Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Edition 23 (December 2009)
PREVIOUS EDITIONS
David Rae, Editor
As 2009 comes to a close, now is the time to take a step back and reflect on one of the most extraordinary periods in business history. The majority of readers of this magazine will have been on the front line as their companies desperately trimmed costs and, as a result, will have had little time to think about the consequences of the global recession.
Indeed, many CPOs will be quick to point out that the crash has been good for our profession, that executive heads have been turned in our direction as a way to better negotiate the financial quagmire. And they would be right.
But this is also a cause for concern. At a recent Supplierforce conference in Dublin, David Noble, the recently crowned chief executive of the UK's Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply, talked about the demands that coming through the other side of a recession will put on procurement. "As we begin to move out of recession, organisations will be looking for highly skilled and trained procurement and supply chain professionals to bring value to companies and prepare for the upturn."
This might be true. But the worry is, it probably won't.
More from the editor
PROCUREMENT FEATURES
- Moves: Ideal choice for John Lewis
Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:24:43 - Profile: Marc Magistrali, CPO, Kone
Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:28:34 - Thought leaders: Gifts and hospitality
Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:51:42 - Thought leaders: Supply risk management
Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:37:23 - Thought leaders: Global software contracts
Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:22:48 - A new dawn for procurement
Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:11:12 - Roundtable: Collaborative working, London
Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:22:24 - Reflections on the US
Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:11:31 - Executive Masterclass 2009 - Amsterdam
Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:00:57 - Procurement Leaders Forum 09 - Amsterdam
Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:55:24
PROCUREMENT OPINIONS
Economic View: Europe faces grim reality
Ten years after ambitious plans to make Europe a world-beating economic force, it finds itself lagging behind the opposition and poorly placed to take a lead when recovery comes. And with younger, fitter and stronger players hot on its heels, it could struggle to recover lost ground, writes David Rae.
Inside View: The psychology of procurement
With resistance to change the default setting for many businesses, implementing new processes – and making them stick – can be a long and frustrating task. It is only by breaking through that psychological barrier that you can hope to make any transformation permanent.
PROFILE
Featured Profile: Marc Magistrali
Not everyone in procurement enjoys the elevated status that Kone CPO Marc Magistrali has achieved in his four years with the company. But, then, he is one procurement professional who seems destined to make it to the very top, writes David Rae.
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