Training for procurement and supply chain professionals

Category strategy training

State of Flux’s category strategy training focuses on the science and art to driving high performing category management. We show you how to engage your organisation’s key stakeholders and develop best-in-class category strategy.

Taught by experienced practitioners and leading consultants, our category strategy training is designed to review the component disciplines of creating a category plan. It helps category managers and category specialists develop the thought processes and skills needed to take their category strategy to the next level. The key training topics are:

• The art and science of category management – the category manager role and what ‘good’ looks like
• Category planning and strategy – driving outcomes using best practice
• Category manager as trusted commercial advisor
• Profiling the category – applying segmentation criteria to prioritise sub-categories and projects
• Stakeholder mapping, influence and communications
• Supply market research and analytics
• Developing the category strategy

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Sourcing

Streamlining your sourcing process is a reliable method for securing better deals. It helps you purchase the right products and achieve the best value. Our sourcing training enables you to gather the knowledge and understanding of best-in-class sourcing based on the use of a streamlined sourcing process and toolkit.

We provide you with the flexibility to adapt your sourcing approach to the specific context of your categories and stakeholders. Key topics include:

• Tactical versus strategic sourcing
• The seven-step strategic sourcing process – overview of what ‘good’ looks like
• Deep dive into each of the seven steps:
  • View of best-in-class
  • Theory versus practice
  • Useful tools and tips
  • Application to a case study

Throughout the training, we will use real examples to illustrate the different learning points. You can also bring a live sourcing requirement to use as your own case study.

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eAuction

Although eAuctions have a proven track record of increasing sourcing initiatives savings and shortening sourcing timescales, they are still under-utilised: over 50% of companies who responded to our eSourcing survey conducted less than 5 eAuctions a year and more than half of these respondents conducted no eAuctions at all.

In our experience, the limited use of eAuctions is based on a mis-conception of their application to a narrow range of categories and focus on price reduction only. Our eAuction training is designed to address these and other mis-conceptions, while providing you with an understanding of when best to use eAuctions and the benefits of using technology to support your negotiations.

The course covers the following topics:

• Introduction to eAuctions and their benefits
• Overview of the different types of eAuctions
• What makes a ‘good’ eAuction:
  • eAuction opportunity validation
  • Strategy and planning – people, process and parameters
  • Bidders and eAuction set-up – the importance of communication
  • How to manage a live eAuction successfully
  • Post eAuction activities
• The ethics – ‘dos and don’ts’
• eAuction game – a live simulation

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Talent Development

To complement our category management and strategic sourcing training, we also provide training in:

• Negotiation and influencing skills
• Stakeholder engagement
• Change management – communication and planning
• Continuous improvement

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