Editors welcome - Learning all the right Lessons
Procurement gains ground in the race for recognition
The evidence is growing by the month, it seems, that procurement is gaining in importance. A study highlighted in our news section provides evidence that procurement professionals are increasingly turning from general objectives to specifics in terms of savings, indicating that their role in helping make their organisations more efficient is becoming more crucial.
And with the growing importance of the function, so the question of where the future ranks of procurement experts will come from becomes more pressing. We thought it timely to take a look at a selection of institutions in europe offering training to high-level procurement people. the institutions vary hugely in their approaches to the business, providing senior managers
with a fair degree of choice. A common feature is the stress put on developing the ability of procurement executives to see the bigger business picture.
In this issue we also present an account of ELP’s first executive roundtable debate. Top procurement professionals thrashed out some of the crucial questions surrounding low-cost country sourcing, an issue of continuing importance. As the discussion illustrated, views vary widely, with some saying the case for such a strategy is cast-iron. but another news story
in this issue suggests the need for caution. A survey by Accenture found a great deal of unhappiness among senior executives over ventures into global sourcing. the need, Accenture says, is to see such projects as part of the business’s whole field of activity, not as an isolated part.
ELP continues to go from strength to strength, underlining the need for a high-quality publication aimed squarely at senior procurement professionals in europe. in this issue, we are delighted to welcome three new faces to our editorial board. carlo Aversa of Alcan Packaging and giles breault of novartis are both seasoned procurement professionals, while Professor christopher Jahns of the supply management institute in wiesbaden is an academic with much to offer. his joint feature on supply risk is another welcome contribution to our pages.
ELP is pleased to announce a partnership with the Supply Management Institute in which we will be able to publish the results of its research, funded by major european companies, into procurement issues.
This edition also coincides with the launch of the european Leaders network, an online community for procurement professionals offering a wide range of information, tools and resources. this includes news of our forums, content from the magazine and specialised background material. we hope you will make use of the network and join ELP in developing the european procurement community for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Mark Perera
Editor-in-Chief
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