PROCUREMENT STRATEGY AND TRANSFORMATION
BUSINESS ADVICE
DON ’ T MISS THE OPPORTUNITIES
Businesses recruiting staff often create Preferred Supplier Lists – working only with selected recruitment companies . Dan Barfoot , Operation ’ s Manager at CMD Recruitment in Wiltshire , is mystified why you would limit opportunities by never looking outside a PSL , as you could miss out on good candidates .
To put this in context , I ’ m all for having a PSL in place as it means working with preferred organisations who get to know your recruiting habits and process . This ensures team dynamics and skills needed are understood , which in turn can lead to a better interview-to-offer ratio .
It also gives the recruiters time to source and deliver suitable candidates , knowing that their process is respected , in contrast to the time pressure which comes with last minute recruitment . However – cutting out other recruitment resources as a policy can be a short-sighted approach .
I will often send in a CV to a company speculatively but only with the candidate ’ s permission and I ’ d happily
quantify the work I have done to qualify and brief a candidate , to a hiring manager .
If a recruiter understands you have a PSL but still decides to make that call to you so you are aware they have a suitable candidate , that ’ s more targeted than speculative . I often think hiring managers should feel flattered you had them in mind .
This is not about holding a business to ransom if they are interested either , as T ’ s & C ’ s can always be negotiated .
In this candidate driven market , a candidate may be attracted to a certain agency by factors such as geographical location , marketing or recommendation , so a great candidate may not be in full view to the agencies on your PSL , especially as these agencies may rely on job board exposure , which is limited in scope .
My advice is , use PSLs but don ’ t miss out on good opportunities when they present themselves and be open to discussion .
As a local , independent recruitment company , CMD Recruitment is flexible , connected and is about providing a professional service .
Contact us if you have any recruitment needs .
For more info : www . cmdrecruitment . com
01225 805080
Getting your procurement right
Effective procurement is directly linked to sustainable business says Doug Fellows , director of PAMS and trusted partner to Inspire .
When I look around the local business media ( publications , websites , networking clubs , etc .), there is a huge focus on sales and all things related to ‘ selling ’, which is entirely understandable , but very little of the support , help and advice aimed at SMEs addresses the ‘ buying ’ bit .
Doug Fellows
OK , as a small to medium sized business , you may not be spending the tens of millions that corporate procurement departments in large organisations do , but better buying , in order to get more for your money or to reduce cost , can be as valid a route to improving profitability as increasing your sales – in fact , for nearly all businesses , reducing their costs will have a proportionately greater positive impact on profit than increasing their sales revenue . The relationship between effective procurement and sustainable business |
growth is both direct and powerful . Contemporarily , this is very well understood in large corporate organisations and most have responded by setting up sophisticated and mature procurement departments – some with representation at Board level . However , many small and medium sized organisations have not yet realised the power of developing a professional procurement capability and some still consider it a zero value adding administrative necessity – a ‘ sausage machine ’.
Is it time to throw out the sausage
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machine and rethink what and , more importantly , how you buy ?
Indeed , an effective procurement capability should :
• Have a direct , positive and immediate impact on profitability .
• Increase your competitiveness and market share .
• Reduce the overall amount spent on goods and services .
• Create a greater awareness of relevant supply markets .
• Reduce purchasing transaction time and
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associated costs .
• Release funds for capital investment , recruitment and training .
• Help you to manage contracts and contractual risks .
• Identify and evaluate new and better suppliers and partners .
• Reduce inventory levels and improve cash flow .
So , you can then use the benefits of better procurement to suit the type of business you ’ re in and support your unique strategy for growth .
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PROCUREMENT STRATEGY AND TRANSFORMATION
Contact Doug Fellows on 01793 781514 or email doug @ pams . support
Discover more at www . pams . support
12 THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2017