Insights & media
Practical writing on procurement, supply chain and negotiation.
Inventory
Sample contentA modest change at the till can turn into a flood of orders, or a drought, by the time it reaches the factory. Understanding why is the first step to calming it down.
2 min read
Negotiation
Sample contentIf both sides wanted exactly the same thing, there would be nothing to negotiate. Differences in view are not an obstacle to the deal. They are where the deal comes from.
2 min read
Negotiation
Sample contentThe first few minutes of a negotiation set the tone for everything after them. A good ice breaker is not small talk for its own sake. It is preparation put to work.
2 min read
Negotiation
Sample contentSome of the most important negotiations a buyer has are not with suppliers at all. They are with the colleagues who live with the consequences of what procurement buys.
2 min read
Market dynamics
Sample contentHow much room a buyer has to negotiate depends less on negotiating skill than on the market they are buying in. Perfect competition is the place to start understanding why.
2 min read
Inventory
Sample contentBoth sit on the shelf and both tie up cash, but they call for very different decisions. Treating one like the other is an expensive mistake.
1 min read
Supplier management
Sample contentBuyers spend a lot of time deciding how important a supplier is to them. It is just as useful to ask how important you are to the supplier.
1 min read
Negotiation
Sample contentGood negotiators adapt to the person across the table. The skill is adapting your style without giving up your position.
1 min read