Buyersmeetpoint

Today Buyers Meeting Point welcomes James Bouchard as our guest. James is the VP of Operations for MedPricer, a purchased services platform dedicated to the needs of the healthcare industry. He is responsible for the global delivery and operations of Medpricer’s sourcing services and technical operations and creating Medpricer’s incumbent-focused ISN™ process. One of the key components of better managed purchased services is the benchmarking of current rates – something James and the MedPricer team have invested significant effort in. James recently authored a multi part blog series titles Why Most Purchased Service Benchmarks Don’t Work & What You Can Do About It. You can read Part I and Part II on the MedPricer blog. In this conversation we discuss, What people typically refer to as benchmarks and how they sometimes fall short of accomplishing their intended purposeThe factors that need to be addressed by a benchmark for it to be representative?When happens when poor benchmarks are used - even with the

Today Buyers Meeting Point welcomes back Michael Robertson, CEO of POD Procurement and the author of The POD Model: The mutually-beneficial model for buyers and suppliers which enables an increase in profit through commercial collaboration. Previously, Mike came on BMP Radio to discuss his book and the model in general. Today, Mike is back so we can explore a topic that emerged during our last conversation: how procurement communicates about contracts. He has also written about this topic in response to a recent IACCM report on LinkedIn. In this conversation we discuss: The true size and scale of the opportunity that exists for procurement teams who can learn to better articulate their true value to the business.The importance of seeing all value created - whether through contracts or otherwise - through the eyes of those we are creating it for rather than through our own more narrow perspective.The clear action steps procurement professionals can take today to ensure the proper contract type is used in each

Today Buyers Meeting Point welcomes Dr. Alan Holland as our guest. Alan is the CEO of Keelvar Systems and holds a PhD in Computer Science. He is an expert in e-commerce, procurement and optimization and has been working with the Keelvar team to expand the rollout of highly innovative and disruptive technologies for procurement. Keelvar recently sponsored a Sourcing Innovation whitepaper titled Optimization: Higher Adoption is Where True Value Lies. The whitepaper challenges many of the traditionally held notions about optimization within procurement. In this conversation we discuss: The fact that the time has come when procurement needs to see optimization as a requirements for more than just transportation events and location-based services. The useability improvements that have been made by today's optimization solutions, and how they align with the expectations of an increasingly 'digital' user base.When in the sourcing process procurement should begin to leverage the capabilities of optimization.

Today Buyers Meeting Point welcomes Joanna Martinez as our guest. Joanna is the Principal at Supply Chain Advisors and an experienced procurement professional. She has led procurement transformation projects at Johnson & Johnson, Diageo, AllianceBernstein, and Cushman & Wakefield, just to name a few. I recently had an opportunity to hear Joanna speak at ISM-New York’s annual conference about Disruption in Procurement: The Shift from Savings-Driven to Value Driven. Her message, and the stories she shares from her experience, bear repeating and should be heard by as wide a procurement audience as possible. In this conversation we discuss: The largely untapped potential that exists for procurement to address risk in the supply chain and in business in generalWhat it means for procurement to "change the conversation" and why doing so is importantWhat to do when procurement reaches the point where we have driven out the majority of the costs, but still have further opportunity to create value

Today Buyers Meeting Point welcomes Mike Robertson as our guest. Mike is the CEO of POD Procurement, a procurement and contract management consulting company with over 30 years' experience negotiating and managing commercial agreements in both public and private sectors. Mike is a strategic adviser, speaker, and author on business, procurement and contract management issues. He recently published a book titled The POD Model: The mutually-beneficial model for buyers and suppliers which enables an increase in profit through commercial collaboration. I recently reviewed the book on Buyers Meeting Point (click here to read it). In this interview we discuss, The fact that contracts in general – and pricing models in particular – have not kept up with the times.Whether an increased focus on managing risk requires procurement to change their internal engagement model, staying actively involved in supplier relationships long after the contract has been signed.The similarities and differences between the public and pr

