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25 October 2011 | Angeline Albert
Purchasers have unanimously said
they would help a buyer at another organisation and many already do, according
to the SM100 poll.
A total of 100 per cent of
respondents said they would share information with one another. The question
was asked following Ellis Watson’s presentation at the CIPS Conference this month, during which he urged delegates to share good ideas with one another.
Those surveyed said the benefits
of helping one another include making better use of resources, learning from past
experiences, exploring potential collaborative opportunities and
identifying new ways of working.
Paul Revell, supply chain manager at Capita, said: “Our trade as buyers
is based 50 per cent on what you know and 50 per cent on who you
know. Having a close circle of contacts across different industries is the
way buyers can extend their breadth of knowledge and experience.”
Neil Dixon, head of procurement and supplier management at LeasePlan UK, said: “It could be the buyer of one of our
suppliers because improving their skills and performance has to be in our interest.
This is something we have done with positive results for both companies and we
get further advantages for being the people that helped.”
Purchasers said, however, that they would not divulge anything commercially sensitive, such as pricing, or
share with a direct competitor. Dorothy Holland, procurement director at Dot
Purchasing, said vigilance was needed and “clearance from managerial level, irrespective
of how senior you are as a buyer in your organisation”.
Vincent Fernandes, interim head of procurement at Home Learning College,
said: “I have been supporting various procurement professionals
(mainly through LinkedIn). I am a believer of the “teach a man to fish” ideology
and as such I would not spoon-feed. So if someone requests advice or
information from me, I would rather they have done some research or homework
before approaching. Most of my relationship contacts are individuals who I have
helped and they in return have ensured I am supported, as the need arises.”
