Helping Procurement Teams Achieve Remarkable BENEFITS
'Best practices' articles by our founders
"Suppliers That Go 'Poof'"
Written by co-founder Mark Trowbridge, this article appeared in August 2024 Institute for Supply Management (ISM) member newsletter. ISM members can view the article by clicking the following link.
"5 Strategies to Reduce Energy Cost & Risk"
Co-authored by founder Mark Trowbridge, this article appeared in May/June 2024 edition of Supply Chain Management Review .
"The Psych In Negotiations"
Written by founder Mark Trowbridge and his wife Melanie Trowbridge, M.D., this article appeared in May/June 2023 edition of Supply Chain Management Review .
"Top 10 Reasons to Use Purchase Orders"
This article appeared in July 2022 in Future of Sourcing, a publication of the Sourcing Interest Group (SIG).
"Force Majeure & Other Acts of God - 5 Ways to Mitigate Uncontrollable SCM Risks"
This article was written by one of our firm's founders on the topic of Supplier Risk in the May/June 2022 edition of Supply Chain Management Review Journal.. Click below to view the article.
"Saving While Spending More - 5 Innovative Cash Management Techniques"
This article May/June 2021 article was written by one of our firm's founders on the topic of Cash Management and was the lead article in the May/June edition of Supply Chain Management Review Journal.. Click below to view the article.
"Proper Supplier Insurance...Mitigating Contractual Risk"
This article was written by one of our firm's founders on the topic of Enterprise Risk Management and the contracts we negotiate with suppliers. Click below to view the article.
"5 Techniques to Manage Supply Chain Risk"
This article was written by SPS founder Mark Trowbridge for the 2017 Edition of Supply Chain Management Review Magazine. Although only the magazine's subscribers can usually view their content, Strategic Procurement Solutions visitors can view it on the SCMR website by clicking the link below.
"Swamps, Alligators & MRO - Techniques for a Complex Spend Category"
This article was written by Mark Trowbridge for Materials Handling Magazine. Click below to view it on the MHM website.
"Find the Truth in Statistics"
This article appeared in ISM's Inside Supply Management Magazine. Originally titled, "Lies, Da__ Lies, and Statistics." Click below to view it on the ISM website.
"Put it in Writing - Sharpening Contracts to Reduce Risk & Increase Supply"
This article was published in Supply Chain Management Review Magazine. Click below to view it on their website.
Great Supply Chain Books & Websites
Topic - Cost Modeling
Book Recommendation - Supply Chain Cost Modeling - The Ready, Aim, Drive Process for Achieving Remarkable Results, by Jimmy Anklesaria
Few business persons understand cost modeling as well as Jimmy Anklesaria. This book outlines ways to properly estimate costs; an essential part of negotiations, especially in the procurement of manufactured products.
Topic - What to Look for in a Consultancy
Book Recommendation - The Trusted Advisor, by David Maister
This book was written by one of the original founders of the Boston Consulting Group and mirrors concepts embraced by Strategic Procurement Solutions in bringing value to every client we serve. We recommend you read this great book before hiring any consultancy. Too bad many in today's biggest advisory firms don't seem to have read this one...
Topic - Negotiation
Book Recommendation - Two books here are 'must reads' in the field of negotiations...
Getting to Yes - Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, by Roger Fisher & William Ury
This book made Fisher and Ury famous, by taking negotiations into a realm of creating winning deals rather than beating others into submission like so many public seminars do.
Getting Past No - Negotiating in Complex Situations, by William Ury
This book takes negotiation beyond the usual tactical hardball tactics taught in so many public workshops. This book illustrates concepts similar to some of the many important ones presented in Strategic Procurement Solutions negotiation workshops.
Topic - Strategic Procurement
Book Recommendation - The Purchasing Machine - How the Top Ten Companies Use Best Practices to Manage Their Supply Chains, by David Nelson, Jonathon Stegner
Written by David Nelson (CPO of Honda and Delphi, and CEO of the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) and his chief Lieutenant Jon Stegner (who hired Strategic Procurement Solutions for a key project at Delphi that saved $15 Million), this is a great book that illustrates how world class companies do procurement.
Topic - Supply Management
Book Recommendation - The Supply Management Handbook, by Joseph Cavinato
This book has been a classic in clearly describing all aspects of Supply Management and Procurement. Get the latest edition as a great reference tool regarding cole elements of a successful procurement practice.
Topic - How Do Business Leaders Behave
Book Recommendation - "Dilbert - The Way of the Weasel", by Scott Adams
Sadly, the business world doesn't always act the way they said it should back in MBA school. Too often, politics, greed, and stupidity 'sometimes' play a role in how business leaders act. Scott Adams has figured this out, as he illustrates through the Dilbert cartoons in this fun book. Take a read...and be surprised at how well Adams characterizes the challenges we sometimes face in the procurement field...
Topic - Ethics in Business
Book Recommendation - Business by the Book - The Complete Guide of Biblical Principles for Business Men & Women, by Larry Burkett
No matter your religious background, this helpful book provides powerful principles for ways procurement leaders can act in an ethical manner and earn the respect of their colleagues in business.
Topic - Procurement Best Practices
Book Recommendation - The Procurement and Supply Manager's Desk Reference, by Fred Sollish & John Semanik
We can't quibble with these guys, since John Semanik (when CEO of ISM Silicon Valley) wrote, "Bob Dunn and Mark Trowbridge of Strategic Procurement Solutions are the premiere experts on procurement in the world! Our chapter endorses them 100% of the time". Seriously, Fred and John have written the second edition of a great book on core elements of procurement.
Topic - Good Business
Book Recommendation - What They Don't Teach You At Harvard Business School - Notes from a Street Smart Executive, by Mark McCormack
This is a classic book that teaches great principles for being in business (including the business of procurement). A great read with important concepts for today's supply management professionals...
Topic - How to Improve Organizational Performance
Book Recommendation - From Good to Great - Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't, by Jim Collins
This classic book became a bestseller with over 10 Million copies sold, due to the important principles illustrated in its accounts from world class companies. Highly interesting, and a great motivator for today's procurement leaders as you build a top-performing supply management team.
Topic - Top Emerging Practices in Procurement
Subscription Recommendation - SpendMatters.com
In our opinion, this website publishes leading edge articles about emerging trends in the sourcing and procurement world, and rivals the Hackett Group and Forrester Research in its commentaries about Procure-to-Payment technology solutions available in today's marketplace. Strategic Procurement Solutions co-founder, Mark Trowbridge, often presents webinars hosted by SpendMatters.com CLICK NOW TO VISIT SPENDMATTERS SUBSCRIPTION PAGE