Today Buyers Meeting Point welcomes Charles Dominick as our guest. Charles is the Founder, President, and Chief Procurement Officer of the Next Level Purchasing Association (NLPA). He has authored most of the NLPA’s online courses and is the mastermind behind the Senior Professional in Supply Management (SPSM) family of certifications, which are earned in over 90 countries. Charles is also the co-author of the book, “The Procurement Game Plan: Winning Strategies and Techniques for Supply Management Professionals.” The Next Level Purchasing Association recently released their 6th Annual Purchasing & Supply Management Salary Report – and compensation is something everyone in procurement can agree is a topic of great interest. In this conversation we discuss: What the 'One Big Number' - or global average salary - was for 2016 and how that compares to other years.What new analytical dimension the NLPA applied to the 2016 salary data.What the 2016 survey revealed regarding the relative compensation of male and

Today Buyers Meeting Point welcomes two guests: Anya McKenna is the Marketing Manager for Market Dojo, an eSourcing provider based in the UK. Ed Cross is the co-founder of Odesma, a business advisory firm also based in the UK. Anya and Ed have recently published a couple of posts that take a bold and honest look at business technology in general, but with a particular focus on procurement technology. Part 1 and Part 2 of Are Procurement Professionals Stuck in the Stone Age? are available on the Secret Diary of Market Dojo blog. In this interview we discuss: Why there does not appear to be a huge demand amongst B2B customers to secure simpler easier systems. Why we should start to expect that our SiaS - Software IS a Service - rather than an opportunity for providers to sell consulting services on top of licenses.The role that big analyst firms play in B2B technology comparisons, and whether big tech, emergent tech, analysts, and users can achieve alignment.The extent two which solutions like Uber, Amazon Busi

Today Buyers Meeting Point welcomes Tania Seary as our guest. Tania is something of a serial entrepreneur, founding several new procurement organizations: The Faculty, one of Australia’s leading advisors on procurement development, The Source, a specialist recruitment firm for the procurement profession, and Procurious, the world’s first online community for procurement professionals. In fact, Procurious recently celebrated a major milestone, welcoming their ten thousandth member. In this interview, Tania discusses: How a combined passion for procurement and entrepreneurship led to the founding of ProcuriousThe unique requirements of today's procurement professionalsThe soft skills required to benefit from and contribute to a thriving virtual community

Today Buyers Meeting Point welcomes Andrew Bartolini as our guest. Andrew is the Managing Partner and Chief Research Officer at research firm Ardent Partners, but you probably know him just as well for his work on the CPO Rising blog and annual research reports. In fact, it is the CPO Rising Summit coming up on March 29th and 30th in Boston, Massachusetts he joins us today to discuss. This event will bring together global procurement leaders to network, share experiences, and learn best practices from the brightest minds in the industry. In this interview, learn more about: What the event's theme - Procurement Agility in the Age of Innovation - means for procurement leaders and organizationsThe event's prominent list of speakers and participants - including CPOs from notable companies in a wide range of industriesWhy it is important for procurement professionals to attend in-person learning and networking events in today's virtual culture To register for the 2016 CPO Rising Summit, click here and use discount

Today Buyers Meeting Point welcomes Jennifer Engel as our guest. Jennifer is a Supply Chain Analyst at Source One Management Services, where she is responsible for developing and executing sourcing events to optimize supply chain spend and operations. Over the last few weeks, Jennifer has contributed two guest posts to Buyers Meeting Point – both on the topic of supply chain diversity. They can be accessed here: Part 1: Making the Case for a More Diverse Supply Chain Part 2: Making the Case for a More Diverse Supply Chain: Supplier Evaluation

