Procurement Needs To Update Professionalsâ Core Skills

With the rapid state of change most businesses are going through in the 21st century thanks to developments in a number of sectors – namely technology – it’s no surprise that numerous businesses are constantly updating the core skills of employees to keep up with the changes.

Procurement should be no different, and yet it seems that the skillsets of procurement specialists are not changing at the same rate as the industry as a whole, the Procurement Leaders website reports. With 33% of procurement leaders stating that they are currently in the process of undergoing a transformation project, it seems that ensuring skillsets are in line with such changes should be made a priority.

The talent capabilities of those involved in procurement transformation should be assessed to ensure they can deliver each stage of the project and meet the key delivery and success criteria driving such changes forward. If they are unable to do so, then procurement businesses need to seriously consider how to meet such business requirements.

In the past, negotiation may have been seen as the most important skill set, but one that wasn’t necessarily part and package of a procurement professional’s repertoire – this is now a key skill numerous individuals in the industry possess. Nowadays professionals may be required to be more tactical and strategic, as opposed to being a good buyer or manager; procurement specialists need to be able to sell the function to other departments as opinions regarding the sector shift as much as the sector does itself. This means soft skills are becoming more critical.

Mentoring is one popular method of helping to hone the skillsets of workers, but staff exchange initiatives are another useful tactic, as are external training programmes. Ensuring staff have the skills to run in parallel with newly evolving business objectives is key to success in any industry – and procurement is no exception.

Do you think procurement specialists need to begin addressing the key skills of staff?