Coming in at 130 pages, you might immediately think that this isn't a paper or a report; it's a book.
I know that was my first thought when I began reading the GEP Spend Category Outlook Report For 2022. Just as an aside, did you know that between 2011 and 2017, the average length of a bestselling book fell by 42%? Since then, and with the demand on our time becoming greater, I am sure that the length reduction has continued its downward trend.
By the way, a 2022 report indicates that the same downward trend applied to white papers, which, on average, are now 6 to 8 pages.
So, why am I with this latest paper talking about the number of pages versus the actual content – which is amazing?
My reason is that reviewing this report shouldn’t be a “read once and done” exercise.
The Ultimate Nightstand Guide
In today's Zettabyte digital reality, we are bombarded with content so much so that if you read a book or a paper, you are likely to gather what you can and then move on to the next resource – which is fair.
However, sometimes the information you receive is so on the mark that it is worth setting aside to a special place so that you can easily access its insights any day, every day. What I am talking about is a guidebook. And this latest GEP release is just that – it is a handy guidebook that you will want to keep at your fingertips to understand better the challenges you have or are facing today and the ones you will be facing tomorrow.
Having read it in its entirety, I can confidently say that it will help you get ahead of the curve of future challenging events before they unfold. Through the agility of its timely insights and the practical adaptability of its direction, you will quickly move from a reactive to a proactive position. It is the epitome of turning information into actionable knowledge.
My Key Takeaways
Starting with the Executive Summary, the guide provides a concise outline of the critical areas it addresses, including the key risks impacting supply chains and changing workforce priorities to sustainability and technological disruption.
Once you have reviewed the summary, the guide then delves deeper into these impact areas in two distinct category sections: Direct Spend and Indirect Spend. In short, it touches all the bases while enabling you to zero in on those specific categories with which you have the greatest interest or immediate concern.
This innovative format makes it a unique guide because it doesn't require a full end-to-end read for you to come away with something tangible in the way of actionable knowledge.
A Global Perspective
In addition to a worldwide pandemic, the recent geopolitical instability resulting from the war in Ukraine reminds us that our knowledge must reflect a perspective that is both regionally relevant and globally significant.
More than 100 globally dispersed industry thought leaders contributed their expertise and experience to this comprehensive guide. This breadth of contributors means that you will see the collective world through the broadest possible lens of understanding. As a result, you will be in a better and stronger position to identify and implement the right course of action that is uniquely effective for your organization.
Mary Zampino, Vice President – Content, Research & Analytics
Mary Zampino is the Vice President – Content, Research & Analytics at SIG and has over 20 years of experience in information technology and over 15 years of experience in sourcing. Prior to joining SIG, Mary worked at Enporion, where she was responsible for the analysis, configuration, execution and award evaluation for over one thousand sourcing events, across a diverse range of direct and indirect categories. Mary is committed to customer service and considers information sharing and usability the top priorities for any project or organization. Mary holds a Bachelor's Degree in Information Science from the Florida State University and has completed certifications in Health Information Technology and Requirements Gathering.
Coming in at 130 pages, you might immediately think that this isn't a paper or a report; it's a book.
I know that was my first thought when I began reading the GEP Spend Category Outlook Report For 2022. Just as an aside, did you know that between 2011 and 2017, the average length of a bestselling book fell by 42%? Since then, and with the demand on our time becoming greater, I am sure that the length reduction has continued its downward trend.
By the way, a 2022 report indicates that the same downward trend applied to white papers, which, on average, are now 6 to 8 pages.
So, why am I with this latest paper talking about the number of pages versus the actual content – which is amazing?
My reason is that reviewing this report shouldn’t be a “read once and done” exercise.
The Ultimate Nightstand Guide
In today's Zettabyte digital reality, we are bombarded with content so much so that if you read a book or a paper, you are likely to gather what you can and then move on to the next resource – which is fair.
However, sometimes the information you receive is so on the mark that it is worth setting aside to a special place so that you can easily access its insights any day, every day. What I am talking about is a guidebook. And this latest GEP release is just that – it is a handy guidebook that you will want to keep at your fingertips to understand better the challenges you have or are facing today and the ones you will be facing tomorrow.
Having read it in its entirety, I can confidently say that it will help you get ahead of the curve of future challenging events before they unfold. Through the agility of its timely insights and the practical adaptability of its direction, you will quickly move from a reactive to a proactive position. It is the epitome of turning information into actionable knowledge.
My Key Takeaways
Starting with the Executive Summary, the guide provides a concise outline of the critical areas it addresses, including the key risks impacting supply chains and changing workforce priorities to sustainability and technological disruption.
Once you have reviewed the summary, the guide then delves deeper into these impact areas in two distinct category sections: Direct Spend and Indirect Spend. In short, it touches all the bases while enabling you to zero in on those specific categories with which you have the greatest interest or immediate concern.
This innovative format makes it a unique guide because it doesn't require a full end-to-end read for you to come away with something tangible in the way of actionable knowledge.
A Global Perspective
In addition to a worldwide pandemic, the recent geopolitical instability resulting from the war in Ukraine reminds us that our knowledge must reflect a perspective that is both regionally relevant and globally significant.
More than 100 globally dispersed industry thought leaders contributed their expertise and experience to this comprehensive guide. This breadth of contributors means that you will see the collective world through the broadest possible lens of understanding. As a result, you will be in a better and stronger position to identify and implement the right course of action that is uniquely effective for your organization.
Mary Zampino is the Vice President – Content, Research & Analytics at SIG and has over 20 years of experience in information technology and over 15 years of experience in sourcing. Prior to joining SIG, Mary worked at Enporion, where she was responsible for the analysis, configuration, execution and award evaluation for over one thousand sourcing events, across a diverse range of direct and indirect categories. Mary is committed to customer service and considers information sharing and usability the top priorities for any project or organization. Mary holds a Bachelor's Degree in Information Science from the Florida State University and has completed certifications in Health Information Technology and Requirements Gathering.