Process Improvement 101
Tackling process improvement within your procurement department is not only feasible but impactful and measurable if done correctly. With the right methodology and understanding, you will not only be able to report efficiency gains in all aspects of procurement but also profit from all of the long-term benefits of process improvement which grow exponentially. Each step written within this course was not only learned in school but also acquired through experience in the field that can be applied to any industry.
Our thorough and interactive online course, Process Improvement 101, makes it clear and possible to find, analyze, and solve process inefficiencies that can truly elevate your procurement department. This course will help you add up wins for procurement through this course’s step-by-step guidance, real-world examples, and various proven approaches to tackling the complex and challenging process improvements that arise.
Upon completing this course, you will be able to:
- Implement process improvements from 5 different proven approaches
- Understand and measure the benefits of process improvements
- Increase profitability
- Increase savings through efficiency gains
- Ensure a competitive edge in a changing world
- Minimize financial risk and increase compliance
This is a self-paced course with no instructor-led forum and you have 30 days from registration to complete all course elements. It should take you approximately one hour to review the material and take any quizzes. All readings are provided in the course.
This course has been pre-approved for 1 hour of CE credit towards the CPOS, CPOP, CPOM, and CPOE certifications.
7 Critical Steps of Effective Supplier Selection
Selecting suppliers is one of the most important jobs you have as a procurement professional. A flawed supplier selection process can result in poor supplier performance, supply disruptions, and inefficiencies. Unfortunately, most purchasing professionals don’t use a well-thought-out and consistent method for arriving at the best supplier selection decisions, which are mandatory in today’s challenging business environment.
Developing a reliable process for identifying and selecting the “ultimate” supplier doesn’t have to be an impossible task. You can learn the seven steps designed to help you do a better job of selecting suppliers so that your organization becomes more competitive, more efficient, and more profitable. Upon completing this course, you will be able to:
- Identify the eight most common supplier selection criteria
- Identify supplier selection constraints and criteria
- Apply the “Hierarchy of Constraints and Criteria”
- Apply weighted average scoring to supplier selection
- Develop a scoring scheme used in supplier scorecards
- Analyze proposals, qualify supplier proposals, and use supplier scorecards
- Determine what to use to ensure that your supplier selection process is on target
This is a self-paced course with no instructor-led forum and you have 30 days from registration to complete all course elements. It should take you approximately one hour to review the material and take any quizzes. All readings are provided in the course.
This course has been pre-approved for 1 CEH towards the CPOS, CPOP, CPOM, and CPOE certifications.
Tips for Regret-Free Supplier Communication
When a supplier fails to meet expectations, is it automatically the fault of that supplier—or could your communication skills be to blame? Often, supplier failure is the result of some type of mistake in, or in the interpretation of, the communication and not just a supplier inadequacy. In today’s procurement environment, top-notch business communication skills, both written and verbal, are crucial. Upon completing this course, you will be able to:
- Apply the “3 Bases of Communication” that will guide you to communicate in a way that facilitates good supplier performance
- Identify four of the potential components of a complete specification
- Apply analytical thinking and communication skills in procurement
- Apply the three keys of good pricing communication
- Understand how to apply good communication practices when negotiating supplier remedies
- Identify what to watch out for in suppliers’ force majeure clauses
- Utilize price adjustment clauses that avoid common supplier disputes
This is a self-paced course with no instructor-led forum and you have 30 days from registration to complete all course elements. It should take you approximately one hour to review the material and take any quizzes. All readings are provided in the course.
This course has been pre-approved for 1 hour of CE credit towards the CPOS, CPOP, CPOM, and CPOE certifications.
Adding Procurement Value to Marketing Spend
Procurement teams can help other departments identify their current resources and true needs, conduct thorough sourcing events with vetted suppliers, and negotiate best-in-class agreements. Through this process, long-term, strategic relationships can be established with the right suppliers, increasing value to the organization while ensuring the most competitive market pricing is achieved.
Marketing is one of the newer categories being addressed by procurement departments in the world today. Like other specialized areas whose spend was traditionally kept separate from procurement and sourcing departments, marketing has some unique characteristics for which procurement professionals must be prepared. You can master methods of working with your marketing department to gain their cooperation, implement a world-class marketing procurement strategy, and, ultimately, achieve better value. Upon completing this course, you will be able to:
- Apply three valuable processes to marketing
- Identify initial marketing categories for consideration
- Establish a relationship with your marketing department
- Apply the five phases of strategic sourcing for marketing
- Apply the five best practices of sourcing marketing
- Identify when to collaborate with consultants
This course was developed in close collaboration with SourceOne Management Services—a consultancy with extensive expertise in sourcing Marketing spend.
This is a self-paced course with no instructor-led forum and you have 30 days from registration to complete all course elements. It should take you approximately one hour to review the material and take any quizzes. All readings are provided in the course.
This course has been pre-approved for 1 CEH towards the CPOS, CPOP, CPOM, and CPOE certifications.
