This month our clocks spring forward and we gain an extra hour of daylight. To make the most of that extra hour, consider attending a networking event, thought leadership webinar or exploring SIG’s new partnership with Everest Group that brings delegates proprietary research, insights and analysis. Ready to get started?
Midwestern Regional SIGnature Event
March 6 Minneapolis Central Library
The Midwestern Regional SIGnature Event takes place at the beautiful Minneapolis Central Library on March 6. The event includes a great lineup of speakers from BB&T, Best Buy, Everest Group, Ontala and Virtual Operations who will present on topics that include third-party risk management, artificial intelligence in procurement, sourcing transformation strategies and how to buy digital platforms for your enterprise.
The event will begin with an executive roundtable for director-level and above delegates, while their teams take part in a training workshop on the fundamentals and frameworks of third-party risk management with risk expert Linda Tuck Chapman, who created the Certified Third Party Risk Management Program for SIG University.
To learn more about the day’s events, speakers, who should attend and to register you and your team, visit our website.
Edward J. Hansen brings more than 20 years of experience representing clients in technology transactions that involve significant business change. If you’ve attended a SIG Summit, then you are likely familiar with Ed and his work. In addition to being an active speaker at industry conferences, he has authored and presents the “terms and conditions” module of the SIG University certification program, regularly conducts contracting master classes (including for SIG’s Executive Immersion Program), serves on the advisory board of the Shared Services and Outsourcing Network, and is a regular guest lecturer at New York University’s Executive Master of Business Administration program.
You have a lot of experience representing clients in technology transactions. What are some examples of how technology has changed or impacted the way you approach your job?
The technology in place at any given time actually has little impact on how I approach my job. What does impact my job is the fact that the technology landscape when the deal is two years old may not be the same as it was when we went out to RFx.
I started working in the technology space in 1993 and spent almost a decade working with companies who were undertaking reengineering efforts. What I learned, mostly through trial and error, is that the process you go through in procuring and contracting for transformational technology is at least as important as the contract that emerges. Because of the velocity of change, the relationship you form during the process is often what carries the deal, and the contract has to reflect that.
Do you ever get that funny feeling in your chest, like butterflies, when you are really excited that something is about to happen? You know, when you can’t help but smile and feel a little giddy? Well, that is happening to me right now and has happened pretty much every single day since we started 2019. I am so excited about all the new changes we are bringing to SIG.
You Spoke, We Listened
I am thrilled to announce that we are going from over 35 live, networking events per year to four one-day events, while still hosting our two Global Executive Summits and Executive Immersion Training Programs (the next one is February 7 in New York City). After two years of going to cities all over the U.S. multiple times a year, you get to know the locals really, really well. And while the nearly three dozen annual events provided incredible benefits to our members, we realized that some of our “regulars” were not attending as frequently.
It's the first full week after the holidays and you've undoubtedly got a full inbox and busy schedule. Here's a run-down of the resources, events and deadlines that help SIG delegates do their jobs better.
New York City Executive Immersion Program
When: February 7, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Where: Morgan Lewis Offices, New York, New York
Our Executive Immersion Program agenda topics include contract drafting, negotiation techniques and automation in sourcing. This program is highly interactive and your team will come away with immediately implementable takeaways. Register in advance to attend.
Topics include:
Buying Technology in a Time of Disruption -- Ed Hansen, Partner, Morgan Lewis
In this workshop, paradigms will be discussed that leverage the “business value–deal process–negotiation–contract” connection; encourage sourcing, technology, and business alignment; and improve deal ROI, while minimizing and managing the risks that matter most. This program will be presented against the backdrop of complex ITO and BPO, digitization, automation, and the move to new delivery models, such as DevOps and hybrid cloud.
Innovation and transformation were dominant themes in the industry in 2018, so it only makes sense to move forward with those concepts in 2019. This month, SIG presents a new events format to help your team cultivate innovation and foster teamwork throughout 2019, enrollment is open for SIG University’s online certification programs and we have two new webinars that will help jumpstart your 2019 goals.
Save the Date for These 2019 Events
After feedback from the SIG Advisory Board, event attendees and our delegates, this year’s SIG events will follow a new format to give you and your team a fresh perspective and space to develop new strategies.
The most transformative change is the Regional SIGnature Events, which are one-day events for executives and their teams to network, swap ideas, engage in interactive discussions, participate in training workshops, and learn from industry analysts and experts who promote innovation and work to solve key challenges in the industry. Separate, concurrent roundtables for executive-level and delegate-level attendees will put you and your team in the company of peers from that region’s Fortune 500 and Global 1000 companies.
Mark your calendar for these events that break the cycle of dry, traditional training and will get your team excited and engaged.
And just like that, it’s nearly the new year! With a few weeks left in 2018, you still have time to achieve the professional goals you set earlier in the year. Squeeze in some last-minute training by registering for a webinar, join us as a presenter at a regional SIGnature Event or Global Executive Summit, or consider becoming a contributor to Future of Sourcing Digital.
This webinar will focus on best practices for creating and executing a business case for a Procure-to-Pay (P2P) transformation.
Utilizing a case study that highlights the “flight plan” of Curtiss-Wright, a manufacturer that traces its origins back to the Wright Brothers, webinar attendees will learn how the company transformed its P2P process to arrive at a more strategic destination after discovering imbalanced resource allocation that led to procurement resources spending 80 percent of their time on just 5 percent of the total spend.
