Ethics ignorance is not bliss
In a world of immediacy, it is imperative for the procurement and compliance functions to work closely with suppliers to ensure that conduct throughout the supply chain does not overstep ethical boundaries. Abrie de Swardt, IMPERIAL Logistics Marketing Director tackles this tough topic for SmartProcurement.
Posted by Editor at 8:10 AM | Comments (0)
Lack of risk management exposes BRIC economies - survey
Rapidly growing BRIC emerging economies are subject to external shocks as they lack adequate risk management and must synchronise fiscal and monetary policies, a survey of finance ministry officials showed.The survey, released in January by consultancy Booz & Company, said the role of finance ministries has expanded far beyond its traditional fiscal mandate and ministries must reform so that they are not overly driven by interventions, near-term fiscal targets and benchmarking against local peers.
Posted by Editor at 5:30 AM | Comments (0)
Risks facing senior procurement professionals in their personal capacity
Sooner or later most senior Procurement Managers will be faced with an enquiry into procurement practices, levelled at the individual. Robert Cameron-Ellis, Director of ENS Forensics, gave delegates at SmartProcurement World some insight into what to expect and how to prepare for the inevitable.“If you are faced with a departmental enquiry then your best route is to co-operate. Request the right to respond, provide input where you can and document your responses,” said Cameron-Ellis.
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Absa's proactive supplier management practices - Risk management in procurement
A 2010 McKinsey case study on purchasing organisations found that Absa Group Sourcing (AGS) leads the industry average (3.1 vs. 2.5), while excelling in category purchasing processes, where it achieved a higher rank than 80% of the organisations in its industry and well beyond the banking industry average.AGS has delivered sustainable, annualised savings equal to 6% of its cost base year-on-year since 2006. Antony Barker, Head of Ethics, Risk and Governance at AGS, gave delegates at SmartProcurement World an insight into risk management’s role in achieving those savings.
Posted by StaffWriter at 3:50 AM | Comments (0)
The contents of an ethical purchasing policy
Several SmartProcurement World 2010 speakers discussed the high levels of corruption exposed daily throughout the African continent - South Africa itself being the victim of many improper business practises within all sectors of the national economy. It was widely agreed that organisations need to reform their policy and procedure handbooks to ensure that positive steps are taken to reverse this continent-wide trend.
Posted by Editor at 3:40 AM | Comments (0)
At risk of bad data
Data is only accurate when that accuracy can be proven and ignoring the effects of inaccurate and badly maintained supplier data has many detrimental effects on an organisation, Edward Smit, CEO of National Registry, tells SmartProcurement.
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Is your supply chain ready for AARTO?
Whether or not the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) has yet been implemented, your supply chain may face logistics and delivery difficulties if you have not put measures in place to cope with possible driver disqualifications under the new administrative framework. SmartProcurement has some suggestions.
Posted by StaffWriter at 7:30 AM | Comments (0)
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 | Comments (0)
Cost-cutting measures at the expense of strategic goals
How informed is your organisation about supply chain risks?Why should Procurement professionals only implement cost-cutting measures once they fully understand the ‘big picture’ aspects associated with supply chain risks?
This is the third article in SmartProcurement’s World-Class Procurement Practice series, penned by Ronald Mlalazi (MCIPS), Commerce Edge Academy’s Edu cation Manager. This month's article is based on CIPS Level 5, Unit 2, ‘Risk Management and Supply Chain Vulnability’. The series is based on Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS) unit content and on recent research done by Commerce Edge Academy.
Posted by Editor at 9:15 AM | Comments (0)
