Signs You’ve Outgrown Ad Hoc Procurement I knew something wasn’t quite right before we’d even opened the first spreadsheet. It wasn’t because anyone complained about suppliers. Nobody mentioned procurement. In fact, the business considered itself well run. Orders were being placed, invoices were being paid and production was moving. From the outside, everything looked perfectly […]
The Day Everyone Asked for the Template A few years ago, I spent some time teaching MCIPS, and there was one moment that cropped up on almost every course. We’d spend the morning working through Kraljic, Porter’s Five Forces or stakeholder mapping. We’d discuss why the framework existed, where it added value and how it […]
Procurement Strategy Outsourcing: When the Strategic Brain Sits Outside the Business Not every business needs a Chief Procurement Officer. Most need a procurement strategy. There’s a common misconception that if your business doesn’t have a Chief Procurement Officer, you’ll either need to hire one or accept that procurement is simply transactional. In reality, there’s a […]
The Real Cost of Not Having a Procurement Lead Procurement isn’t a cost. Not having it is. Most SMEs never make a conscious decision to operate without procurement leadership. It just happens. The Managing Director is focused on winning new business. The Finance Director is juggling cash flow. Department managers buy what they need when […]
Procurement Maturity: The Four Stages Most SMEs Go Through Most business owners don’t wake up thinking about procurement maturity. They notice something else first. Supplier costs keep creeping up. Contracts renew without challenge. Different departments buy the same products or services from different suppliers. Nobody is quite sure when key agreements expire. The natural reaction […]
From Theory to Action: Building a Procurement Strategy You Can Actually Use Most procurement professionals can describe the four quadrant model. Far fewer can tell you what they did with it on Monday morning. That gap, between understanding a model and running your category off the back of it, is where a lot of procurement […]
ESG Is No Longer a Side Project, Procurement Is Now Driving It Procurement and ESG are now far more closely connected than most organisations realise. The latest CIPS Global State of Procurement & Supply 2026 Report shows procurement is increasingly becoming the function responsible for delivering ESG commitments across supplier networks and operational supply chains. […]
CFO + Procurement: The Dream Team for Fixing Margins Procurement cost reduction is becoming a bigger priority for CFOs and finance teams as margins tighten and operating costs continue to rise. Most businesses do not suddenly lose margin overnight. It usually happens gradually. Supplier increases creep in. Contracts renew without challenge. Different departments buy the […]
Everything Looked Fine… Until It Didn’t I recently carried out a desktop due diligence review ahead of a supplier onboarding decision. On the surface, everything stacked up. UK registered company. Active status. No sanctions or adverse media. A professional-looking website positioning the business as an established industrial supplier. At a glance, most would move forward. […]
How a UK Virtual Procurement Team Reduces Costs and Improves Efficiency Why a UK virtual procurement team is becoming essential A UK virtual procurement team is becoming a practical solution for businesses with procurement leadership in place but limited delivery capacity. Many organisations have a Head of Procurement, but no team to execute. Procurement exists, […]