Skills development for global procurement management

Background

This international FMCG had been undergoing major structural and executive changes as part of a global programme designed to accelerate financial business performance as compared with top quartile peers.

Internal attitude surveys had highlighted the need for procurement leadership development and up-skilling. Future Purchasing was invited to design a ‘best in class’ programme to “upgrade knowledge and skills far beyond where the company is today”.

Challenge

• Design an integrated programme aligned to the company’s ‘Wheel of Excellence’ and global academy structure.
• Expose procurement and category leaders to breakthrough applications and sophisticated tools and skills.
• Internal leadership and competence standards to be applied.
• Appropriate balance between technical and behavioural focus.

FP Approach

• Design the workshop structure, content and learning approaches. This was achieved through a mixture of internal materials and our external input.
• Joint delivery of a series of workshops to fully embed the purchasing management standards across the global procurement team. This included the core purchasing tools, strategic sourcing models and the use of a customised case study to aid learning
• Develop and deliver an advanced skills workshop for the global leadership team. Topics included shareholder value & financial frameworks, the balance between operational excellence & strategic impact, financial performance impact & business needs, advanced procurement cost management, transformational levers in supplier value management and leadership & business implications

Benefits Delivered

• Adoption of consistent standards
• Upgraded knowledge of the Procurement team
• Mind set change & advanced breakthroughs
• Skills development in value maximisation & cost minimisation tools and technique