Tuesday, 28 May 2013

Implementing a New Major IT System – How do Difficulties Arise?

Authored by Sara Omer

Last week we looked at Category Management, what is actually is, its benefits and how to ensure a successful programme, this week we will be looking at the difficulties involved in implementing a major new software system and how those difficulties can best be over come. In this first post we’ll start with an introduction on how these difficulties may arise. 

Wednesday, 22 May 2013

Supplier Challenges



Reluctantly I am writing a short post which is actually a bit of a moan....however it is a moan that I am sure plenty in the procurement world will identify with; the subject being - supplier challenges.

Tuesday, 21 May 2013

How Samsung Spends its Profits

Authored by Mike Roberts

Samsung has an interesting approach to when, where and what the company spends its money on. Below is an excerpt from the Wall Street Journal that explains it better than I can:

Friday, 17 May 2013

Category Management - Ensuring a Successful Programme

Authored by Fayaz Haq

Now for the final part in our series of posts on Category Management, yesterday we looked at the benefits of Category Management and the effects it has on your organization, and finally we center on how to ensure a successful program when implementing a Category Management approach.

Wednesday, 15 May 2013

What are the benefits of Category Management?

Authored by Fayaz Haq 

In the last post we discussed what Category Management actually is and how adopting a strategic approach can maximize business profitability and result in competitive advantages for an organization. In this post we look more at the effects on the organization and focus on the benefits associated with Category Management. 

Tuesday, 14 May 2013

Category Management - What is it?

Authored by Fayaz Haq

This is the first in a three part series of posts on Category Management where we will look at the benefits of Category Management and identify the factors that endure a successful programme, but to start with, we will answer the question; What is Category Management? Category Management is a strategic procurement approach that focuses on optimizing an organization’s spend on goods and services. It is process based and incorporates business improvement in hand with change management. This is largely due to the fact that a successful Category Management program requires the active participation of and engagement with stakeholders, functions and individuals across the business.

Friday, 10 May 2013

Three Headlines from Last Week that You May Have Missed

Authored by Richard Hogg

Another busy week of supply chain and economic headlines! Below are three stories that had our office talking.



Wednesday, 8 May 2013

Technology Supply Chain Security Standard

By: Mickey North Rizza

Risk management is a standard practice in most companies, and definitely those with IT products. Counterfeit and intentional malfunctioning or sabotage to technology products is widely known. To combat the counterfeiting and tampering, The Open Group published a technical security standard for a technology acquirer “to protect a company from acquiring maliciously tainted or counterfeit products.” 

Thursday, 2 May 2013

New Survey: Half of UK Businesses Fail to Enforce the UK Bribery Act

Authored by Claire Sexton

A recent poll of procurement managers and directors conducted by Ernst & Young found that nearly half (48 per cent) of British firms fail to vet their suppliers for compliance with the Bribery Act.