CPO CSCO STRATEGY
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Tactical and reactive ” is how Richard Powell , FCIPS would describe the procurement function when he began his career 25 years ago , then working in the manufacturing industry . “ My
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ANALYTICS AND CLOUD COMPUTING WILL FORM A KEY PART OF THE PROCUREMENT FUNCTION OF THE FUTURE , SAYS RICHARD POWELL FCIPS – BUT IT ’ S RELATIONSHIP BUILDING THAT REALLY MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
role was mainly to respond to demand from the factory ,” he recalls . “ When I started to reduce the cost of the materials I would buy , the business suddenly started to take notice .”
As the economy has shifted – particularly in the UK – away from manufacturing and into the services sector , with business functions increasingly outsourced , Powell has noticed a shift in the scale of buying and the emphasis on supplier relationship management in order to maintain value for an organisation , as well as bringing innovation and competitive advantage , has grown . “ Over that time as well , procurement has professionalised significantly both professionally and academically ,” Powell adds .
Far from an administrative and reactive back-office function nowadays , what then does Powell feel are the main skills for today ’ s procurement professionals ? “ The critical skill is relationships skills – it ’ s core for procurement
DECEMBER 2018