There has been a lot of debate recently about whether the outsourcing trend is finally grinding to a halt and companies are now looking to insource, bringing back those manufacturing or administrative operations they sent out to be managed abroad.

It seems like a ridiculous question, but as occasional news reports show, global supply chains can be a shadowy affair. Time to shed some light perhaps.

Lost in all the hubbub last week about Apple’s decision to bring some manufacturing jobs back to the US, was a much smaller and more local supply chain story, one involving the local restaurant industry in Boston. The stories are vastly different in content, scope, impact, and importance. But taken together, they illustrate an important lesson: regardless of company size, the way procurement manages total-cost-of ownership (TCO) evaluation and buyer-supplier communication can determine whether supply chains are a competitive advantage or disadvantage.

Awareness of the cultural differences between us as purchasers and our respective partners in emerging markets is key to a sustainable relationship. This is not something that can be “added on” once the numbers make sense, this awareness has to be cultivated from day one and grown with the relationship.

According to September's Procurement Intentions survey CPOs intend to increase their use of fixed price contracts over the next six months.

What did we learn this week? Apple and Samsung are still friends, the shipping industry is in a pickle, the UK government blacklists suppliers, advanced analytics can save you money and procurement can attract the best talent from the next generation.

After years of holding the number one slot on most procurement chief’s lists of top sourcing destinations, is China finally starting to lose its appeal? It’s an old question...

What will the next year hold and how can procurement prepare for it? Whatever the answer, procurement's response is, by default, a gloomy one.