Procurement can be your company's secret weapon for winning in
turbulent times.
In most companies, procurement is an unglamorous, unloved part of the
business. A job in the procurement office? A fast track to nowhere.
Sourcing and supplier management is strictly about costs, the thinking
goes, and all that matters is playing hardball to get these as low as
possible. No connection to innovation or strategy or creating positive
value.
Not so fast. As Boston Consulting Group thought leaders Christian Schuh,
Wolfgang Schnellbächer, Alenka Triplat, and Daniel Weise explain in
Profit from the Source, procurement should be regarded in a new light,
because it has the potential to be a CEO's secret weapon in these
fast-moving, disruptive times. The authors offer a wake-up call and a
new strategic blueprint for leaders everywhere. With vivid stories and
in-depth case studies, they illustrate that no other business function
offers the same holistic view of a company--from suppliers who provide
the organization with raw materials and components to consumers who buy
the finished product. While it's true that a core task of any
procurement function is to keep costs from spiraling out of control, the
authors show how procurement can help businesses generate phenomenal
value from five other sources of competitive advantage critical to
success--innovation, quality, sustainability, speed, and risk reduction.
Drawing on BCG research and the authors' firsthand experience working
with some of the world's leading companies--in high tech, automotive,
consumer goods, and many other industries--Profit from the Source
provides proven strategies to drive new bottom-line, as well as
top-line, growth for your company.
