Barbara Ardell, Vice President at Paladin Associates, has contributed to Spend Matters in the past and really doesn’t need an introduction. I had the pleasure of working with Barb on many occasions during my Procuri days – she is now busy refining a new framework for improving procurement outcomes by changing our approach to influencing change.
Barb has applied her sourcing and procurement insights to turn a proven approach by VitalSmarts, originating outside supply chain, into a model for procurement. Around six months ago I took part in her first procurement-focused trial training session, which I found a promising start on a new way to address the “change transformation” challenges that all organizations inevitably run into as they strive to improve their performance.
In contrast to the more common HR-centric approach, Barb has focused this new program on the needs of “intact project teams” within supply chain while also promising a solid ROI. For example, she builds on evergreen procurement challenges such as identifying savings leakages and taking on non-traditional categories.
I recommend that you take the time to read Barb’s two-part series, the first of which will be published this afternoon. You might just come up with some fresh approaches to old challenges!
[Update: Please find Part 1 here!]
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