G4S
professional procurement function – and to feel proud to work in that team .”
Consistency of message is key with global teams There are no “ dark arts ” involved in this . “ It ’ s all about communicating ,” Willescroft says , “ and adapting that communication to the local countries .
“ Within this , you also need consistency of message . You need to clearly lay out the roadmap of where we ' re going across our core pillars of procurement – whether that ’ s sourcing , supplier management , or sustainability .”
Technology helps , too . G4S is in the process of launching a global procurement capability development tool , which Willescroft says will provide people with “ a map of where they are today from a development perspective against the skills and competence we ' d expect them to have ”.
If managing people is one onerous challenge , then protecting the bottom line is another . So , how does Willescroft drive value in such a fragmented global market ?
“ Wherever we can leverage globally with suppliers , we do so ,” he says . “ But a lot of our supply chains are by their nature localised , which is why we always make sure our category leaders are very collaborative . They need to be smart but also have a high emotional quotient . They have to be able to drive change , which is a big part of the job .”
In Willescroft ’ s view , this is vital . “ If our people lack the right skill set or aren ’ t motivated in the right way , then we ' ll fail . You need the right people , and you need to know how they ’ re executing in their country .”
Because G4S is a low-margin business , Willescroft says the role makes specific demands of him .
“ You ' re more likely to primarily think short term in a low-margin business ,” he says . “ If
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