Blog

Many, many articles have been published in past weeks, all attempting to assess the current crisis and foresee future impact. 

From politicians, economists, supply chain experts, Big 4 consultants and Futurists like Gerd Leonhard (very interesting), it is easy to feel overwhelmed and confused. 

In these days of isolation and social distancing, we all need some positive thoughts and actions.  In a series of blogs over the next few weeks Insider Pro will suggest ideas for new ways of working and planning for the future. 

When I tell people that my passion is procurement, most people move on to ask the person next to me what they do for a living. A few others ask questions about the biggest tender I have ever dealt with, or how I feel about supermarkets bullying tactics with food growers and the like.

The uninitiated think that as procurement professionals we spend our time creating tender documents and beating up suppliers on price.

In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

Our approach is VERY different.

Procurement consultants aren't usually challenged with driving business innovation.

More likely, they are charged with reducing the bottom line financial figures.

As we enter a new year, its a great time to reflect on past progress and try to predict what the future might hold.

A lot has been written about how the Internet of Things (IOT) and other innovations will impact supply chains. In recent times we've seen some significant supply chain innovations that help reduce cost, increase velocity and generally smooth logistical aspects of the supply chain.

But what about innovation in the supply chain?  Harnessing innovation in the supply chain can lead to all kinds of possibilities from highly competitive new product offerings through to business growth.