Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now a major item on the CEO’s agenda; no annual report is complete without making reference to CSR performance. And yet, we hear it time and again in our procurement community: CSR is complex and can mean different things, it can be expensive and is hard to measure, and why does it matter anyhow?

The Apple-Foxconn saga continues.

It was back in 2010 when I had the pleasure of interviewing Marc Engel, CPO of Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant Unilever, on the subject of its Sustainable Living Plan.

Those of you who have been following the scandals surrounding Apple's supply chain are probably aware of its recent decision to allow the largest investigation ever into a US company's operations abroad.

I recently contemplated the idea of whether it makes sense to maintain CSR initiatives throughout an economic downturn.

We are now well in to 2012, and given a turbulent 2011, many are wondering what might be ahead of them.

What makes a good and reliable data source for procurement? According to our latest research, CPO Strategy 2012, one-fifth (20%) of senior procurement executives believe it is social media. Some might see this as a good sign; others will think this number could be higher.

When it comes to addressing sustainability, chances are that every procurement organisation will have its very own priority categories.

The other day, my colleague blogged that the name for the buying organisation has shifted from Purchasing to Procurement. While this may be true on a universal level, we also need to keep in mind cultural nuances.

If you think your procurement team can get away w.ithout market intelligence, think again.