- 30
- SEP
- 2010
What differentiates the best procurement organisations from the rest?
Author: Mark Perera - Categories: Procurement Strategy
In May 2009, I met the Procurement Leaders Advisory Board to share the Procurement Intelligence Unit's business model pre-launch. As well as presenting our vision of how the PIU would help maximise the value and impact of procurement within our members' businesses, we also shared some of the projects we proposed kicking off with. One of these was to develop a standardised skills/competency framework for the procurement profession, as we felt the capability of the people was the key differentiator between the leading procurement functions and the rest. more
- 28
- SEP
- 2010
Smartphone and tablet market reaches tipping point
Author: Jonathan Webb - Categories: Technology & Apps
Research in Motion, the manufacturer of the Blackberry, has launched its own tablet computer, the Playbook, to rival Apple's iPad. The proliferation of executive communication devices has muddied the waters for purchasing functions, but also provides an additional tool to facilitate work during travel. more
- 23
- SEP
- 2010
How to avoid sky-high travel costs
Author: Jonathan Webb - Categories: Indirect Spend, Cost Management
The global recovery has seen a rapid rise in business travel over the last year and increased demand has placed an additional need for companies to develop travel procurement practices that don't fall victim to the market. more
- 15
- SEP
- 2010
Are buyers knowledge workers?
Author: Jonathan Webb - Categories: Talent
The traditional view of procurement staff is one that is founded on its historically transactional role. But as the function moves towards leveraging value from more strategic activities, the demands made of purchasing staff in relation to their knowledge, and their capacity to best manage that knowledge, increases. more
- 14
- SEP
- 2010
Procurement GPS - Resistance is Futile
Author: Ian George - Categories: Global Sourcing, Procurement Strategy
Doctor Who had the Daleks, Star Trek had the Borg (who were the scariest). As the Borg approached they would access their victim's intercom and say "Lower your shields and prepare to be assimilated. Resistance is futile." Their victims would vainly try to fight them off, but their relentless push for domination seems indomitable. In these examples, the enemy is 'out there' not within our own organisations. So why do we so often find ourselves fighting our colleagues when we try to change things? more
- 13
- SEP
- 2010
Procurement GPS - Fix the Process Not the Problem
Author: Ian George - Categories: Global Sourcing, Procurement Strategy
Fix the Process Not the Problem - this was the title of an article by Sirkin & Stalk in Harvard Business Review (July-August 1990), a seminal piece of work that highlighted the difference between treating symptoms and addressing the root causes in order to bring about sustainable levels of continuous and step-change improvement. more
- 12
- SEP
- 2010
How Do You Measure Procurement's Value? Income?
Author: Mark Perera - Categories: Procurement Strategy
Over the last couple of months a number of the PIU's members have asked my team to provide them with some inspiration on how procurement can get more involved in revenue generation. So when I met with David Brown, CEO and Founder of Oxygen Finance, earlier in the month, I was keen to report back on his thoughts as to how procurement could move from the back office, focused on cost savings, to an income-earning front office function. more
- 08
- SEP
- 2010
Brazil's IT market becomes global centre
Author: Jonathan Webb - Categories: Outsourcing, Global Sourcing
Capgemini's purchase of Brazil's largest IT services company, CPM Braxis, highlights the increased prominence of the country in international trade and signals Latin America's rising global importance. more
