Developing a winning Supply Chain career in 2012
Whilst we were slaving away, optimising our supply chain widget world, a few Wall Street wizards created yet another recipe for fool’s gold. Consequently, our supply chain world is faced with some harsh realities as the world heads deeper into recession with global leaders struggling to estimate where the bottom is.But what does this mean for supply chain people? Max Smeiman, Supply Chain Coach CEO, has some advice for supply chain professionals in this month’s SmartProcurement.
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P&SM talent still in demand despite SA's employment challenges
The latest Quarterly Labour Force Service Survey reports that there was a slight improvement in South Africa’s labour market last year, with Statistics SA releasing that “between the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2011, the South African unemployment rate declined by 0,7 percentage point to 25,0%”. Yet, the Supply Chain, Distribution and Procurement recruitment market has boasted good, solid growth over the past two years. Natasha Pillay-Bemath, MD of Tech-Pro Personnel, tells SmartProcurement that “this illustrates that the urgent and real need for skilled Professionals in South Africa and globally persists. Competition for the right talent is still on.”
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MTN Academy celebrates 1st MCIPS qualification achievement
It is almost two years since MTN Academy in partnership with Group Procurement launched a procurement qualification programme within the MTN Group. In November the Academy celebrated its 1st Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) Level 6 graduate, Peruth Ntegeka from MTN Uganda.
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Procurement and retention of talent - the challenges in SA
Global recruitment and talent retention is changing globally, not just in SA. According to Manpower, 46% of senior human resource managers surveyed in the latest global annual survey said that their talent gap was making it harder for their organization to implement its business strategy. Only 27% said that they had the talent they needed.Alan Low of Purchasing Index discusses the challenges South Africa faces in this month’s SmartProcurement.
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No more reading CVs - The Database of Procurement Professionals
Enjoy reading CVs? If you do, you’re pretty unique. The problem with CVs, apart from the fact that everyone’s layout and approach is different, is that a CV tells you what the candidate wants you to hear. Ever seen a CV that said “I don’t have a clue how to determine the TCO of an LHD machine”? And you won’t either, because a CV is prepared with a view to boost the candidate’s chances of being considered suitable for a position on offer. Fact is, if you are looking for procurement staff, you do not have to read a CV ever again, unless you really want to, and then it should only be the two or three that made it to the short list.After a 30-year career in procurement, Andre Basson began a project to change the way procurement people are recruited. The outcome is the Database of Procurement Professionals©. Andre spoke to SmartProcurement about how he hopes the database will change Procurement recruitment.
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Unleashing employee potential through change management
Managers can deliberately initiate organisational change. It can either evolve gradually within the department, be imposed by specific and compelling changes in policy and procedures, or arise from external forces, Ronald Mlalazi (MCIPS), Education Manager at Commerce Edge Academy, tells SmartProcurement.
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Tips for managing Recruitment Agencies during skills shortages
Most South African organisations have only just started recruiting new staff after an employment freeze for the last 18 to 24 months. Purchasing Index (PI) tells SmartProcurement that many may have been lulled into a false sense of safety that the skills base in South Africa is relatively robust.
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Turning the cost of an employee into an asset to the organisation
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CV not getting you the procurement (or other) position you want?
In today’s volatile employment market can you really afford to be one of the many candidates with a CV that elicits no response at all? There can be a multitude of reasons for this, but from years of experience in Procurement specific recruitment Deborah van Laar of PSA Group: Search & Selection, tells SmartProcurement that it’s more than likely that your CV is to blame.
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Challenges in the permanent recruitment procurement process
At the dawning of the next decade and as the recession in South Africa begins to gradually fade away, many organizations may tentatively consider appointing more staff. The recruitment market changed from a scarcity of skills on the open market in early 2008 into a relative glut during 2009, with many people sitting tight in their current jobs waiting for an improvement in the economy. Alan Low of Purchasing Index (PI) discusses the challenges the permanent recruitment procurement process faces in this month's SmartProcurement.
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Public Sector SCM Summit played host to 10 HDI students
In a bid to promote experiential learning, and open up our conferences to interns / learners and trainees SmartProcurement’s Public Sector Supply Chain Management Summit and Workshop played host to members of the Logistics Graduates of South Africa, based at the Vaal Technikon (LGSA).
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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.
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Current recruitment innovations under discussion at industry update-breakfast
"A multitude of external forces will reshape markets, products and industries over the next decade. To survive, Companies will have to rethink and revamp their business strategies in order to anticipate, react to and take advantage of these forces," predicts a recent research report released by CAPS, The ISM (USA) and AT Kearney.
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Results: 3rd Annual Supply Chain Educator Excellence Awards
“Get them toi-toing for continuous learning...”