Looking to control and optimize your services spend more effectively? Join this webinar with Coupa for a deep dive into a comprehensive solution that includes advanced services and contingent workers.
You’ll learn how the right technology can streamline your services procurement process and see firsthand how the right solution can enable you to drive more adoption, accelerate your time to value and reduce costs.
Register for your virtual seat now. Can't join at the date and time listed? You can still register to get the on-demand recording!
November: the last month of autumn, but the beginning of a new adventure; time to take risks and do the unexpected.
Can you believe it? November is here! And with it comes the start of the holiday season and all the festivities that come with it. Whether this month is one you love or dread, it is a time for new adventures, and those can take shape in many different forms. Create an adventure at work this month by attending a networking event, listening to success stories of industry innovators and learning the latest trends in an online webinar. Here are highlights of the adventures that await you this month from SIG.
Regional Networking Events
This month, we have regional networking events in four different cities: Toronto, Denver, Columbus and New York. Take a day for yourself and/or your team to collaborate in person with industry peers and learn best practices. Discussion topics vary for each event so be sure to look on our website for the most up to date agendas.
I’m proud to say the feedback from delegates on the Fall Global Executive Summit is some of the best I’ve received for any Summit yet. The beautiful Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa was the perfect destination to engage with our cutting-edge keynote panelists, along with hands-on learning in how-to labs, breakout sessions and outdoor networking with a breathtaking view of the mountains. But what excited me the most at this Summit was the inaugural Future of Sourcing Awards, where we recognized individuals and teams who are making a transformative impact on the industry.
Future of Sourcing Awards
The energy at the Future of Sourcing Awards was electric! It was inspiring to be in the presence of both the titans who have helped shape the industry, the leaders who are taking sourcing and procurement to the next level, along with the up-and-coming talent that is our future.
It was my extreme pleasure to present SIG’s original founder, Barry Wiegler, with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Barry gave a moving speech and was even surprised by his daughter and grandson who flew in for the special occasion. There was barely a dry eye in the room.
Throughout the night, we presented awards in eight team categories, two individual categories and honored our first inductees into the SIG Supernova Hall of Fame. Visit the Future of Sourcing Awards website for the full list of Award winners.
It's been a busy news cycle and a busy summer at SIG. We are implementing a lot of changes to bring delegates the latest news, thought leadership and professional development opportunities to help you and your team stay sharp and informed.
Here's a look at the latest news and opportunities for SIG delegates in August.
Future of Sourcing
Originally launched in 2005, Outsource Magazine has built a strong reputation of quality thought leadership among the sourcing, outsourcing and procurement community. The digital content has continued to grow through its vast collection of contributors and with it, our audience. For this reason, it was decided that Outsource Magazine needed a transformation to better represent the thought leaders in the global sourcing community.
Today we present to you Future of Sourcing, a digital publication that will continue to provide you with unparalleled insight into the trends, best practices, challenges and opportunities facing the industry.
If you're already an Outsource Magazine subscriber, your subscription will be carried over to Future of Sourcing and you will continue to receive our bi-weekly email newsletters. If you're not a subscriber, we encourage you to sign up to receive the latest articles directly to your inbox. And don't worry, we won't spam you with unnecessary emails and never share your information.
We hope you like the new look! Check out some of our latest articles in the Future of Sourcing:
I recently dropped off my oldest son at college. It was a momentous time sending my first child out the door. Not only did it bring a flood of my own college memories back, but it also made me realize that we often wait until the last minute before we impart the pearls of wisdom that might be most helpful in a new setting. I took the opportunity to write an article (if you call a Facebook posting an "article") to him, chock full of advice on washing clothes, changing sheets, using good judgment and much much more. As I reflect on that moment, it makes me realize that often when we approach the Summit, we assume people don’t need our advice on how to make the Summit a great experience...and you know what they say about assumptions. With three new SIG employees, it occurred to me that perhaps some Summit pearls of wisdom might be in order, so here goes:
Don't miss the networking events. Most people come to events for two reasons—the first, education is what gets the approval for the plane ticket, but it's the second, networking that often gives you the most bang for your buck. One conversation can help you solve a problem...or create a lifelong resource...or even identify a potential vendor or partner. Because of that, we factor in a lot of time for networking. Our breaks are long and our evening events are lively and fun. For real energizing networking, our Tuesday evening Speed Networking is not to be missed. Even if networking is not something that comes naturally, this "speed dating" style of networking makes it easy to meet people quickly, exchange business cards and move on. On that note...
This Month at SIG - March 2019
This month our clocks spring forward and we gain an extra hour of daylight. To make the most of that extra hour, consider attending a networking event, thought leadership webinar or exploring SIG’s new partnership with Everest Group that brings delegates proprietary research, insights and analysis. Ready to get started?
Midwestern Regional SIGnature Event
March 6
Minneapolis Central Library
The Midwestern Regional SIGnature Event takes place at the beautiful Minneapolis Central Library on March 6. The event includes a great lineup of speakers from BB&T, Best Buy, Everest Group, Ontala and Virtual Operations who will present on topics that include third-party risk management, artificial intelligence in procurement, sourcing transformation strategies and how to buy digital platforms for your enterprise.
The event will begin with an executive roundtable for director-level and above delegates, while their teams take part in a training workshop on the fundamentals and frameworks of third-party risk management with risk expert Linda Tuck Chapman, who created the Certified Third Party Risk Management Program for SIG University.
To learn more about the day’s events, speakers, who should attend and to register you and your team, visit our website.