Procurement Festival

In today’s increasingly competitive economic climate in which so much more is delivered through suppliers, procurement has become a core business function. The role has grown from back-office purchasing to strategic sourcing to encompass executive-level strategy formulation and wealth creation across all spend. This development has further thrust the role of the chief procurement officer (CPO) into the spotlight, with companies now seeking to attract and develop the best talent to deliver this. Like all executive roles, CPOs have a ....

A world class procurement function delivers real value when it demonstrates that it can balance cost, supply performance, risk, innovation and ethical trading. All five aspects must be in concert to be delivering the sort of value that will truly impact – and at the same time force the business units to take notice. But this multi-faceted ambition requires procurement to join the real business conversation that includes revenue, growth and profit and not just the ‘cost out’ mission. Procurement needs ....

Procurement has the power to change the world. This is not a throw-away line, but rather the lofty ambition of the new-breed of commercially astute procurement professionals who find themselves responsible for much of their corporations’ spend. By unleashing their supply networks, procurement leaders can bring new models and disruptive products and services into sharp focus. In addition, they have the power to gear that spend towards indigenous providers, socially responsible suppliers, and partners with an environmental conscience. Procurement professionals ....

Information is power. And when it comes to choosing the food we eat, we have a fairly good amount of power: ingredients, nutrition breakdown, and use-by dates. But what about the origin of that steak you’re about to buy? Do you have a good view of where it actually comes from? How fresh is it really? And are you sure it’s safe from contamination? Golden State Foods (GSF), one of the world’s largest diversified food service providers, is tackling this ....

Globalisation has changed business as we know it. The world is smaller, and technology and connectivity has given us the sense that sourcing anything from anywhere is imminently possible. Despite this, procurement teams are often viewed as blockers to progress, slowing down customers in the name of process and compliance. The modern procurement function demands a more strategic professional with a unique skillset required to deliver value. Yet demonstrating this value to the rest of the business remains a challenge. ....