Subscribe:
RSS feed
Procurement decisions don’t fail inside procurement. They fail when real-world conditions hit them. That’s what we assess.
Welcome to The New Procurement Insights EU Edition
May 23, 2013
This past year has been somewhat of a watershed year for the Procurement Insights blog as well as its sister radio show The PI Window on the World. For example, we surpassed the 1,000 post mark with the blog that was launched with little fanfare in May 2007. That is a lot of “virtual ink” […]
Posted in: News & Updates
Breaking News: All Change at the Top of UK Government Procurement by Colin Cram
May 22, 2013
The announcement of David Shield’s departure from his position as Managing Director of the UK’s Government Procurement Service will be a shock for many people. Boosting its turnover from about £4bn a year to £11bn a year in 3 years was no mean feat. Even the normally critical National Audit Office wrote what was, on […]
Posted in: Guest Posting
Big Data, Predictive Models and a Hit TV Series (Part 1 of 2) by Jon Hansen
May 22, 2013
“What you are talking about is the utilization of a predictive model similar in many ways to the system featured in the hit TV show Person of Interest. Quite simply it is a centralized capture and correlation repository which then utilizes advanced algorithms to put an organization ahead of the demand curve.” The above is […]
Posted in: Commentary
What value do you bring to your relationships? (Part 1 of 2) by Roz Usheroff
May 16, 2013
The other day I read an article by Kelly Barner titled “What if there is no value in what you’re doing?” While Barner was posing this question from the standpoint of being a procurement professional, it is nonetheless a powerful yet simple question that all of us at one point should be asking ourselves. After […]
Posted in: Guest Posting
What if there is no value in what you’re doing? by Kelly Barner
May 14, 2013
The very best thing about my role at Buyers Meeting Point is that I get to work and learn at the same time. I read and attend events under the ‘pretense’ that I’m helping my time-strapped colleagues stay on top of the latest in trends and thought leadership from around supply management. While that happens […]
Posted in: Guest Posting
Does the Ministry of Justice Need to Spend £675m on a Project to Collect Outstanding Fines? by Colin Cram
May 10, 2013
How often should major projects never have been started? I can think of several and there may be another about to start. The Ministry of Justice is planning to spend £675m ($1bn) on a compliance and enforcement project/contract to collect outstanding fines http://justice.governmentcomputing.com/news/moj-issues-675m-contract-for-compliance-and-enforcement-services which, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation last year, amount to almost […]
Posted in: Guest Posting
Next week’s line-up of shows features interviews with execs from IBM and Xchanging by Jon Hansen
May 10, 2013
While the world of procurement is never boring, some week’s have an added pop to them in that you get an opportunity to cover two of the hottest stories that are trending at a particular moment in time. On Tuesday, May 14th at 12:00 Noon EST, I will be airing my interview with Alisa Maclin, […]
Posted in: News & Updates, PI Window on Business (Show)
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 […]
Posted in: Guest Posting, Public Sector Procurement
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 […]
Posted in: Branding Procurement, Guest Posting
Procurement Insights 
Why I believe that Michael Porter’s position on corporate social responsibility smacks of colonialism
May 27, 2013
1
Back in April of 2008 I wrote a post titled What is the Value in your Supply Chain? (A PI Q and A), in which I questioned the merits of famed Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter’s model. Specifically, I had indicated that while Porter’s theory at the conceptual level has merit, its “value” in terms […]