chain Management Review (Apr 5 2013)
Procurement leaders face new pressures in 2013 as companies focus on profitable growth and balance local agility with global scale in their value chains, according to new Procurement Key Issues Research from The Hackett Group, Inc. While company revenue continues to grow, procurement leaders along with other business functions continue to be asked to do more with less. In addition, it’s no longer enough to just provide spend cost savings. Procurement leaders are now focusing on a much broader list of procurement strategy priorities designed to improve their alignment with business objectives.
(Read Full Article)
Mentions: Hackett Group
In the hunt for innovation
Explore Procurement Leaders Network (Mar 28 2013)
Recently, I was asked to make a presentation to the senior procurement leadership team of a well-known pharmaceutical company. I was asked to do a piece on how to source innovative ideas from suppliers. Often the pressure to seek innovation from our external supply base comes from senior leadership, often the CEO. The request prompted me to ask my colleagues and see if there was common approach to the topic. My own experience – and those of other CPOs – revealed a number of approaches that differed from business to business and industry to industry. Reflecting on this, I have put together ...
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Sustainable organizations? Start with sustainable procurement
Explore accenture.com (Mar 11 2013)
During the past decade, chief procurement officers have seen their agendas increasingly influenced by issues of sustainability—the environmental, social and corporate governance initiatives by which organizations seek to achieve excellence today while providing for the needs of future generations. Sustainable procurement has risen to become a top priority among companies for several reasons. One important reason is the more intense attention being paid to brand reputations. Although there might be a short-term gain to be had by cutting corners from a social or environmental perspective, markets and consumers may punish companies whose brands let them down.
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Mentions: Africa
Lean Six Sigma Tips for Procurement and Purchasing Pros
Explore POOL4TOOL America Blog (Mar 11 2013)
Lean Six Sigma is a beast of burden for many procurement and purchasing professionals. Because there are so many proposed changes to the way that procurement operations are done, it makes sense that procurement leaders are resistant to change. But Lean Six Sigma is nothing more than a disciplined approach to problem solving. And what are procurement professionals if not problem solvers?
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Lack of female CPOs 'a disappointment'
Explore supplymanagement.com (Mar 7 2013)
As International Women's Day takes place today, professionals told SM more needs to be done to increase female representation in senior procurement roles. Robyn Wright, a principal at AT Kearney said: “Women are good buyers, great managers and excellent drivers of category management – CPO [representation is] the disappointment. “For a profession that has 50/50 intake of men and women it’s a shame that this is not the case for the top executive roles. Women are not perceived as great leaders and action needs to be taken.”
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Mentions: Sarah Ellis BAA
South African government CPO will lead procurement 'transformation'
Explore supplymanagement.com (Feb 27 2013)
Finance minister Pravin Gordhan said the government's new chief procurement officer, who will be announced shortly, will be responsible for the long-term modernisation of public purchasing in South Africa.
Finance minister Pravin Gordhan said the appointment of the CPO, which was announced last year, would be revealed soon, as he presented the government’s 2013 budget in the National Assembly.
“Procurement transactions take place at too many localities and the contracts are short term,” he said
- See more at: http://www.supplymanagement.com/news/2013/south-african-government-cpo-will-lead-procurement-transformation/#sthash.oq6nexHc.dpuf(Read Full Article)Finance minister Pravin Gordhan said the appointment of the CPO ...
Mentions: South Africa Pravin Gordhan
10 Guiding Principles for successful Supplier Relationship Management
Explore Find The Edge (Feb 26 2013)
The media has been dominated by horror stories of supply chain failure over the past several weeks. Boeing’s Dreamliner lithium battery fiasco caused worldwide groundings of aircraft whilst the company threw all resources at solving the problem, getting planes flying again, and rebuilding trust in the brand. Despite an increasing number of organisations embracing supplier relationship management (SRM) in recent years, most implement programs with insufficient skills and capabilities at their disposal, and a lack of understanding of the capacity or bandwidth required to assure sustained success.
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Mentions: Boeing
Required skills for CPOs (walking on water optional)
Explore Procurement Leaders Network (Feb 25 2013)
Talent - finding it, nurturing it, and retaining it - is on the mind of virtually every CPO today. In fact, as one recent report from Deloitte shows, it should be on the mind of executives in every area of business.. And the concern is not only to shore up current staffs; it’s also, at least for procurement, important in terms of leaving a legacy. What kind of talent is important for procurement? The ability to walk on water would help, but not many have that talent.
