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ProcataCrossroadsForeword by David Clevenger, former Head of Strategy and Organizational Development at Corporate United, and six-time honoree of the Inc. 5000. 

There is no question that the procurement profession has arrived at a pivotal moment. Any book addressing the potential future courses of procurement must go beyond the mere recognition of the shift in the current environment. To be truly useful, it must also embrace the unique challenges of developing practical approaches to current conditions, as well as how to react to those issues on the horizon.  Despite the high stakes and uncertainty, hope is not lost for the procurement professional—not even for those who have been in the industry for some time. In fact, if practitioners are prepared to capitalize on the current fluidity, they have an opportunity to take the evolutionary shifts that are now beginning to be seen and use them to reshape their role for the better. 

This book examines the 10 major questions regarding procurement’s role in the enterprise and how procurement is at a crossroads that will shape the future of the profession. The goal of this book is not to provide step-by-step directions on a hypothetical ‘correct’ path, but to illuminate the relative benefits of each choice available to procurement professionals. These thought leaders and subject matter experts also consider what the next phase of procurement’s evolution will be like by sharing the observations of others and taking some creative (but enthusiastic) license of their own.

Change is close on the horizon. Procurement professionals can no longer deny or avoid it any more than precisely predict what it will look like. However, the authors share insights for adapting to change and building relationships with key areas in the organization. This leading edge reference addresses complex issues in a narrative style based on the authors’ knowledge and experience and their work as bloggers and podcast interviewers, making it as compelling and readable as it is valuable.

Key Features

  • Presents a critical but honest look at all of the players within procurement and how they may experience change with the coming industry shifts
  • Shares the authors’ valuable insights, and those gained from other thought leaders, to thoroughly cover a range of topics facing everyone in the industry
  • Provides research and analysis of the procurement industry that other media have been reticent to address
  • Covers key issues affecting procurement and provides two separate, distinct and even contrasting viewpoints that will spur discussions beyond traditional subjects
  • Focuses on the key relationships procurement practitioners must nurture and maintain to build influence with finance, operations, and the CEO

Click here to order your copy of Procurement at a Crossroads

Read the Reviews...

"The authors do a great job of exploring what change in procurement consists of, and how it is likely to unfold in the next five years." - 'Procurement at a Crossroads' is Spot On and Makes You Think, Dr. Robert Handfield, Supply Chain Resource Cooperative

Listen to Phil Ideson's review of 'Procurement at a Crossroads' on the Art of Procurement podcast.

Read 'Procurement is dying - Part 1!' by Bertrand Maltaverne, inspired by 'Procurement at a Crossroads'

Susan Avery, Editor-in-Chief of My Purchasing Center, asks 'No procurement? Could it be?' in Supply Chain Quarterly