SIG Speaks Blog

This Month at SIG – November 2022

Here's your monthly update on the latest thought leadership, networking events and training with SIG.

With inflation challenges and a looming recession, we have the resources procurement leaders need to get a jump start on 2023!


November Microlearning Event

On November 9, Angela Easterwood from Majel Partners and Elizabeth Zucker from The Hackett Group, will share how flawless category management can be leveraged to address today’s dynamic sourcing challenges. 

Join your sourcing, procurement, and risk management colleagues in this two-hour interactive virtual environment to be challenged with topics related to our industries!

 

Northeastern Regional SIGnature Event

SIG's Northeastern Regional SIGnature event is almost here! The event will take place in Toronto, CA and includes a fantastic agenda with some of the best thought leaders in the industry. The day will include an Executive Roundtable, General Session Speakers (offering training and practical, implementable tools), CPO Presentations, Analyst Overviews, SIG Talks and close with a networking happy hour.

Join us for this great day of networking and learning!

 
 
 

Power Hour Webinars

Analytics + Action = Results

Join LogicSource, Inc. and OneMarket's Jo Seed, Marissa Lindquist and Mark Flowers as they discuss the untapped value of an organization's data and empowering procurement teams!

Desmond Williams, Digital Marketing Manager

Due Diligence is Due

Image of Third-Party Risk Management

SIG University Certified Third-Party Risk Management Professional (C3PRMP) program graduate Jamie Huntington shares her thoughts on why Due Diligence is so essential in the third-party risk management process.

Jamie Huntington, Supplier Diversity & Development Manager, Black Hills Energy

Why Does Each Step of Buyer-Vendor Relation Require Governance

Image of Vendor Relations

SIG University Certified Supplier Management Professional (CSMP) program graduate Grzegorz A. Pioruński shares a different perspective on how to implement modern governance into a supplier-vendor relationship.


Some years ago, I heard someone who had not been exposed to significant processes and had no chance to consider all industry connections of a business event say: “Why must present-day everything be a project? This is just a task to do.” These words are the opposite of how I see modern governance in business and risk management.

If you take a closer look, anything we do is a kind of project, smaller or larger, but on nearly every occasion, we plan action, steps, workflow, risk, and expected outcome. Whether or not we are aware of this, this is a fact. Even such a simple task as going to a store to purchase a loaf of bread can be described as a project.

We do plan when to go (the store must be open), what to wear outdoors (depending on weather conditions), we do plan to have some money in our pocket (enough to pay, and not too much “just in case”), we do try crossing roads safely, we do expect to return home with the said bread. The deeper you consider it, the more details and sub-tasks you can recognize. Sometimes you do this on your own; on other occasions, you may like involving other stakeholders, whomever it may mean.

The same strategy we shall apply in business. The more critical the process or, the more significant business it is, the more risky your operation may be, and the more carefully you should prepare, perform and govern the project.

Grzegorz A. Pioruński, Vice President Financial Services, BNY Mellon

7 Creative Hiring Strategies to Build Your Procurement Team

7 Creative Hiring Strategies for Building Your Procurement Team

As a procurement professional, you know that talent in procurement has been a hot topic in recent years. Here at WNS-Denali, we have seen more organizations grapple with talent issues, so we decided to dive deeper into the key talent concerns for retail companies at SIG’s Global Executive Summit a little while back.

>>Looking for a new job or to hire top procurement talent? Visit SIG's Career Network!<< 

The all-star packed panel with procurement leaders from some of the largest retail brands in the world came together to such questions as:

  • How does your hiring profile differ now and why? 

  • Where are you finding your talent? 

  • What are you looking for in new hires? 

  • Specialist or generalist, which is a better hiring strategy for your team?

Even if you work at a company beyond the retail industry, these questions and the learnings from the panel still apply to your company. As you strive to gain a competitive advantage and influence more spend strategically, refreshing your approach to talent can make a big impact. Below are the top seven creative hiring strategies that came from our panel of retail experts.

Hire from within

This classic retail trick applies to all industries. Promoting from other areas of business up into a corporate role brings a wealth of knowledge and perspective on the core business and ability to relate to stakeholders. Most importantly, it will add a level of credibility to your procurement team.

David Gonzalez, Director, Procurement Services, Denali - A WNS Company

Next Level Automation

Image of Automation

SIG University Certified Intelligent Automation Professional (CIAP) program graduate Ian Hrydziuszko discusses how the seperate stages of next level automation can be extremely useful to your organization.

Ian Hrydziuszko, Digitization Lead, Quantum Work Advisory

Implementing Procurement Initiatives

Image of Procurement Initiatives

SIG University Certified Sourcing Professional (CSP) program graduate Laurie Kuecker discusses how procurement leaders must change and adapt their processes to better fit their industry.

Laurie Kuecker, Manager of Corporate Procurement, American Honda Motor Co. Inc.

