In what seems like a strange message from a different era, a Harvard Business Review article in 2012 by Reed K. Holden, wrote about the games buyers play with vendors, and the fact that the relationship buyer “has been in steady decline.” Holden, the author of Negotiating with Backbone, contended that the relationship buyer was […]
Libby Weber: The Importance of Framing Your Contracts — Future of Sourcing 23 March 2020
Libby Weber – Associate Professor at the University of California, Irvine – promotes a way of thinking about contracts beyond their traditional “preventive” role of avoiding risk, preventing breaches or opportunistic behavior. Her premise? Why not use contracts to promote cooperation, flexibility, and creativity?
Contracts and Baggage
I met University of Vermont Law Professor Oliver Goodenough recently at an IACCM/Stanford Law School event that discussed the future of contracts. He posed this question: “Does the term “contract” come with baggage?” The discussion that followed was lively. The simple fact of the matter is today’s mental model of a contract does come with […]
Art of Procurement: Unpacking The Standing Neutral W/ Kate Vitasek
Philip Ideson podcast with Kate Vitasek on 17 February 2020 “In these complex deals, change is the norm and it’s very easy to get out of alignment as new players come in town. So we have to keep the relationship and the contract in continual alignment with everyone’s interests.” Here is the link: https://artofprocurement.com/episode302/
SCB 8 Feb: Organizations Must Improve Talent Development for Procurement
In a business environment driven by high customer expectations for speed and quality, increasing volatility and risk, and market interconnectedness, best-in-class procurement is a significant competitive differentiator.
Walmart Canada And DLT Labs Launch World’s Largest Industrial Blockchain Application — Forbes
Published in Forbes online by Kate Vitasek on 31 Jan. 2020. Here is the link: https://tinyurl.com/u5gpq9v
Culture of Innovation
It seems every company recognizes the importance of innovation. This is especially true for the IT industry, where often today’s latest software innovation is yesterday’s news. This is why it is intriguing to see InformationWeek taking a stab at pushing for a “culture of innovation.” A recent post outlined five techniques “to support and encourage entrepreneurship in your […]
A Vested View on Risk
I was at a conference focused on contracting and a law school professor asserted, “You have three ways to deal with risk. Transfer it. Accept it. Or Insure for it.” There is nothing much new with those options, shifting risk is a popular pastime. But I propose there is a fourth way that is even […]
Secession as a Negotiation Tactic Will Only Go So Far
In a recent Seth Godin blog, Secession vs. Commitment, he talks about the negotiation tactic of leaving: it is powerful because “when the customer/partner/citizen could bolt at any moment, we act differently.” It may be powerful, but it is a short-term tactic. A better dynamic is commitment, because it is a “creation tactic.” When parties […]
APQC Report: Companies’ Procurement Skills Woefully Lacking
Article by Kate Vitasek published 10 Dec. 2019 in Forbes. Here is the link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/katevitasek/2019/12/10/apqc-report-companies-procurement-skills-woefully-lacking/#6c63883e79ed