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Mentions: Microsoft
3 Essential Traits of Good Project Managers
Explore bastiansolutions.com (Feb 20 2013)
Project managers possess many quality traits, but these 3 are essential. All project managers are NOT created equal. Some are more schedule-focused, while others are more budget-driven. Some spend more time on procurement management, and yet others concentrate on ensuring scope creep doesn't occur. Some spend too much time trying to do everything, while others spend no time doing anything.
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Companies will "gamify" training content
Explore Procurement Leaders Network (Feb 20 2013)
Gartner predicts that by 2015 40% of Fortune Global 1000 companies will be using gamification in some aspect of their business. The analyst house states that businesses and training providers have taken to "gamifying" their training material. By transforming boring data into fun games, fixed corporate objectives can be achieved more easily. For instance, Thomson Reuters has recently put compliance training firm True Office under contract to create gamified training material for its employees. It will be used to enhance skills in fields such as regulation and compliance of the international financial services industry.
(Read Full Article)
Mentions: Gartner Procurement Leaders Network Thomson Reuters
When innovation backfires
Explore Procurement Leaders Network (Feb 8 2013)
Suppliers are constantly innovating, some more than others, but this isn’t always a benefit for their customers. The terms innovation and collaboration tend to go hand in procurement, and it isn’t difficult to see why. A relationship where your supplier delivers innovations exclusively for your benefit, and you made it in their interest to do so typifies collaboration. Innovation doesn’t have to be the product of collaboration though, simple cost pressure can also force suppliers to be inventive. However, left to their own devices, suppliers will innovate in such a way that they gain an advantage in ...
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Where risk management and talent management come together
Explore Procurement Leaders Network (Feb 4 2013)
Of all the risks CPOs deal with, among the least obvious is personnel. Procurement Leaders recently reported on personnel behavioural risks. Many of those risks are the result of a lack of individual ethics. But, there are other risks directly related to personnel as well. The decisions procurement staffs make - based on their knowledge and experience - on supplier qualifications, the probable direction of commodity prices, the strategy for negotiations, or any of a number of other issues are inherently risky and yet critical to an organization’s success.
(Read Full Article)
Procurement consulting: Trading places?
Explore Google FeedBurner (Jan 30 2013)
Feeling jaded with your current role in procurement? Think that the grass must be greener elsewhere? You could try your hand at procurement consulting... It’s ironic: the people who have probably done the most to scare management consultants over the last decade are joining them. But to be fair to these gamekeepers-turned-poachers, the influx of fresh thinking is revolutionising this part of the consulting industry – and may have wider implications.
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Mentions: KPMG
Insourcing/Outsourcing - Do we believe the hype?
Explore Procurement Leaders Network (Jan 23 2013)
There has been a lot of debate recently about whether the outsourcing trend is finally grinding to a halt and companies are now looking to insource, bringing back those manufacturing or administrative operations they sent out to be managed abroad. US President Barack Obama has been an advocate of in-sourcing for quite some time now. In early 2012 he suggested that he would offer tax breaks to those companies that bring outsourced operations back to the shores of the US .........................
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The Top 10 Must Follow Procurement Experts on Twitter
Explore Old St Labs (Jan 16 2013)
In recent weeks I have been wondering who are the most influential people in procurement. So I thought I would share my list of procurement professionals. Not all of them have the largest following or number of tweets, but when they do share something its worth listening to. I have also created a list on twitter today which can be found here - please let me know who you think we should add so that we have one place for procurement twitter!!!
(Read Full Article)
Managing risk & opportunity: Procurement Consultants look to 2013
Explore Supply Chain Digital (Jan 12 2013)
Business consultancy Efficio advise procurement professionals to take nothing for granted in the year ahead, as supply chain risk is a central factor at a time of economic uncertainty. In its first Viewpoint article of 2013, the company claims the main challenge for this year is to cope with the continuing economic uncertainty and price pressure on commodities. The risk of suppliers going out of business is increased during difficult times and this must be managed effectively.
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