Do CPOs have a Duty of Care?
Buying and Procurement personnel comprise a significant chunk of annual international business commuters, which begs the question: are their respective organisations ensuring that they enjoy the same level of safety during their journeys as they do at the office?
Posted by Editor at 5:20 AM
Gauteng Roadshow: The future drivers of South African Procurement
A diverse group of over 60 Procurement professionals and representatives of the supply-side were hosted by Commerce Edge in Centurion on September 22 for a breakfast session to network and exchange ideas on the latest thinking that is influencing the future trends in supply management.
Posted by Editor at 12:00 AM
Professional development and procurement training road show comes to Gauteng
Tomorrow’s supply management professionals will be charged with developing and executing value creation strategies that find new value in the supply base, deliver value as quickly as possible within the cost parameters defined by the demand market and maximise the return to the company.
Posted by Editor at 9:50 AM
Procurement Competency Development initiative acknowledged by IPSA
eThekwini Municipality’s initiative to uplift procurement competency has been recognized at the Institute of Purchasing and Supply South Africa’s (IPSA’s) 2009 awards, Sandile Ngcobo, Deputy Head: Supply Chain Operations at eThekwini Municipality, told SmartProcurement.
Posted by Editor at 9:50 AM
Supply Chain training: CEA launches TEBLOS
Commerce Edge Academy (CEA) has launched its online student support technology, TEBLOS, which has enabled the registered international study centre for the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) to begin tutoring students studying CIPS Level 4: Foundation Diploma in Purchasing & Supply, Andrew C. Hillman, Director of Commerce Edge Academy, tells SmartProcurement.
Posted by Editor at 9:30 AM
Beat the Recession - Continue Your Education
During a recession, the cost of adult education may seem impossible to afford, nevertheless, the cost may not be as high as perceived.“Continuing education increases an employee’s value to a company and for those seeking new jobs provides increased skills to make finding a new job easier”, Andrew Hillman, Director of the Commerce Edge Academy, told SmartProcurement.
Posted by StaffWriter at 3:12 PM
People on the move: Spotlight on Procurement and Supply Chain
Paul McKane has recently moved from Quadrem to being appointed as Solution Manager - SRM at SAP South Africa.
Posted by StaffWriter at 6:45 AM
Why organisations fail to implement strategic sourcing effectively...
“The drive to become world-class has seen many organisations implementing Strategic Sourcing philosophy and Supply Chain Management practices within their companies with various levels of success. So why do some organisations still fail, whilst others excel?”, Heleen Liebenberg, a Senior Sourcing Specialist at Volition Consulting Services, asked SmartProcurement.
Posted by StaffWriter at 9:00 AM
Commerce Edge Launches CIPS Academy
Due to increased and widespread demand for accredited procurement and supply management qualifications, Commerce Edge, a world-class procurement training provider, has announced that it is launching a CIPS academy. Commencing in January 2009, individuals can start studying on a part-time basis (Saturdays) for a qualification of their choice.
Posted by Editor at 2:55 PM
In-Depth 2008 Procurement Salary Survey Report Published
SmartProcurement, in conjunction with Purchasing Index, Commerce Edge and Tech-Pro Personnel have created a comprehensive, in depth report based on the findings of the National Procurement and Supply Management (P & SM) Salary Survey. The report which compliments the results previously published was based on 522 voluntary respondents who participated are representative of the major sectors of commerce, industry and the public service. To download a free comprehensive extract of the report, click here.
Posted by StaffWriter at 8:51 AM
How Good are Your Interviewing Skills: Do You Listen or Just Talk?
“Procurement professionals spend quality time preparing for their sourcing activities and negotiations with suppliers, but they are generally poorly prepared for interviewing job candidates”, Elaine Porteous, Managing Director of CA Procurement, told SmartProcurement. With job-hunting season fast approaching, you may find yourself recruiting to fill key vacancies, so here are a few tips...
Posted by Editor at 6:21 AM
HR Services procurement: Beyond the purchasing department's scope?
Who is responsible for contracting Human Resources (HR) services in your organisation? “In essence, this category falls under ‘Services Spend’ and should accordingly form part of the Strategic Cost Management portfolio of an organisation...
Posted by Editor at 4:47 AM
Supply Chain Education - South African Challenges and Opportunities
The Challenges
The supply chain skills challenge is experienced across the supply chain profession and well understood in all sectors of the economy. In South Africa especially, we recognise that there are some significant problems. Unfortunately, too much debate (and whining), and too little action, dramatically reduces our chances of success...
Posted by Editor at 11:20 AM
World Class Operational Procurement: Training, Training, Training
Part 4 of a ten-part series that examines key operational aspects of the so-called "Purchase-to-Pay" value chainby Independent Contributor, Peter Alkema - Head: Purchase to Pay at ABSA
"The Purchase-to-Pay (PTP) value chain is a series of business events that are usually enabled by a system such as SAP. Knowledge of this process, as well as the physical steps within the enabling system is critical to drive a culture of world-class procurement within an organisation where third party spend is significant."
Posted by Editor at 8:30 AM
2008 Salary Survey Results Published
The results of the SmartProcurement 2008 Salary Survey has been finalised and some very interesting results have come to light. "The survey strongly confirms the global trend that the procurement function is on the rise within organisations", says Bernie van Niekerk, Editor of SmartProcurement. 522 Procurement professionals completed the survey. The top responding industry sectors were Manufacturing, Mining, the Public Sector, Construction and Finance.
