Yesterday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ran a large article on the front page of its business section that described how UPMC just implemented eProcurement.

Don’t miss updates on Procurement & Supply Chain, Subscribe here!

If you’re like me, your first thought was “Uh, and that’s news in THIS MILLENIUM?”

I mean, after all, implementing an eProcurement system in 2006 is not exactly groundbreaking. UPMC’s sister organization, University of Pittsburgh, successfully implemented eProcurement in 2000 to much less public fanfare despite its rapid implementation, enthusiastic end-user adoption, and leadership of one very talented individual (hmmm…who could that be? ).

But even then, implementing eProcurement wasn’t the most cutting edge thing.

But wait. I’m not going to be too cynical. The Post-Gazette very infrequently mentions anything about the purchasing field, so I am going to turn from sarcastic to ecstatic. It is truly great that our profession can get this type of high-visibility coverage.

Hopefully, there’s more coverage to come from the P-G.

Another interesting thing I’d like to point out about the article is the photo they included of UPMC’s chief supply chain officer. It shows an executive in a business suit standing among boxes stacked in a warehouse.

How supply chain management is depicted in photos is so intriguing to me.

Sometimes, you’ll see blue collar laborers packing boxes. Other times, you’ll see men in suits in executive offices. Those images kind of fuel the confusion described in my article “What Is Supply Chain Management, Anyway?“

I thought that the P-G’s picture was pretty good. I think that it can help an aspiring CSCO understand that supply chain is not just purchasing. It involves the lifecycle of materials, from purchase to inventory to logistics and more. CSCO’s are indeed in charge of warehouse operations as much as they are in charge of purchasing.

The P-G’s photo can help aspiring CSCO’s become aware of that fact.

Well, the P-G hasn’t often enough been a source of supply chain news. Let’s hope this is the first of many big purchasing articles from them.