{"id":1826,"date":"2018-03-07T15:19:30","date_gmt":"2018-03-07T15:19:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.certitrek.com\/nlpa\/?p=1826"},"modified":"2021-07-28T06:52:06","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T10:52:06","slug":"advanced-procurement-tough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.certitrek.com\/nlpa\/blog\/advanced-procurement-tough\/","title":{"rendered":"Advanced Procurement Is Tough. Are You?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When the NLPA\u00a0launched the SPSM-BOK Mastery Model in 2014, one of the important principles we wanted to convey is that some\u00a0procurement competencies are more advanced than others and that there should be a path to mastering those competencies in an optimal order.<\/p>\n

So, we recommend starting one\u2019s procurement education path with the online course Mastering Purchasing Fundamentals<\/a>.\u00a0 It covers the basics that every procurement professional should know, whether an entry-level junior buyer or a seasoned procurement leader.<\/p>\n

We have had procurement professionals with over 25 years of experience tell us that they were surprised that they still learned a lot from that course.\u00a0 There were things that they had forgotten.\u00a0 Things that had changed since they were entry-level buyers.\u00a0 And things that simply were not taught in the less formal education of their formative years.<\/p>\n

But,\u00a0relative to other competencies<\/em>, the tactical purchasing taught in \u201cMastering Purchasing Fundamentals\u201d is not mind-bogglingly difficult to understand.<\/p>\n

However, as one advances into Level 2 and beyond, the competencies become increasingly challenging.\u00a0 As such, as in any educational journey in which the goal is to know everything there is to know about a profession, some people often approach the limits of their intellectual capabilities.<\/p>\n

And this frustrates them.\u00a0 Sometimes they blame the NLPA for presenting material that is difficult for them to understand.<\/p>\n

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For example, global sourcing is a very challenging aspect of procurement.\u00a0 It\u2019s not easy.\u00a0 As you execute global sourcing, there are a lot of details you need to check and double-check before taking a step in the process.\u00a0 That\u2019s much like our course Executing A Global Sourcing Strategy:\u00a0 you have to check to make sure you understand the concepts of a lesson before taking the quiz.It\u2019s an advanced course, the 10th in the SPSM-BOK Mastery Model.\u00a0 So, it won\u2019t be as easy as \u201cMastering Purchasing Fundamentals.\u201d\u00a0 But the NLPA\u2019s goal is so much more than simply making it easy for students to pass the quizzes.\u00a0 The goal is to give you the knowledge and help you practice the\u00a0skills<\/em>\u00a0that will make you successful in the workplace and which will translate into success in the future.<\/p>\n

Think of a weight lifter whose goal is to bench press 700 pounds.\u00a0 Maybe they start with bench pressing 100 pounds and it\u2019s pretty easy.\u00a0 So, they move on to bench pressing 200 pounds.\u00a0 It\u2019s a little tougher but still doable.\u00a0 At 500 pounds, things start seeming hard as h*ck.\u00a0 And 700 pounds sounds absolutely impossible.<\/p>\n

Should the weight lifter blame his trainer?<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think so.\u00a0 Five hundred pounds is a lot of weight.\u00a0 There is no way to deny that.<\/p>\n

The inability to easily bench press 500 pounds\u00a0just means that the weight lifter has approached the limits of his physical capabilities at that point in time.\u00a0 With continued effort and a smart approach, however, the weight lifter may be able to extend the limits of his capabilities on the way to his ultimate goal.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where we find some of our students as they get up into the higher levels of the SPSM-BOK.\u00a0 They are approaching the limits of their intellectual capabilities.\u00a0 And that hurts the brain.\u00a0 But, like the weight lifter, they need to know that it is possible to extend the limits of one\u2019s intellectual capabilities.\u00a0 It isn\u2019t easy and it may not be much fun.\u00a0 But, it is necessary if you want to reach your goal of mastering the vast body of knowledge of the procurement and supply management profession and reach your true potential.<\/p>\n

So, if you are getting into the advanced courses in the SPSM-BOK and are starting to find it not so easy to wrap your head around the concepts, please welcome the struggle.\u00a0 It means that you are pushing yourself and growing your intellectual capacity, not just \u201clifting the amount of weight you were always able to lift\u201d (i.e., confirming what you already know).<\/p>\n

Recommended Reading<\/b><\/p>\n