Arriving at the Grand Hotel, Stockholm, last week for the latest Procurement Leaders roundtable was an interesting experience. A red carpet was rolled out as we arrived and the hotel's foyer was conspicuous by the number of smart-looking Chinese businessmen trying to look inconspicuous.

We're thirty days into the second quarter of the calendar year, and it seems that many of the predictions for the health of the US economy for 2012 were right. Despite some bumps, the economy continues to grow. But the growth is painfully slow. And so, observers can choose between viewing the glass as half empty or half full. How should CPOs view the glass? As opaque. They should reflect instead on how to improve and leverage their supplier relationships. That’s a strategy that will improve their competitive position no matter what the glass looks like.

If you live in the US, happy tax day eve!

Yes, tomorrow is the deadline for fiing taxes with the Infernal (ooops, make that Internal) Revenue Service and its daughter agencies in the individual states. The normal date is 15 April, but since that day falls on a weekend this year and since the 16th is a holiday in some parts of the country, the 17th is the due date in 2012.

Any procurement executive interested in where the function is headed - and what executive isn't interested in that? - must read deputy editor Steve Hall's cover story in the current issue of Procurement Leaders. In the article, Steve asks whether there will be a need for a CPO in the future.

With the launch of our new Procurement Intentions intelligence index, we can now provide unparalleled insight into the strategic thinking of global CPOs.

Every CPO talks about the importance of paying attention to supply chain risks of many kinds. In fact, a KPMG study released last fall reported that nearly a third of companies feel that their biggest business risks come from their supply chain. Most respondents were worried about information-technology risks and lack of innovation from suppliers. Those certainly are legitimate concerns. But, there is another concern that should be on the minds of CPOs, one that is underneath the surface of supplier relationships. It's the fact that some suppliers may harbor ill feelings about the way you treat them, but are reluctant to make a fuss for fear of losing business. That is a risk, indeed, because it can lead to poor quality service, a reluctance to offer innovative suggestions for improvements of all kinds, and, ultimately, the exit of a key supplier.

Every CPO would vouch for the importance of getting on their CEO's agenda and TD Bank CPO Caroline Booth gave those attending the Procurement Leaders Forum, Chicago yesterday four important tips for accomplishing just that.

With volatility and change being the new norm in business, CPOs seeking to increase and deliver value have to find new ways of identifying that value. That was the message of Cynthia Dautrich, global procurement officer at Kimberly Clark.

First impressions last, Ton Guerts, CPO of AkzoNobel, told attendees at the Procurement Leaders Forum in Chicago this morning. He was referring to the impression procurement executives get immediately upon meeting job candidates, and the audience at the panel discussion on increasing shareholder value agreed.

ATTRACT. With that acronym, Joseph Sandor, professor of supply management at Michigan State University and chairman of the Procurement Leaders Forum in Chicago, summarized the major points of the first three presentations of the day today. The Forum - Accelerating procurement's performance to increase shareholder value - is being held in Chicago at the historic Union League Club.