“I will do one thing differently in every significant commercial engagement – question one assumption, challenge one standard, stay engaged one step further, build one relationship differently.” At the end of last year, I ran a survey to ask what most often prevents win-win outcomes in negotiations. 45% of practitioners identified lack of trust, more […]
Globalisation did not just stretch supply chains across borders, it quietly reshaped how organisations thought about contracts, risk, and value. What began as a search for efficiency and scale evolved into procurement models dominated by cost-based analysis, standardisation, and leverage. Contracts became instruments of control rather than frameworks for collaboration. The result was not only […]
Supply talent is no longer about procurement skills, functional process expertise, or traditional supply chain operations. In a market-driven, AI-enabled world, organisations need people who understand how value is created across the entire commercial ecosystem, from customer promise through market demand, pricing, product design, supplier capacity, and multi-tier commitments. It is not only AI which […]
CFOs are placing pricing high on the strategic agenda. With trade tensions, shifting supply chains, and cost volatility, organisations are revisiting how they set and adjust prices. But the most important message from the recent Deloitte CFO Signals survey is not simply that pricing matters more, it is that contracts have not kept up. Pricing […]
A recent interview by McKinsey with Wikipedia’s founder offers valuable insights to a question challenging many commercial teams and business negotiators: how do we build trust in an age where technology increasingly mediates our relationships? Jimmy Wales observed that trust is declining almost everywhere, whether in politics, journalism, or institutions. This erosion of confidence makes it […]
When ERP systems became the backbone of many organizations in the 1990s – 2000s, one of the frequent criticisms (and I was among those critics) was the extent to which it caused the embedding of rigid, siloed standards which added to the push for commoditization and drove tensions in the customer – supplier relationship. In the eyes […]
I started writing ‘Commitment Matters’ blogs almost 20 years ago. In that time, our world has changed and I started questioning how our concepts of ‘commitment’ have altered in the context of modern contracting. 20 years ago, I had to think long and hard, then document my thoughts. Today, indicative of the changes that have […]
Contract redlining – the activity of marking up a contract to show proposed changes – is a go-to technique for contract negotiation and review enthusiasts, now further enabled by automation and AI. But before we get carried away by the ease with which it can be undertaken, let’s reflect on the point that how and […]
CAPS Research tells us that “Procurement/SCM leaders report top obstacles that impact their ability to effectively execute their roles are access to data that can drive decision-making (37%), a shortage of talent, skills, and/or frequent turnover (37%), and outdated technology/software (31%). Removing these obstacles improves operational efficiency, enhance competitiveness, and sustains long-term growth.” Wow! Has […]
Procurement and supply chain leaders are rethinking what drives real value. Research by the Center for Advanced Procurement Studies (CAPS) confirms that supplier collaboration, refreshed category strategies, and cross-functional alignment now top the list of strategic priorities. These are seen as the route to better cost outcomes, stronger performance, and more adaptable operations. But to […]