Procurement Perspective – Sweeping Water Uphill
How quickly does time fly by? It is amazing to think that we are heading towards yet another Xmas! Life speeds by too fast and we do not get too many opportunities to share updates with contacts, clients and friends. However, it is a good time to take a moment, reflect and share some procurement perspective with you.
Procurement perspective and Xmas – a real contradiction
Procurement perspective and Xmas – it does create a real contradiction, does it not? I have to smile as I am putting down my thoughts. For many suppliers who have to deal with procurement, it may not feel as if Xmas and procurement can be mentioned in the same sentence.
The time leading up to Xmas can be hectic. Sometimes the customers (aka procurement teams) will take a break but expect the contractors to keep on working. Looming deadlines after all!
My good friend Jimmy, has a really wise way of looking at life. Jimmy says that he never sweeps water going upstream. It is a waste of time.
Jimmy is the ripe age of 90 plus. He should know better than most of us what a waste of time it is to try and sweep the waters of life and business upstream.
This has been a really busy time and for many of my clients, friends and contacts, it has been a year that required more and delivered less. Hard work to get on top of the challenges of business and making ends meet.
It is times such as these that the small things really matter.
Small gestures. Random acts of kindness.
The small wisdoms of wise old friends.
It is the small things that keep us taking that next step.
And what does this all have to do with any procurement perspective?
Well, I think us lot in procurement, we can certainly work harder at some of the small gestures.
Recently, I was talking to a supplier about a tendering process. I gave feedback on what this supplier did well and did not do so well in terms of the supplier’s tender response. Although they did not win the tender, they spend a lot of time to complete a detailed response. And all they want to know, was what they could do to do better next time. And the five minutes of feedback, was all it took to show them the respect they deserved.
I work on both sides of the procurement fence. Thus, I often share the frustration with many of my clients when they are not shown the respect they deserve or given the time of day.
So, my procurement perspective is quite straightforward.
Let us take a few minutes to pay respect to suppliers, clients, friends and contacts for the time taken to do their best.
Not everyone will be a winner every time, but everyone deserves to know what they can do better next time.
If you are in procurement or if you have a procurement team – I have a challenge for you.
Do you really like sweeping water upstream?
Why not stop and ask yourself or your procurement team what you can do to avoid suppliers and internal stakeholders having to sweep water upstream all the time?
And if you really cannot come up with an answer, feel free to contact me – I will ask Jimmy for his recipe.
I hope you have a wonderful time over the festive season with your family and loved ones. Enjoy the opportunity to catch your breath, put away the broom and just go with the flow.
Remember:
Albert Einstein
