Procurement process A solution from one commentator concerning increased complexity was to automate the Procurement process, utilising Artificial Intelligence (AI). While IT applications can assist with the work, this suggestion illustrates a misunderstanding of the Procurement process. There are three main elements within the sequence of Procurement: Sourcing – understand and (where possible) influence supply markets Purchasing – buying a … Read More
Procurement Risks are input to your Supply Network Risk
Supply Network Risk Management The COVID 19 pandemic and disruptions to supply chains has provided an opportunity for organisations to review the effectiveness and inherent risks of their supply chains and the suppliers within them. The review is undertaken by senior management, providing their input concerning the corporate approach to supply chains. The review should consider the: Trade-offs between the … Read More
Strategic items in your supply chains require attention
A direction for Procurement As the COVID 19 pandemic progresses, so commentators discuss the ‘new normal’ and effects on supply chains. One of the most common observations is to reduce dependency on suppliers from China and to move away from sole or single source supplier arrangements. But, is this good strategic sourcing or just a response to immediate events? Strategic … Read More
‘New customer’ demands and effects on supply chains
Choice and value chains The experiences of people going through the pandemic and expectations in developed countries of 10 percent+ unemployment, could change perceptions enough that the future will not be the same as the past. A report titled The New Customer, downloaded from the Digital Supply Chain Institute, provides their expectations of likely consumer needs in the future and … Read More
Review your supply chains for possible restructure
An acronym lives again To explain how enterprise will structure and perform as the COVID-19 crisis recedes, a speaker at a recent on-line conference used the term VUCA, which required a dig into the archives. The acronym was developed in the late 1980s by the US Army War College, in relation to strategic thinking in a post-Cold War scenario. While … Read More