SUPPLY CHAIN
“ I often hear procurement execs say they have a vision but struggle to make change happen ”
NIC WALDEN SENIOR ADVISOR , PROCUREMENT ADVISORY MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMME , HACKETT GROUP
come from ? Quite quite often people are just told to get on with it .
Businesses need a blended approach to training : move people around , build skills internally and bring skilled people in from outside .
External bodies can provide training , such as The World Commerce And Contracting Association in the UK , and the Institute of Supply Management in the US .
CC : Automation has eliminated a lot of routine operational work , and this can leave skills gaps . Mostly , staff want to learn new skills . I ’ ve often been surprised how people blossom when given more-strategic work .
Also , hire staff who are digital natives , and hire both for current and future needs .
ORGANISATIONAL COMPLEXITY NW : We have one procurement client that has 2,000 people , and they work with thousands of suppliers across different regions . There are also geographic and cultural boundaries . One way to overcome such complexity is to use an agreed operating model , and manage any deviations against that standard . So it ' s one size fits all , and you only allow the most critical deviation .
CC : Procurement is both a team sport and a contact sport . You ’ ve got to get in front of business leaders - ideally face to face . Meet the team ’ s key stakeholders and understand their frustrations .
Walk the production line , go into the storerooms , meet the departmental leaders and understand the business challenges from their viewpoint . You can simplify organisational complexity by doing this .
PROCESS COMPLEXITY NW : It ’ s important to simplify processes , to maximise value and minimise complexity . An example might be a business looking to have a new supplier approved . The
38 March 2022