In the novel The CPO: Transforming Procurement in the Real World, we
meet Thomas Sutter, a German-American living in Dusseldorf and working
as a procurement manager for a major global automobile manufacturer,
Autowerke. On a chance encounter while flying to Chicago, he meets the
CEO of Heartland, a major food company in the U.S. Sutter impresses the
CEO with his knowledge and, after a whirlwind courtship, he joins
Heartland as its new Chief Procurement Officer, based in Fort Wayne,
Indiana.
Hired to transform procurement at Heartland, Sutter has an enormous
challenge: to bring its procurement practices into the 21st century and
save the company $5 billion. Despite the knowledge and experience he
gained at Autowerke, Sutter fights over the next 18 months to find his
place at Heartland, institute world-class procurement models and
methods, win over the procurement teams and senior executives, and meet
his goal. At first, his reputation--and his marriage--suffer, along with
the company's overall sales and revenue. Can he pull a rabbit out of the
hat?
The CPO: Transforming Procurement depicts the real-life challenges of
transforming procurement, while demonstrating the benefits of innovative
procurement and leadership methods. Written by global thought leaders in
A.T. Kearney's procurement and supply management practice--consultants
who have helped numerous companies chop billions of dollars in costs out
of their procurement budgets--The CPO will prove invaluable for those
in purchasing and procurement. It will also present essential
information to those in the C suite looking for ways to boost profits
and productivity. The CPO:
- Portrays best-in-class, real-life, actionable methods to turn
procurement into a function that can save billions and improve the
bottom line.
- Provides a fun way to learn essential lessons in procurement and
change management.
- Shows how rejecting victimhood in all its aspects leads to personal
and business success.
- Presents lessons in novel format--like The Goal, Who Moved My
Cheese, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, and others--to engage you
and show techniques in action.
