This is my last blog for SM (I am off to a new job next week), so I thought I would share my experience of procurement from what I have learned over the past few months.
From piracy operations in Somalia, to the collapse of Comet, the horse meat scandal and the failings of G4S, I have covered a range of high-profile issues that are all linked in some way with buying. (more…)
With the UK now back in recession, and European leaders seemingly in a state of paralysis to deal with the continental crisis, radical thinking and action is required to get the economy back on track. (more…)
The arrival of BS11000,
which focuses on collaborative working, together with BS8572, the new standard concerned with the procurement of facility-related services, provides procurement and facilities management professionals with an opportunity to redefine their working relationships.
Working in partnership has become a rather trite and overused phase in recent years. BS11000 uses another word to capture the essence of working together in pursuit of a common goal – collaboration.
(more…)
In a recent seminar I was running I asked if everyone knew what an ‘MOU’ was. Everyone, as expected, told me that it was an acronym for memorandum of understanding – fine.
I then asked how and where they should be used. Nobody answered, blank faces all round. Bouncing this off of procurement professionals I network with, I was surprised to see the same blank look.
We all strive for success, to bring real value to the business, support the successful achievement of business goals and become best in class.
But how can we realise this without the right building blocks? You wouldn’t build a house without foundations for fear of collapse, so why would you build up a procurement strategy without a robust set of policies and procedures?
(more…)
I’ve spent much of my career in the procurement field and I’ve heard a heck of a lot of bunkum about the power aspect of the location for negotiations. I hear it again and again from buyers that ‘home is best’, with the ‘other side’ supposedly feeling more intimidated when they have to negotiate on the buyer’s home turf. (more…)
As Sam Covell says in her final
column: “It wasn’t until I was looking for the procurement angle to topical issues that I appreciated how much was relevant.” She goes on to reveal this new perspective has convinced her procurement has been key this year as an essential skill for all organisations to meet challenges confidently. (more…)
It’s a well-publicised fact that investing resources into setting capital project delivery strategies early will save time and money later. However, many large-scale capital programmes still fail to be delivered to the budget, time and quality aspirations originally set.
So how should procurement position itself to ensure it has the time to influence the key upfront decisions and how should capital projects be set up for success? (more…)
As we approach year-end for many organisations, procurement leaders can be forgiven for their anxiety as the deadline looms for the cashing-in of all those cost-reduction initiatives planned and launched earlier in the year. The early year optimism has given way to trepidation as the savings delivery moves ‘to the right’ and a 2011 shortfall looms. (more…)
As the 55th BFI London Film Festival drew to a close last week, the celebration of the big screen brought George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and all manner of home-grown stars to the red carpet. But what of procurement in film? (more…)
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