Guest Posting | Procurement Insights

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World Class Procurement by Colin Cram

May 6, 2013

What is world class procurement? That is the question that was asked last week at a conference that I was chairing. The topic was world class procurement in the NHS. Some people would argue that if an organisation has efficient and modern processes and procedures, category management, a highly qualified workforce, good information and performance […]

What is the difference between confidence and arrogance? (Part 1 of 2) by Roz Usheroff

May 3, 2013

Editor’s Note: Over the past few months there has been much discussion surrounding the need for procurement professionals to step up to the plate to claim their rightful seat at the executive table. While I wholeheartedly support the need to establish one’s influential presence based on their contributions to the organization, the manner in which […]

Outsourcing MOD Procurement by Colin Cram

April 30, 2013

Editor’s Note: With the recent NOGO-GOCO decision (at least for the next year) by the UK Government regarding a proposal to outsource the Ministry of Defence procurement function by way of a government owned – contractor operated model, the following August 2012 commentary from Colin Cram is worth revisiting. There is no perfect model for […]

Procurement Fraud by Colin Cram FCIPS

April 25, 2013

Editor’s NOTE: As a follow-up to my April 23rd post “Where did purchasing go wrong: Businessman sells £50 Million of fake bomb detection equipment to governments around the world,” contributing columnist Colin Cram has by way of today’s post provided his take on the James McCormick case. The recent fraud case where businessman, James McCormick […]

The High Cost of Low Costs (Women Pursuing Careers in Supply Chain) by Kelly Barner

April 23, 2013

I have recently become aware of a growing interest in women pursuing careers in supply chain. There are new recognitions for women in leadership roles, and groups being started to discuss the unique issues faced by women in supply chain. Other groups are founded to support the interest of employers to find qualified females to […]

Restructuring Government Procurement by Colin Cram

April 19, 2013

The UK government appears to be moving towards centralising civil government procurement in all but name. It was less than 3 months ago that I proposed* to a UK Parliamentary committee (the Public Administration Select Committee) the creation of a ‘Crown Procurement Service’ for the whole of the public sector. This proposal, based on my […]

Procurement again in the headlines and at the centre of legal and political controversy by Dr. John Rigby

April 17, 2013

Those keeping their eye on public procurement matters in the UK over the last few months will no doubt have been aware of the controversies surrounding the implementation of the new Health and Social Care legislation which seeks to increase competition in the provision of health services in the UK and which may, some believe, […]

Appetite for Development: How Procurement Departments Differ in Their Desires for Continuous Staff Training by Charles Dominick, SPSM, SPSM2

April 17, 2013

Editor’s Note: Charles is founder, president and chief procurement officer of Next Level Purchasing, which offers the SPSM (Senior Professional in Supply Management) family of certifications. Be sure to check out Charles’ Purchasing Certification Blog. In my line of work, I see four types of procurement departments relative to their appetites for professional development. Type […]

Margaret Thatcher: An Insider’s Perspective by Colin Cram (Part 2)

April 15, 2013

Editor’s Note: Part 1 of this series was posted on Thursday, April 11th My report on procurement proposed more outsourcing and a team was set up to drive this forward. However, the government was unable to overcome resistance to it. By the time John Major had taken over, in 1991, my estimate was that much […]

Margaret Thatcher: An Insider’s Perspective by Colin Cram (Part 1)

April 11, 2013

In 1980 I joined the Cabinet Office in 1980 as part of a team set up to support the efficiency and reform agenda of Margaret Thatcher’s newly elected government and to supplement the work of the then Sir Derek Rayner, the Prime Minister’s efficiency adviser. Continuing in that role within the Cabinet Office and then […]