Saturday, February 04, 2012
Edition 24 (February 2010)
PREVIOUS EDITIONS
David Rae, Editor
When the editorial team was putting this latest issue of Procurement Leaders together, one word kept cropping up - value. It's a simple word, but its implications for the readers of this magazine are huge. "Rubbish," I hear you mutter. But when procurement executives start talking in terms of value, you know that we've turned a fairly significant corner.
Browsing through the issue, I'm sure you'll soon pick up on my point. Our interview with Kraft Foods' Julia Brown is notable for the emphasis she puts on getting value out of the Cadbury deal. Heinz VP of purchasing John Hans is in the midst of a procurement transformation to bring a commercial focus to his team. (Hans has come to procurement from the commercial side and at the end of our interview he even said that if there was one thing he wanted us to take away from the conversation it was his focus on value.) And then there's the roundtable on linking procurement processes to business outcomes - attendees talked about how being seen to tangibly add value is an excellent way to gain a seat at the table.
More from the editor
PROCUREMENT FEATURES
- Moves: Damon Jones appointed CPO of Rentokil Initial
Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:30:31 - Mars CPO on meeting the challenges of market volatility
Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:40:32 - New VP of Purchasing at Heinz gives procurement a commercial feel
Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:17:12 - World view: Handling China’s dynamic supply market
Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:04:07 - World view: How CPOs should seize opportunity to leverage executive support
Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:34:22 - Eliminating complexity in Whirlpool’s supply chain
Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:04:50 - Thought leaders: Demand management
Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:50:57 - Thought leaders: Supplier carbon management
Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:33:35 - Thought leaders: Collaborative KPIs
Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:27:52 - Roundtable: Business alignment, London
Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:35:14
PROCUREMENT OPINIONS
The noughties party may have come to a thudding end, but the hangover shows little sign of abating with fears of a continued downturn and rising raw material prices causing headaches. But strong growth prospects in emerging markets could provide a much needed cure, writes Phillip Thornton. Inside View: The search for young talent; training tomorrow’s procurement executives
Like most things in life, there are few, if any, original ideas in procurement. But, while you can’t teach old dogs new tricks, we can find new ways of doing things. Indeed, the best way to shake things up is to invest in enthusiastic, motivated and business-savvy talent, writes Neil Deverill. Network View: Facilitating cost savings
By working closely with facilities management to renegotiate contracts on anything from cleaning suppliers to real-estate management, CPOs can drive forward efficiencies and realize substantial cost-saving opportunities, without impacting on customer services, writes Rafeh Masood.
PROFILE
Featured Profile: Julia Brown
As the ink begins to dry on its acquisition of Cadbury, Kraft Foods' VP of procurement Julia Brown has a lot on her plate. Reducing the supply base by more than half is just one of the many challenges she faces, writes Richard Edwards.
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