Purchasing and Supply Management for smaller businesses

Two evening workshops, 14 and 21 June 2012

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) often find themselves in a supply chain ‘sandwich’, buying from large companies and selling to large companies, and feeling powerless to get what they need from either suppliers or customers.

Procurement practices in large companies have changed greatly over the last 10-15 years. In the past, big corporations focused mainly on price and treated many purchases as one-off transactions. However, large firms now recognise the longer-term strategic importance of their supplier and procurement relationships, increasingly expecting specific supporting services to accompany the products or services supplied.

These two evening workshops will help SMEs take a more proactive approach to procurement. They will address some key questions:

• What can SMEs learn from this changing approach by large companies?
• What are the implications for their business?
• How can they position themselves to take advantage of these changes in the future?

Thursday 14 June

Purchasing and supply management: a strategic approach

• Strategic importance of good procurement practices
• Recent changes in procurement practices and why these have occurred
• Strategic sourcing
• Measuring supplier performance

The first workshop looks at the main elements of strategic sourcing and aims to identify what could be useful to SMEs. Illustrated by case examples, it will explore the main changes seen in procurement activities over the last few years. Choosing the suppliers you want to work with has become at least as important as choosing the items to buy, since reliability of supplier performance can have a major impact on inventory levels and production schedules. However, some supply markets are more difficult than others. This workshop will help you to characterise these and to identify the best approach for each family of products.

Thursday 21 June

Improving the overall effectiveness of the procurement process

• Specifying the need
• Identifying and evaluating suppliers
• Agreeing the offer
• Managing the contract

The second workshop will review the overall procurement process and will help SMEs to identify areas where their procurement process could be more effective. While procurement activity is itself an overhead cost, good procurement practices can have a significant impact on product quality, company image, and indeed the financial performance of the business: what exactly are the priorities on which you should focus?

Programme

Each workshop will start at 4.45 pm and finish at 8.00 pm. Refreshments will be provided.

Who should attend?

The workshops will be of interest to anybody in an SME who has responsibility for procurement.

Programme leader

Susan Grinsted has spent over 25 years in or supporting manufacturing companies in a variety of roles, sectors and countries, mainly in manufacturing and supply chain management. She is an Industrial Fellow in the IfM’s Education and Consultancy Services where she provides support to small and medium-sized business in the Midlands.

Location

The workshops will take place at the Institute for Manufacturing, 17 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge. There is easy access from the A14 and M11 and parking is available onsite. A map will be sent with confirmation of booking.

Booking

To book a place please - follow this online booking link.
or download, print, fill and return this booking form

Ella Davey
IfM Education and Consultancy Services Ltd
17 Charles Babbage Road
Cambridge CB3 0FS
UK

T: +44 (0)1223 766141
F: +44(0)1223 464217
E: ifm-events@eng.cam.ac.uk

Costs

Each evening workshop is £150.00 plus VAT. If you book to attend both workshops there is a 10% discount.

IfM members are entitled to a 20% discount on these charges. For details of membership please see: http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/members

Cancellations

Substitutions may be made at any time. Bookings cancelled less than 10 days prior to the event will be charged in full.