THE BUSINESS REVIEW FOR PROCUREMENT LEADERS
At a time when many firms are seeking to integrate their supply chain functions to meet growing customer demands, the “silo mentality” remains firmly entrenched. Tensions between procurement and logistics, for example, are being compounded as traditional boundaries blur and each seeks to claim the broader mantle of supply chain management (SCM) for itself.
Practitioners in both functions are united in believing that closer co-operation produces optimal results. But there are differing views about how they should be organised, which professionals are best placed to provide leadership and whether there is likely to be a contest for the new breed of “chief supply chain officer” jobs that some are creating.
Tim Carroll of IBM – a leading exponent of the integrated supply chain model – believes these positions will grow in number during the next 18 months. Ambitious CPOs have a chance to fill them (indeed, some already have), but the consensus is that they need a much broader set of skills and experience than just procurement.
Given the shortage of candidates in the market, notes one commentator, it is likely to be the next generation of leaders who benefit most from SCM’s higher status.
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