PROCUREMENT TRAINING

Procurement training has evolved over the last decade both in publicly available courses and in-house corporate training. There are foundation courses available for entry level staff through to leadership skills training for Chief Procurement Officers. There are new competencies that are needed for future success and new task areas where additional skills will be needed. Training is available in these important areas:

• Supplier Relationship Management. Interaction between suppliers, your company and your customers is vital to a streamlined supply chain and building sustainable relationships will ensure continuity of supply.
• Cost reduction methodologies and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). It is increasingly obvious that the first cost of an item is not fully reflective of the full cost over the useful life of the item. The ability to break down the “should-cost” of an item or commodity can be taught.
• Supplier Evaluation, Quality and Development. Supplier partnerships and relationship building will be key to keeping competitive. Evaluating suppliers on responsiveness to customer complaints, on-time delivery, rejected or substandard items, fulfilling warranties and other quality measures is a requirement which needs to be recorded and managed
• Setting Key Performance Indicators for Suppliers. Only events and activities that can be measured can be managed. Training on how to manage supplier performance through the setting of targets for the supplier is available and can be customized to the commodity being sourced.
• E-Procurement. Reverse auctions are being used extensively for repetitive items using an on-line bidding process on the internet. Courses are available to learn about the advantages of e-procurement and how to use the systems and methodologies that support it.
• Contract management. Often, this is an area that is poorly understood by procurement professionals and legal support is brought in to assist. Learning and understanding more about different contracting methods saves time and money for organizations.
• With the advert of low cost country sourcing and increasing trade across borders, training is needed on issues relating to language, currencies and cultural norms. In addition, financial literacy is increasingly needed as international trade financing and importing can be quite complex.

Programs can be designed for internal use within your company and customized to suit your company's needs with "tailor-made" training sessions. Advanced training can cover elements such as supplier selection, operational and sourcing key performance indicators, cost reduction methodologies, contract development and low cost country sourcing. Procurement training can cover both traditional procure-to-pay operations as well as strategic sourcing.

Supply Chain Training

Superior supply chain training is widely available internationally, either delivered in open public courses or customized specifically for corporate in-house use. You are advised to research carefully what is available making sure that the organization you select for training has the expertise in the functions that you require.

A vital element in the supply chain is purchasing, also called sourcing or procurement, where it is recommended that aspiring professionals study up to an advanced level. Training in this field covers the whole range of competencies in purchasing including supplier selection, cost reduction techniques, and contracting. New trends that are of topical interest can be structured into a course that will address specific issues for your company such as:

• Low cost country sourcing from China, India etc.
• Understanding Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of a commodity
• Using e-procurement (on-line bidding) to create efficiencies
• New supplier evaluation and on-going supplier development
• Supplier management and performance monitoring (KPIs)

Many academies and universities supply educational opportunities in supply chain. However, to access the latest thinking and understand the up-to-date technologies available it is advisable to find an established and knowledgeable supply chain training consultancy that has specific experience and skill that it can apply to your industry or your geographic region. Some aspects of the supply chain are quite technical and need experts to explain certain applications and processes. In-house training can be developed to assist with value analysis and innovation within the entire supply chain, from the early stages of forecasting and planning through to manufacturing, warehouse management, inventory control and logistics.

Leadership training is as important in supply chain as any other business functional area. To be a supply chain manager or director means that you have to learn how to integrate all aspects of the supply chain to deliver optimum performance. Some of the competencies that will be sought after in the supply chain function in the future will be technology-based so I.T. skills will be key. People with experience in computer simulation, financial modeling and statistical analysis will attract a premium.

The global marketplace is changing rapidly and supply chain professionals need to understand their customers, both internal and external as well as their suppliers. Working across many countries and regions of the world using the new connectivity provides challenges not known a decade ago. Training can be structured to address cultural and language issues to enhance communication in your company. It is important to work with a professional and specialist supply chain training company that can fulfill your particular needs.