Today Buyers Meeting Point welcomes Dr. Tom DePaoli as our guest. Dr. Tom is the Management Program Director at Marian University in Wisconsin as well as the Principal of Apollo Solutions which does general business consulting in the human resources, supply chain and lean six sigma areas. Dr. Tom has worked for over 10 major companies and consulted for over 50 organizations throughout his career. He is the author of Common Sense Purchasing, Common Sense Supply Management, and Kaizen Kreativity. He recently released a new book, Avoiding a Supply Chain Apocalypse: The Best of Dr. Tom’s Advice, and that is what he joins us today to discuss. For anyone interested in learning more about Dr. Tom's books, visit his author page on Amazon or read the following reviews on Buyers Meeting Point: Common Sense PurchasingCommon Sense Supply ManagementKaizen Kreativity (Oops!)Broken Windows Management in BusinessAvoiding a Supply Chain Apocalypse

Today Buyers Meeting Point welcomes Dawn Tiura as our guest. Dawn is the President and CEO of Sourcing Industry Group (SIG), a leading membership organization for sourcing, procurement and outsourcing executives. Dawn has over 26 years of leadership experience, and the past 22 years of that have been focused on sourcing and outsourcing. In 2007, Dawn joined SIG as CEO, but she has been active in SIG as a speaker and trusted advisor since 1999, bringing the latest developments in sourcing and outsourcing to SIG members. Earlier this month, SIG announced their acquisition of Outsource Magazine, founded in 2005 and steadily growing in terms of audience numbers and geographical reach since then.  If you are interested in more information: Visit the Sourcing Industry Group websiteCheck out Outsource MagazineRead the press release about the acquisition

Today Buyers Meeting Point welcomes Donna Wilczek, Coupa’s VP of Strategy and Product Marketing, as our guest. Donna has over fifteen years experience in SaaS product companies in roles across product management, services, marketing and sales working with customers ranging from Fortune 100 to mid-enterprise. Her current role at Coupa is focused on product strategy and marketing; bringing innovative product solutions to the market that solve global spend management business challenges. Coupa recently announced a partnership with Amazon Business that will give Coupa customers access to millions of suppliers and hundreds of millions of products available through the Amazon Business marketplace. Click here to read more about the Coupa Amazon Business partnership.

Today Buyers Meeting Point welcomes Professor Samir Dani, the author of “Food Supply Chain Management and Logistics: From Farm to Fork.”  Professor Dani is the Head of Logistics, Operations and Hospitality Management at the University of Huddersfield. He has experience working on projects related to food supply chain risks, food sustainability and food value chains. Professor Dani has published widely and has presented to both academic and practitioner audiences. Most recently, his book received the Prix des Associations award at the Procurement Authors Awards ceremony in Paris for its comprehensive coverage of the design, governance, supporting mechanisms and future challenges in the food supply chain. You can read a review of Food Supply Chain Management and Logistics on Buyers Meeting Point. You may also be interested in reading Professor Dani's recent writing on the Kogan Page Blog:  Food Crime and Safety– Supply Chains Biggest Threat?Food Waste – Focus on the Complete Supply Chain, Not Only the Consumer

Today Buyers Meeting Point welcomes Robert Mason and Barry Evans, co-authors of the book ‘The Lean Supply Chain: Managing the Challenge at Tesco. It was published in September of 2015 and you can read my review on Buyers Meeting Point.  Barry Evans spent time working at Tesco as a Lean Process Manager where he developed ways in which lean thinking could be applied to Tesco’s supply chain.  He has also joined the Lean Enterprise Research Centre at Cardiff Business School as a Senior Research Associate. Robert Mason is a Senior Lecturer in Logistics and Operations Management at Cardiff Business School and has led many business research projects with Tesco as a partner. In this conversation we discuss: The lessons learned at Tesco that the business leaders of today and tomorrow should embraceWhat having a 'lean supply chain' means in grocery retailThe changes being seen in consumer behavior today and what businesses need to do in response You may also be interested in reading 'Key Trends Transforming the Food Re