How Procurement Must Evolve to Control Risk

procurement and risk

If you've been to the grocery store in the last couple of months, you may have noticed that your total costs are far higher than before. Prices on items like food, housing, gasoline, and utilities have risen by over 9.1% over the last 12 months – a 40-year record, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.

Why is everything so expensive?

A lot is working against the global economy: 

  • Covid-19 continues to affect manufacturing and logistics around the world. 
  • The war in Ukraine continues to have an impact, especially on grain production for much of Europe. 
  • The U.K. is facing unprecedented increases in energy price caps.

These combined events are the perfect recipe for supply chain shortages and drastic price increases.

All eyes on procurement

Businesses are facing uncertainties unlike ever before, causing CEOs to look closely at what is happening behind the scenes. Procurement is under scrutiny with central purchasing being pushed into organizations' spotlight.

One such question being asked of procurement is, "Do we have approved alternative sources of supply in place?" Building a diverse supply chain is key but not always easy. 

You might source goods or ingredients from various vendors for a product you manufacture. Still, all it takes is one ingredient to be delayed because of rigorous testing, approval processes, or even that supplier's supply chain for the whole operation to halt.

Daniel Heinefeldt, VP S2P Suite, Medius

This Month at SIG – September 2022

Here's your monthly update on the latest thought leadership, networking events and training with SIG.

As procurement leaders continue to navigate varying crises of 2022, we have a host of events and resources on deck to keep your team at the forefront of best practices!


Global Executive Summit

Prepare yourself and your team for the future of sourcing at the SIG PGlobal Executive Summit October 17-19, 2022! 

Get ready for amazing keynote sessions, a chance to engage and learn from the brightest industry experts, speed networking, and experience live solution deep-dives from best-in-class providers. Registration is open now!

 

Western Regional SIGnature Event

SIG's Western Regional SIGnature event is almost here! The event will take place in Bellevue, WA and includes a fantastic agenda with some of the best thought leaders in the industry. The day will include an Executive Roundtable, General Session Speakers (offering training and practical, implementable tools), CPO Presentations, Analyst Overviews, SIG Talks and close with a networking happy hour.

Join us for this great day of networking and learning!

Desmond Williams, Digital Marketing Manager

Recap of CPO & Executive Virtual Series with Aarete

Supply Chain Diversity and Sustainability

Recently, SIG had the pleasure of hosting AArete experts Tyler Higgins, Gaurav Joshi and John Marchisin and Duane Elmore, Chief Procurement Officer at The Pennsylvania State University for the July CPO & Executive Virtual Series. It was a very engaging discussion that lasted nearly two hours with tons of excellent takeaways. Let’s get into it!

Adapting Your Supply Chain for Diversity and Sustainability

The team kicked off the day discussing what has driven the rise of corporate ESG priorities. There are seven areas that they highlighted to explain this increase:

  • Company Culture
  • Employee Engagement
  • Investor Activism
  • Policy & Regulation
  • Access to Capital
  • Financial Benefits
  • Consumer Demand 

These competing priorities oftentimes lead to many different approaches to accomplishing ESG initiatives. The Aarete team then walked through different approaches and experiences of ESG initiatives. They also shared successful diversity & sustainability programs. From Starbucks to The University of Penn, there are numerous ways to have success.

How to Transform the Buying Process 

Companies across all industries are setting ESG goals, and procurement leaders are at the forefront of executing those goals. Procurement leaders must balance these goals along with supply chain continuity during an inflationary environment. Having a ESG framework and a supplier diversity strategy is fundamental to transforming the buying process. Most organizations are challenged to find the right suppliers that can meet sustainability and supplier diversity goals. By incorporating KPIs for procurement, suppliers and adoption, you set the ESG goals up for long-term success.

Desmond Williams, Digital Marketing Manager

This Month at SIG – August 2022

Here's your monthly update on the latest thought leadership, networking events and training with SIG.

As procurement leaders continue to navigate varying crises of 2022, we have a host of events and resources on deck to keep your team at the forefront of best practices!


August Microlearning Event

SIG's On May 18, TD Bank experts, Associate Vice President Michele Wesseling and Head of Cyber Controls Testing Neha Mudalgikar, as they explore cyber risk in today's constantly evolving landscape. 

Join your sourcing, procurement, and risk management colleagues in this two-hour interactive virtual environment to be challenged with topics related to our industries!

 
 

Global Executive Summit

Prepare yourself and your team for the future of sourcing at the SIG PGlobal Executive Summit October 17-19, 2022! 

Get ready for amazing keynote sessions, a chance to engage and learn from the brightest industry experts, speed networking, and experience live solution deep-dives from best-in-class providers. Registration is open now!

 

Western Regional SIGnature Event

SIG's Western Regional SIGnature event is almost here! The event will take place in Bellevue, WA and includes a fantastic agenda with some of the best thought leaders in the industry. The day will include an Executive Roundtable, General Session Speakers (offering training and practical, implementable tools), CPO Presentations, Analyst Overviews, SIG Talks and close with a networking happy hour.

Desmond Williams, Digital Marketing Manager

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