Dr. Copper, as its known to some, provides analysts with an indication into the health of the global economy while to others, specifically CPOs, it is a material that is integral to the goods they produce.

The 2013 Procurement Leaders Forum Chicago got underway today in the illustrious surroundings of the Palmer House Hilton Hotel. One of the early presentations was delivered by Harry Moser, founder and president of the not-for-profit Reshoring Initiative, who passionately believes in the need to rescue the US manufacturing sector from ill-advised offshoring.

The bailout of Cyprus has once more put nerves on end in Europe, meanwhile a handful of commodities have leapt upwards in an otherwise calm week.

Several manufacturers, including some big ones such as GE, Apple, and Caterpillar, are bringing some of their manufacturing back to US shores. But is it enough to declare a trend?

When I’m not writing about procurement, I’m busy playing the trumpet. It’s hard to fit in because these purchasing blogs don’t write themselves, but it’s a rewarding hobby.

Pity the poor Boeing team behind development of the 787 Dreamliner. On Friday, 11 January, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launched a full investigation of the plane's design, manufacture and assembly. In a way, the agency had to do that.

Risk mitigation is something that is and will almost always be a key priority for a CPO. You only have to look at the last few months to get a sense of why that's true now, and will only become more important this year.

Put your predictions away, no one knows what will happen this year. Earthquakes, massive mergers, collapsing currencies; the story will be shaped by any number of x-factors. But instead of crystal balls, we can look for some of the likely sources of intrigue in 2013.