Today Buyers Meeting Point welcomes Kate Vitasek as our guest. Kate is a well known and respected authority on highly collaborative win-win relationships based on her award winning research and the Vested Outsourcing business model. Kate has written six books and is a faculty member at the University of Tennessee. She has been recognized by World Trade Magazine as one of the “Fabulous 50+1” most influential people impacting global commerce. Kate is a contributor for Forbes magazine and has been featured on CNN International, Bloomberg, NPR, and Fox Business News. She recently marked the release of her newest book, “Strategic Sourcing in the New Economy: Harnessing the Potential of Sourcing Business models for Modern Procurement.” For more information on the VestedWay and related open source materials, click here. In this conversation, we discuss: The commonly known business models and frameworks that procurement must be willing to let go ofWhether 'old' strategic sourcing is a procurement problem or a symptom

Today Buyers Meeting Point welcomes two members of the Source One Management Services team. Tracey Horrocks recently wrote a post on How to Successfully Break up with Your Incumbent Supplier. Tracey is a Senior Project Analyst with years of experience in procurement and strategic sourcing in an array of categories including Professional Services, Marketing, and Facilities Maintenance. Tracey serves as a pundit for developing RFPs and executing strategic sourcing strategies. Diego de la Garza is a Senior Project Manager and a regularly sourced pundit for sourcing issues in Latin America. As Senior Project Manager, he leads a team of internal resources in the development of strategies to reduce costs and increase service levels for clients; tasks that benefit from his abilities with complex analytics and subject matter expertise in areas ranging from professional services, to MRO, to finance. In this conversation we discuss: How procurement can prepare to have the best possible breakup conversationWhat to do wh

** Update: On December 7th, The Procurement Value Proposition received the Grand Prix ACA Bruel award at the Plumes des Achats ceremony in Paris. For more information on the award and other recognized titles, click here. Congratulations to both authors! **   Today Buyers Meeting Point welcomes Gerard Chick and Dr. Robert Handfield the co-authors of The Procurement Value Proposition: The Rise of Supply Management. Gerard is the Chief Knowledge Officer at Optimum Procurement Group and Rob is the Bank of America University Distinguished Professor of Supply Chain Management at the North Carolina State University Poole College of Management, and director of the Supply Chain Resource Cooperative. Since being published in 2014, The Procurement Value Proposition has quickly become one of the most referenced books in our profession. Click here to read Kelly Barner's review of the book on Buyers Meeting Point. In November, The Procurement Value Proposition was shortlisted for The 2015 Procurement Author Awards in Paris

Today Buyers Meeting Point welcomes two guests from Wake Forest University: Dr. Jim Narus and Dr. Michelle Steward. They have been conducting research into the role of social media in procurement since this summer and have some results to share with us. In this conversation, they share some of the results and conclusions from their research, including: Some of the trends being seen in the B2C 'customer journey' are relevant to B2B customers as well.Procurement is spending more time using technology at the beginning and end of the process - supplier evaluation and management - than during the middle of the process.Leading procurement adopters of digital technology are most likely to be new or in tech-savvy industries. Dr. Jim Narus serves as a Research Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Business Markets at Pennsylvania State University. Professor Narus is involved in a variety of international marketing research projects and also regularly teaches abroad. He has worked as a marketing professor at Wake Fo

Today Buyers Meeting Point welcomes Ed Berger, a Sales Executive at Nipendo, as our guest. Ed has a long history in the procurement and spend management solution space and has seen a number of significant changes in the technology as well as the companies that leverage it. In this conversation, we'll talk about: How procurement technology has had to change in response to the recognition of how important collaboration with suppliers is to value creationThe replacement of serial integration with platform or centralized integrationAutomation as an exciting new dynamic in the field of procurement Click here to read Nipendo's recently released ebook on '5 Keys to Scaling Supplier Collaboration'. You may also be interested in reading 'You are Only as Strong as Your Supply Chain' by Nipendo CEO Eyal Rosenberg.