Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Futureproofing Procurement
The Importance of an Ethical and
Sustainable Approach
Katie Jarvis-Grove
Futureproofing Procurement:
The Importance of an Ethical and Sustainable Approach
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Description
This book demonstrates and explains how to best conduct yourself in a
procurement role and what challenges you should be aware of. Factors
such as being aware of modern slavery, supply chain’s pollution emissions,
and opportunities to recycle and reuse will be explored to create an under-
standing for the reader in how value should be achieved in today’s way of
managing procurement.
As you make your way through the book you will learn about tools
and techniques that can aid you in making the right decision for you and
your organization, to ensure that all ethical and sustainable elements of the
procurement process are explored, evaluated, reviewed and documented.
This book discusses the ways in which procurement can help to pro-
vide an ethical and sustainable approach to business and product creation
while raising an awareness of unacceptable practices with a view to their
eradication.
You, the reader, will learn more about the authors honest experiences
of working in procurement as you progress through her literary work.
At the end of each chapter, she provides a mini case study exploring
and explaining some of her purchasing stories that she has collated over
the years.
Keywords
added value; benchmarking; bribery; child labor; collaboration; contin-
uous improvement; corruption; cost; CSR; embezzlement; ethics; fraud;
globalisation; human rights; mission statement; modern slavery; product
life cycle; raw materials; recycling; social aspect; supply chain; sustainabil-
ity; value stream mapping; vision statement
Contents
Glossary���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������125
About the Author��������������������������������������������������������������������������������129
Index�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������131
CHAPTER 1
An Introduction to
Procurement and Its
Evolution
What Is Procurement?
Procurement is a key function across industries. Regardless of sector, be
it public, private, or third, procurement has an important role to play.
Public sector procurement is responsible for the spend of govern-
ment-run organizations, and as such, has a large responsibility to manage
that spend, which is the tax payers’ money, with care and due diligence in
accordance with strict policies and procedures.
Private sector procurement is responsible for managing the expendi-
ture of a large variety of organizational spend, which includes everything
from retail to insurance to manufacturing. Private sector procurement is
not as stringently regulated as Public sector procurement, but this does not
mean that procurement professionals should not exercise good practice.
Third sector procurement involves professionals investigating the best
way to spend the money generated by donations, legacies, and fundrais-
ing. This sector is heavily regulated to make sure that funds that are being
used are spent for the benefit of the cause for which they were given.
Sourcing, purchasing, and procurement are terms that are often and
incorrectly used interchangeably, as they are considered to mean the
same thing. They are not, and there is a distinct difference between the
three functions.
Sourcing is the process that involves researching the market, seeking
out and evaluating potential suppliers, and understanding the external or
macro factors that may have an effect on the objective being met.
2 Futureproofing Procurement
At the end of the 1900s, procurement was realizing that the price
of goods or services was not the sole factor to be considered. Cost was
becoming apparent, and as this became better understood, procurement
started to focus on being cost-driven-looking at ordering higher volumes
to save money and considering that quality could be an important part
of the supply chain.
Finally, today in the 2020s, procurement is thriving in its evolution-
ary journey. Now, procurement is a key function within forward-thinking
organizations and forms part of the corporate strategy. This means that
procurement is now heavily involved with aligning itself to mission and
vision statements, working on organizational sustainability, and giving
much thought to ethical and responsible sourcing for the benefit of the
planet, the people, and ensuring a profit.
Figure 1.2 shows the evolution of procurement as an organizational
function. In the 1800s, procurement was simply reactive. If a need was
identified, the procurement process started there, and then with no pre-
planning, no supplier database or previous knowledge. There was little,
if any, consideration for price, quality, or lead times—the need was iden-
tified and had to be met in whichever way it could. Toward the end of
the 19th century, efficiencies were starting to be understood. Individu-
als conducting purchasing started to understand concepts such as buy-
ing in larger volumes and holding stock rather than being completely
reactive. During the Second World War, when countries were trying to
Corporate
2020 Alignment
1990
1970
0 Cost
194 International Focused
50 Price Driven
18
Efficient
00
18
Reactive
Procurement Director
Procurement Manager
Senior Buyer
Category Manager
Buyer
A buyer is a role that is quite generic in its title. A buyer can be respon-
sible for an agreed amount of spend, a specific product or service, or
an agreed department within an organization or procurement from one
country. Buyers usually report to category managers in organizations that
have a large procurement function.
An Introduction to Procurement and its Evolution 9
A supply chain manager role is one that oversees the effective and efficient
running of the supply chain, both upward and downward, from start to
finish. A supply chain manager’s responsibility is to guarantee safe deliv-
ery of goods and services to the consumer, mitigating against any risks
that may be presented.
Junior Buyer
Procurement Apprentice
Expeditor
This role is based around the tracking of purchase orders from their plac-
ing to the point where the goods or services are delivered. An expedi-
tor works closely with suppliers to ensure that the purchase orders are
(1) received, (2) leave on time, and (3) arrive on time at the correct
destination. An expeditor is an integral part of the supply chain who
is responsible for advising on any delays or issues that may impact the
procurement end to end process.
Warehouse Manager
While this role does not always fall within the procurement function, it is
important to understand the part it plays within the supply chain. Ware-
house managers’ roles involve the assurance of stock being stored correctly
and being available for transfer from a warehouse to the shop floor or to
dispatch to satisfy customer and consumer needs.
Logistics Manager
Procurement
Director
Procurement
Manager
Senior Supplier
Supply Chain Relationship Logistics
Buyer Manager Manager
Manager
Procurement
Category Data Quality Warehouse
Manager Analyst Controller Manager
Buyer
Quality Controller
with “sorting out the stationery cupboard.” As with any project, I gave it my
best shot, and within a few weeks, had rearranged the cupboard; put the pens,
paper, and printer ink into specific and labeled locations; and set up reorder
points to ensure that nothing ever ran out. I had spoken to a few suppliers
and realized one of the rules of procurement (the more you buy or commit
to take, the lower the price) and also began to understand the basics around
price versus cost, lead times, and the importance of a solid specification. Over
the next few months, I received praise from managers in the organization in
two main areas. Firstly, they were impressed that they could always find what
they wanted and it was always available, and secondly, the stationery spend
was significantly below the predicted budget for the year. Due to that small
project, a love of procurement was born, and I soon moved jobs to be a junior
buyer for an agricultural company, then after a few years, sought more respon-
sibility and got a job as a buyer for a kitchen manufacturer. Over the years,
each job move gained me more responsibility, knowledge, and passion for the
profession. In 2016, I had a role as a procurement manager for a large buying
cooperative and had been in situ for nine years when I decided I wanted to
give something back to the profession and share my years of experience. At that
point, I left employment and set up my own business training people through
delivering courses, writing books, and offering outsourced buying solutions.
And, this is where I am now, in 2021, writing educational literature and
delivering my own training material.
Index
Letters ‘f’ and ‘t’ after page numbers indicate figure and table, respectively.