Features

Spring 2007

Getting closer to key suppliersGlobal research reveals that a lack of alignment between customers and their most important suppliers is restricting long-term value creation
The Toyota wayThe car giant's European purchasing boss talks about its 'tough but fair' approach to supplier relationships, and the challenges of applying this model outside Japan
A winning positionSupplier relationship management is becoming a strategic battleground within organisations. And procurement isn't the only function jostling for supremacy
Scoring that delivers resultsSpecialist software is making the task of assessing and managing supplier performance easier, but it needs to be used as part of a wider programme
Jumpstarting M&A benefitsWhen consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble decided to acquire Gillette, the two CPOs opted for a fast-track approach to capturing potential savings
Executive debate: What does world-class procurement look like?Everybody in business these days, it seems, wants to be 'world class'. But what does this mean in practice? In the first of six CPO Agenda Executive Debates taking place in major European cities during 2007, we invited a panel of British procurement leaders to London to discuss the issue
Heading eastWith Asia both a key source of suppliers and a major business market, a growing number of western multinationals are choosing to base their CPOs in the region