Top 10 Topics for Starting Out in Procurement

“I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger.”
‘Ooh La La’, Faces, 1973

A lyric from a great song, yes, but also a lament that we’ve all voiced at some point in our lives, usually in relation to an occasion where we have had an experience or gained some knowledge that would have been really useful earlier in our lives. Not what Ronnie Wood and Ronnie Lane had in mind when they originally wrote the song, but that doesn’t make it any less true!

I did, however, hear the song on the radio recently and it happened to coincide with seeing a discussion question reappear on the Procurious Community feed. The original question – ‘What’s your best top tips to give to someone new to procurement?’ – was posed all the way back in 2017, but has continued to be answered to newcomers to the site and remains one of the most popular and answered questions in the Discussion area.

It was interesting to both see the new answer to this question, but also to see another topic that caught my attention – ‘If you´re going to write an article about 10 main important topics that new supply chain professional need to know … Which will be?’. Both questions are similar in their information, but the fact that there was a 7 year gap between them being posed is fairly telling in my mind.

The relevance of questions such as these remains as high as it has ever been, and it could be argued that, with thousands of people starting out on careers in Procurement and Supply Chain every year, will remain so for many years to come. But has the advice changed? I set out to dig a little deeper.

The Advice – Then and Now

Looking at the responses to date on both questions, there are similarities in what advice has been given. Using this as a basis, I looked further into the original question and picked out a selection of key themes and topics that were common among the very first responses and those that have been ‘up voted’ the most too. 

There are excellent responses throughout, full of good advice, tips on starting out in the profession and plenty that draw on the experience of professionals who have been around for a while. Sadly there are just too many different responses to list here (though go and have a look for yourself when you have time), so I have pulled out the ones that came up time and again.

1. Getting CIPS (or other professional) accreditation.
2. Gather as much information as you can on Procurement and Supply Chain, and continue to do this throughout your career.
3. Collaborate actively with internal stakeholders.
4. There’s no such thing as a bad/stupid question, so never be afraid to ask one.
5. Benchmark and share best practice with your peers.
6. Build an understanding of your supply chain, its risks and opportunities and keep this information updated regularly.
7. Work where you feel valued, where you can be true to yourself.
8. Work for ethical organisations.
9. Say what you’re going to do and then do what you say you’ll do.
10. Have fun!

This list could genuinely go on and on, encompassing everything from authenticity and building trust, to the importance of building relationships by picking up the phone. What is clear is that the advice that was given the better part of a decade ago is still valid today, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to suggest it will be in another decade from now.

The Topics – Then and Now

If we look at the advice for the most part as the adaptation of the ‘soft skills’ required for a successful career in Procurement or Supply Chain, the suggested Topics can be seen as the ‘hard’ or technical skills you need to have in your armoury. It’s not a matter of one being more important than the other, but a recognition that having only one or the other can only take you so far.

There is a certain amount of commonality between the ‘Then’ and the ‘Now’ when it comes to these, which is only to be expected with changes around the world in that time and the development of the profession in line with that. Using the same logic as above and pulling out the answers that appeared time and again, the list looks something like this (in no particular order):

1. Digital Transformation and Automation – including building an understanding of Procurement Technology and Solutions.
2. Sustainability – including Sustainable Procurement and how to build this into key processes.
3. Social Value/ESG/CSR – whichever term you happen to use, how to embed a wider value set in sourcing activities.
4. Supplier Relationship Management – understanding transactional versus strategic suppliers and how to build strong relationships with suppliers.
5. Risk Management – internal and external risks and managing and mitigating them with help from your wider stakeholder network.
6. Global Supply Chain Management – global sourcing versus local sourcing, including logistics and transportation.
7. Supply Chain Planning – wrapped up in the management of the supply chain and ensuring continuity of supply in a time of great disruption.
8. Negotiation – with suppliers, customers and internal stakeholders.
9. Strategic Sourcing – what it means and how to do it.
10. Stakeholder Management – internal and external, understanding key needs and requirements and how best to work with them.

The topics that are most prominent will most likely evolve and change in the coming years (for example, a greater focus on digitisation in Procurement with the development of AI), but you would be brave to bet against some of these core topics still being at the top of the list for years to come.

My Advice (and Topics) for the Future

There is a lot of good advice available, both on Procurious and from friends, colleagues, peers and experienced professionals, to people starting out on their Procurement or Supply Chain journey. However, there is so much available in some cases that it’s hard to know where to start. Based on my own experience I’ve put some of my own tips (and key topic areas) below, hopefully to help people get started:

• Learn the basics: the skills you have in Procurement and Supply Chain are great and if you build your knowledge on the core areas, you can work in the profession in any industry, sector or company.
• Learn what works for you: understand the way you learn best and focus on this. It could be speaking to people, online courses, or reading industry press, but there will be a method that suits you so focus on that.
• Understand trends: trends work in two senses – historical trends that will help you understand issues, spend patterns and supplier performance; and future trends about what is coming in the supply chain and what you might need help from stakeholders, suppliers and colleagues to combat.
• Use technology (but remember the human touch): Procurement and Supply Chain succeeds on the strength of its relationships with suppliers and contractors. Use virtual meetings to do introductions, but make sure you meet people face-to-face and speak to them on the phone as this will help strengthen the relationship (and your suppliers will always appreciate it).
• Find something to be passionate about: you’ll enjoy your job and career more if you find something that really interests you to focus on and build your Procurement and Supply Chain learning and focus around. Whether it’s Sustainability or Social Value, Relationship Management or Technology, there is a huge array of options, you just need to find the one that suits you! 

Have you got a burning question on Procurement, Supply Chain or anything else that the Procurious network might be able to help you with? Check out the Discussion section on the site to see all the popular discussions and questions, and get involved yourself.