Posted by Editor at 12:10 PM
In USA CPO Women Earn More Than Men
With Women's Day (9 August) around the corner, SmartProcurement is highlighting the success of women who are international industry leaders in the field of Procurement. Elaine Porteous, Managing Director of specialised procurement recruiter CA Procurement, told SmartProcurement that: "In a recent study done by the Center for Advanced Purchasing Studies (CAPS), it was found that women are increasingly gaining greater responsibility in procurement companies of all sizes. An example of this is that women hold 12% of the Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) titles internationally, and that in the USA they earn significantly more than male CPOs ($418,000 vs. $366,000)".
Posted by Editor at 11:56 AM
15 Simple Rules for effective Negotiations
"Organisations can no longer only rely on their products and services to differentiate themselves", Tom Beasor, an acclaimed international negotiator told SmartProcurement. "Often, it is the actual level of training of their personnel that makes the deciding difference."
Posted by Editor at 10:00 AM
Procurement job interviews: First impressions do count! You have two seconds...
"Professional speakers and trainers have long asserted that people make up their minds about people they meet for the first time within two minutes. As it turns out, this process may be underestimated," Elaine Porteous of CA Global, a procurement recruiting firm tells Smart Procurement. She sites Malcolm Gladwell (pictured), in Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, that "decisions may occur much faster - think instantaneously or within two seconds..."Posted by StaffWriter at 7:24 PM
A strategic approach to designing organisations that perform
Every company (and even departments such as Procurement), irrespective of size or type, needs an effective strategy to be competitive and successful in the marketplace. "The organisational strategy becomes a 'journey map' to guide the company towards clearly defined goals and objectives that will create value for all its stakeholders and entrench a way of thinking that is focused on creating long-term sustainability" Frank Sussini, a strategist at DayFive told Smart ProcurementPosted by StaffWriter at 9:03 AM
New CIPS procurement training courses launched in SA
Commerce Edge, a SETA (Services Sector Education and Training Authority) accredited procurement training company is launching five brand new courses in affiliation with CIPS (UK) (The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply) and, IPSA (The Institute of Procurement and Supply, South Africa). Posted by StaffWriter at 2:56 PM
The scramble for Procurement talent Part 2: Using contractors....
It is estimated that by 2015 contractors, freelancers and interim managers could make up as much as 50% of the white-collar workforce internationally. Many of these freelancers will be the more mature individuals with extensive experience and, new graduates seeking experience in various job roles. In Part 2 of this series, Elaine Porteous, a specialist in Procurement Organisational design tells Smartprocurement that:"Many organisations have realised that using contracted staff for short- and medium-term assignments is the most cost effective route to filling vacant positions where procurement skills are in short supply."Posted by StaffWriter at 12:58 PM
Results of Salary Survey conducted at the IPSA Conference 2007
A salary survey was conducted by Tech-Pro Personnel at the IPSA Conference held in May this year. The survey related specifically to the Procurement field and questioned reporting structures and budgets etc. It attracted a total of 103 respondents. The majority were from the Public Sector Enterprises such as Eskom and Transnet (39%), and the Government (24%). Heavy Resources (5%), FMCG (3%), IT & Media (3%), Automotive (2%) and the Financial Sector (1%) were also represented.
Posted by StaffWriter at 9:01 PM
The scramble for Procurement talent
The recent survey by Deloitte of 300 South African companies, “National Remuneration Guide 2007”, established that there is a shortage of qualified and experienced staff in many professions, with particular emphasis on the shortage of AA candidates. Elaine Porteous, a specialist in Procurement Organisational design tells Smartprocurement that: "The procurement function is certainly not exempt from this pervasive issue. It is clear that the skills shortage in key functional areas, including strategic procurement, is an international one and we are equally exposed to it."
Posted by StaffWriter at 12:16 PM
Temporary Recruitment Services - Sourcing Traps
There has been a growing trend in many SA organizations to take on temporary staff instead of employing them permanently. The convenience for employers in doing this, including being able to call on resources as and when required, is often matched by the cost savings, e.g. not having to contribute to pensions, health care, etc. Alan Low MD of Purchasing Index tells SmartProcurement that Setting up temporary recruitment agency agreements was often the preserve of HR departments, without the active involvement of Procurement.
Posted by Bernie at 7:17 PM
True cost of Staff Recruitment exposed
If you asked your Human Resources Department how much staff recruitment really costs your organisation the real cost can be much higher than imagined. Elaine Porteous, an Independent Procurement Consultant tells Smart Procurement that there are many costly “hassle factors” both internally and externally that are usually not accounted for.
Posted by Bernie at 11:50 AM
Procurement Job Descriptions
We often get asked about Procurement Job Descriptions. As a result we opened up a post on the Procurementtips.com forum relating to various procurement jobs and their descriptions.
Posted by Bernie at 7:48 AM
What do procurement professionals get paid?
Do procurement professionals playing the same role but in different industries get remunerated differently? How does the mining industry compare to retail, compared to government? What does a senior manager get paid compared to a commodity manager, compared to a buyer?
Posted by Bernie at 5:41 PM