Una

It's a fact that procurement’s role in the business has taken on a deeper and more strategic scope in recent years. And yet, they’re still often seen as a department focused solely on cost savings and driven by process-heavy practices. These perceptions are outdated but they are starting to shift. Just how much and how fast this shift happens depends on how well procurement can cultivate and leverage strong stakeholder relationships to strengthen their internal brand and drive more value for their organizations 👉 https://hubs.li/Q02X11960 #procurement #relationships #SourcingHero

Wrapping up Spooky SZN with a brand new issue of #TheSidekick from Kris Lance 🎃 Stay safe out there, guys and ghouls! 👻

On September 26th, Hurricane Helene hit Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Hurricane Milton hit Florida less than two weeks later. The stories coming from these states are shocking, devastating, and inspiring - all at the same time. In this episode of #TheSourcingHero podcast, Kelly Barner welcomes back Kris Lance, Vice President and General Manager at Una, for a monthly conversation about current news stories. Today they're discussing lessons we can learn from Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton in terms of preparation, response, and the aftermath 👉 https://hubs.li/Q02WhPx30 Art of Procurement #sourcinghero

Why is traceability within the supply chain so important? It allows us to monitor every step of a product's life, from raw materials to the final delivery. Benefits include: 🔍 Boosted transparency - In a world where consumers are increasingly conscious about where their products come from, being able to trace a product’s journey adds credibility. ✔️ Increased compliance - Regulations are constantly evolving; with a solid traceability system, you can easily demonstrate that your products meet all necessary standards, saving time during audits and avoiding costly penalties. ❌ Better risk management - Supply chains can be unpredictable; traceability helps you quickly identify vulnerabilities in your supply chain and take proactive measures. 🤝 Meeting customer expectations - Customers today are more informed and conscious than ever about the products they purchase; shoppers may give product barcodes/QR codes a quick scan with their phones to check traceability before making a purchase. ⚙️ Improved efficiency - When you can track products throughout the supply chain, you can streamline operations, reduce waste, and make informed decisions based on real-time data leading to significant cost savings and improved margins. Does your organization have traceability technologies in place? You can find some recommended solutions here 👉 https://hubs.li/Q02Wc4Zx0 #supplychain #supplychainmanagement #traceability

Worried about future skills gaps in your procurement team? Create a reliable pipeline by bringing in cross-functional talent from various functions: 💻 Information technology - IT pros have skills that are critical for implementing procurement software, automating processes and working with AI 🔢 Data analytics - data scientists have insights to help procurement teams make data-driven decisions and forecast trends 🤑 Finance - these professionals have expertise that can help procurement align spending with financial goals and assess the financial stability of suppliers ⚙️ Operations - knowledge held by operations specialists can enhance procurement strategies by ensuring that sourcing decisions align with production and delivery timelines 🚀 Marketing - marketers have perspectives that can help procurement understand demand dynamics and align sourcing strategies with broader business objectives 👥 Human resources - HR professionals can translate to enhancing supplier relationship management and fostering collaboration across teams 📆 Project Management - project managers have skills that help procurement manage complex sourcing projects, ensuring timely delivery and adherence to budgets 👨⚖️ Legal - involvement of corporate legal experts ensures procurement decisions adhere to regulations and mitigate legal risks in supplier agreements Now that we know where to look, how do we go about attracting these folks into the world of procurement? Find tips here 👉 https://hubs.li/Q02VFBS30 #procurement #procurementcareer #talentacquisition

Every time the world is hit by a supply chain disruption, strategies are changed, new technologies are invented, implemented, and invested in, and everyone vows to be too agile and resilient for it to happen again. And yet it does - there is always another surprise, another disruption around the corner. In this episode of #TheSourcingHero podcast, Kelly Barner welcomes Aviv Castro, the CEO of Sensos, a company spun off from Sony that makes it possible to streamline supply chain operations through increased visibility. Listen as Aviv shares his perspective on what motivates supply chain management teams, his predictions for supply chain practices and strategy going forward, and more 👉 https://hubs.li/Q02VsSVw0 Art of Procurement #supplychainmanagement #supplychaindisruption

Too busy chasing your tail to properly manage tail spend? We got you. Tail spend is one of the many challenges procurement practitioners face due to its risky nature, the fact that it’s hard to analyze, and expensive to manage. As more and more organizations shift focus and change the way they do business, many are looking for ways to minimize risk and improve their bottom line. That includes taking a closer look at investing more into a tail spend management program. With the right tools and resources, understanding and taming tail spend in a way that leads to full spend visibility and increased cost savings is possible 👉 https://hubs.li/Q02VkfR_0 #tailspend #spendmanagement #procurement

If you work in procurement, you're familiar with maverick spend and the detriment it can have on your bottom line. It also creates more work, exposes the business to risk, and thwarts compliance efforts ❌ Of course, reducing maverick spend can lead to increased cost savings but there are other benefits to cutting back as well. Improved supplier relationships, better spend management insights, and an increased commitment to sustainable practices all stem from following purchasing policies. Bookmark these tips for controlling maverick spend in a way that makes sense for your organization 👉 https://hubs.li/Q02TTkkn0 #maverickspend #procurement #spendmanagement

Sometimes procurement says “savings” and people’s eyes light up with the possibilities associated with a budget poised to go further. Other times, their eyes glaze over and their attention drifts… elsewhere. Like anywhere else. The trick for procurement teams who want to build strong internal relationships is knowing the difference - and communicating accordingly. In this episode of #TheSourcingHero podcast, Kelly Barner welcomes Barry C. Kull, the Senior Director, Category Management Americas for AstraZeneca. His experience has given him the opportunity to develop capabilities in a broad range of spend categories as well as the transformation power of technology. Listen as Barry and Kelly discuss how building relationships can lead to procurement making a greater impact 👉 https://hubs.li/Q02TCTbH0 Art of Procurement #procurement #relationships #transformation

Based on actual average savings amounts from Una members and real contract terms, our calculator tool shows just how powerful a group purchasing organization can be 🤑 Choose which spend categories make sense for you and get a free, no-obligation savings estimate within seconds. Like what you see? Contact our team to get a personalized cost analysis based on your organization's own spend data 👉 https://hubs.li/Q02TvcXP0 #GPO #grouppurchasing #procurement #costsavings