Spend Matters UK Round-Up

Go answer this week's QOTW. -- Since the beginning of 2011 there have been articles in magazines and on blogs all around the topic of the 'next big thing'. Recently David Rae in Procurement Leaders asked 'what's next'? What indeed. What is it that we should be getting excited about in procurement? What is going to make the strategy consultants their next million? What will earn bright young procurement managers their first CPO role when they impress the headhunter, then the CEO or CFO, by their insight and strategic vision?

The Next Level Purchasing Association – Free! (Are we bovvered...?) -- Next Level Purchasing (NLP) are probably better known in the US (and countries such as India) than in most of Europe, but they have carved out a niche as a provider of education, mainly on-line, that leads to their own SPSM purchasing certification. Charles Dominick, their founder and MD, also does a nice line in blogs, which tend to be interesting and at times educational/thought-provoking.

Peter attends the Emptoris Empower Event! -- At the Emptoris Empower event last week we heard about their future product development strategy. It appeared very logical and there was a clear sense of strategic direction aimed very clearly at helping the practitioner perform 'sourcing' tasks in their widest sense. Without getting too much into technological detail, or specific time-plans, here are the key themes that emerged from those presentations.

Procurement without PQQs – we see a new public sector 'open' tender -- In the dingy basement bar, hidden from the tourists not 200 yards away in Trafalgar Square, I sit, nervously sipping my Verdicchio de Castelli chilled white wine. Then, the door is pushed open, and a tall, saturnine figure enters. "Are you..?"

A guest post from Guy Allen, VP Global Procurement for Fujitsu -- Just before the CIPS dinner a couple of weeks ago, I asked Peter Smith (erstwhile Spend Matters editor) which hotel he was staying at, so that we might share a taxi (or at least a' pre match' bevy). I was delighted when I found out he was staying at one of my company's preferred hotels, albeit at a rate 25% less than we pay.

- Sheena Moore