How to Determine Procurement Organisation – Part 1: 10 Objectives for Procurement

Posted on 12 January 2012 by Tony Colwell

A discussion has been running in the Procurement Professionals Group on LinkedIn to explore why do centralised procurement initiatives often promise substantial savings, then fail to deliver to the bottom line? Apart from historically falling short of expectations, we are facing new issues such as increasing emphasis on corporate social responsibility and sustainability. The discussion prompted me to write a short article setting out 5 models for procurement organisation and start another discussion, Continue reading →

How to Implement and Enhance a Gate Process – Part 5

Posted on 5 January 2012 by Tony Colwell

12 Tips for fmcg and food industries

This is the fifth in a series of articles on how to implement and enhance a gate process (also known as stage gate process). The series sets out to highlight some of the issues associated with the introduction and operation of gate processes, and to offer some advice in the context of consumer products. Continue reading →

Is your Procurement initiative really a cost saver? – The 8 questions to ask.

Posted on 27 December 2011 by Tony Colwell

Today I ask, “How are you to know that your procurement ‘cost saving’ initiative will not deliver to the bottom line?”

Regular readers of my blog will know that, recently, I wrote a series of articles on the reasons why, when many large organisations embark on centralised procurement initiatives with the promise of substantial savings, direct increases in profitability fail to materialize within the business units. Continue reading →

How to Implement and Enhance a Gate Process – Part 4

Posted on 22 December 2011 by Tony Colwell

Designing and operating the gates

This is the fourth in a series of articles on how to implement and enhance a gate process (also known as stage gate process). The series sets out to highlight some of the issues associated with the introduction and operation of gate processes, and to offer some advice in the context of consumer products. Continue reading →

How to Implement and Enhance a Gate Process – Part 3

Posted on 16 December 2011 by Tony Colwell

Designing the stages

This is the third in a series of articles on how to implement and enhance a gate process (also known as stage gate process). The series sets out to highlight some of the issues associated with the introduction and operation of gate processes, and to offer some advice in the context of consumer products. Continue reading →

5 Approaches to generate movement in negotiations

Posted on 13 December 2011 by Tony Colwell

A lesson for Mr Cameron and other would-be negotiators

The return of UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, from the European Council in Brussels empty-handed, raises serious questions about his competency as a negotiator. British diplomat, and former Downing Street Chief of Staff under Tony Blair, Jonathan Powell, appearing on BBC’s Newsnight, accused Cameron of either incompetence or deliberately going for failure. The Economist reports the assessment of “a well-placed source” who was certain that [failure]was not Mr Cameron’s goal.

So here is a lesson for Mr Cameron and, with a little interpretation by the reader, a lesson for other would-be negotiators. Continue reading →

How to Implement and Enhance a Gate Process – Part 2

Posted on 8 December 2011 by Tony Colwell

The first steps

This is the second of a series of articles on how to implement and enhance a gate process. The series sets out to highlight some of the issues associated with the introduction and operation of gate processes, and to offer some advice in the context of consumer products. Continue reading →

5 Models for procurement organisation

Posted on 5 December 2011 by Tony Colwell

A discussion has been running in the Procurement Professionals Group on LinkedIn to explore the reasons why centralised procurement initiatives often promise substantial savings, then fail to deliver to the bottom line. Various contributors have expressed different interpretations of “centralised procurement” which has prompted me to write a short article setting out the five models for procurement organisation. Continue reading →

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