South Africa’s trade unions and civil servants should be striking for greater involvement in continuous learning. This will help South Africa overcome its skill chasm far better than demands for State-crippling wage increases, said Ken Titmuss, SAPICS past president and vice chairperson.
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Procurement professionals in demand during recession
In recessionary times, the procurement professional becomes a more valuable commodity as it is those specialist purchasing and supply management skills that can make a positive difference to the bottom line, Elaine Porteous of Tech-Pro Personnel told SmartProcurement in an interview.
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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 | Comments (0)
The skills shortage is still a reality...What about flexible staffing solutions?
"The shortage of skilled workers is the biggest constraint to business growth!" This is a quote extracted verbatim from an international survey that was recently conducted by accounting firm Grant Thornton involving 7000 privately held businesses in 36 economies across the globe. 33% of organisations in South Africa that participated in this survey cited that regulations, in particular 'employment laws', are inhibiting growth; and, surprisingly, red tape even outranks 'cost of finance' and 'reduction in demand' as barriers to growth.
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Procurement Organisations can now turn headcount on and off
Hot on the heels of last months article concerning Interim Contracts, Purchasing SA (PSA), a specialised Purchasing Consultancy based in Kwa-Zulu Natal, announced that it is launching a new Interim Management Service. This service will provide highly-skilled purchasing executives for hands-on assignments over a wide range of industries across South Africa.
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Interim Contracts are Ideal for Both the Employer and the Procurement Specialist
In a recent issue of Supply Management , Pat Law writes that "contractors tend to do well in a downturn, as organisations switch to more flexible forms of employment". While this is written in the context of the UK and EU, it applies just as much to our own environment and the special circumstances in South Africa.
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How important is price when selecting recruitment agencies?
Lindiwe Nakedi, the co-owner of and a Career Consultant at The People Shop, recently told SmartProcurement that many people often believe that recruitment is a commodity which hinges predominantly on price: “Recruitment organisations, or at least the good ones, differentiate themselves on quality and value added services which they provide and thus argue that there are more important issues to take into account than price only”, Nakedi said.
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Reducing the increasing 'billable hour' cost in the procurement of professional services...
In the first instance, the commodity group 'professional services' nowadays encompasses an extremely broad range of technical and specialised services ranging from consultants (e.g. accounting and tax) to architectural, business communications, legal, medical, and so on. Secondly, because of the ever increasing complexity of the global economy and the processes of government, the need for outsourced expertise is rapidly on the rise.
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Hiring some new talent? Check them out properly first...
"Unfortunately it is a fact that organisations are exposed to certain financial and other employee-related risks, many of which occur within the procurement area. Risks to be seriously considered are 'white-collar' fraud, IT integrity and identity theft, workplace violence and unethical conduct in all its forms", Elaine Porteous, Branch Manager - Interim and Executive Search - of Tech-Pro Personnel, told SmartProcurement.
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Welcome to the Future: Unlocking Organisational Effectiveness and Productivity - Functional Intelligence™
“One of my all-time favourite quotes comes from what has to be one of our finest sources of brilliance and inspiration - Albert Einstein: ‘Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.’ No wonder that so many strategies fail to be realised!”, Frank Susini, an Independent Consultant, told SmartProcurement.
Posted by StaffWriter at 10:18 AM | Comments (0)
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 | Comments (0)
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 | Comments (0)
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...
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The Procurement of HR and Skills in the Spotlight
The past decade of unprecedented economic growth has firmly put the spotlight on the world economy's most important asset, namely Human Resources (HR). This has brought about massive globalisation which has tempted many of our talented professionals to greener pastures, and this, in turn, has highlighted the value of recruitment agencies.
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Supply and Demand Theory back-firing on Human Resources in Procurement
Economic theory states that where supply is low, demand will be high. The underlying premise is that a higher premium is paid for those high demand commodities where supply is low. For the last couple of years, we have seen this trend play itself out time and time again when it comes to salaries paid for human resources. However, statistics for the first quarter of this year are turning this theory on its head!, " Priscilla Gibson MD of Tech-Pro Personel tells SmartProcurement.Posted by StaffWriter at 3:00 PM | Comments (0)
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 | Comments (0)
Looking for a career move in Purchasing and Supply Management? It is time to review your options
The market for procurement professionals is very buoyant as there is a shortage of suitably qualified people, Elaine Porteous of CA Global Recruitment tells SmartProcurement. "The procurement function is well and truly on the map and there is growing interest in careers in purchasing and supply chain."Posted by StaffWriter at 12:58 PM | Comments (0)
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 | Comments (0)
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 | Comments (0)
