Friday 7th February, 2013

Competence in leadership and management skills are increasingly important to a successful procurement operation and to overall business success, say procurement consultants Efficio.

Efficio Vice President, Juraj Priecel says it is a good time for companies to take stock of their team's procurement capabilities as the economy continues to show signs of improvement.

He says that whilst technical competence in the processes and techniques of procurement are vital, there are other areas of competence involving leadership and management that are equally important.

World-class procurement is an essential component of a successful business to keep costs down and benefit from a reliable supplier base which can enhance innovation and protect their reputation.

But he says: "This is only half the story, however. Assuming a solid foundation of technical knowledge, competence in leadership, strategy setting, project management, interpersonal skills, communication and people management are also increasingly important to a truly successful procurement operation."

Developing competence in these areas need not be restricted to traditional training courses, Priecel says. He concludes:

"Procurement professionals can take advantage of the many excellent books, articles, blogs and forums available in their specific areas of interest and exchange their views or seek advice from their managers, peers and wider procurement community.

"You should attend seminars, conferences, business and social events where possible and take advantage of professional networking.

"All these routes to knowledge and professional development are useful for developing the expertise needed in today's procurement operation to enable it to contribute to overall business success."