Complex Group Procurement Needs the Right Meta-SystemImagine an organization with a troubled history of procurement. Let’s think of it as a bank, but it could be anything large and…Sep 16Sep 16
How Can We Maximize the Productivity of Procurement Committees?We’ve written recently about a core problem with Requests for Proposals: poor internal stakeholder coordination.Aug 21Aug 21
Coordinating Stakeholders in a Procurement Is a Big ProblemIn its first phase, procurement technology digitized the business process, but it didn’t radically change it. Instead of email and…Jul 29Jul 29
Group Purchasing Organizations Serve Suppliers, Not BuyersEveryone is familiar with Costco. It is a staple of North American life. It is a club. Individuals or families pay a fee to become members…Jun 19Jun 19
How to Take Risk in a Large OrganizationThis post appeared in Closest Point of Approach originally in May 2024.May 13May 13
Elastic Procurement Is Better than Traditional ProcurementA good procurement event is one in which the buyers find the best combination of problem-solution fit, a reliable supplier, and a…Mar 21Mar 21
Improving SME Procurement Enables Social ProcurementB2B buyers have multi-fold corporate responsibilities.Mar 4Mar 4
Social Procurement Needs Us to Ask the Right QuestionsOrganizations buy goods and services to solve problems. If there is a subsequent issue with the procurement, if it turns out that what they…Feb 22Feb 22
The Game Theory of Procurement and RFPsJeff Bezos is one of the wealthiest men in the world. He is extraordinarily good at management. He has a useful analogy for decisions.Feb 14Feb 14
Supplier Relationship Management Is Not an Adversarial ProcessIn the movie “Jerry Maguire,” the inciting incident is the protagonist’s departure from his established agency to pursue his own principled…Jan 24Jan 24