Managing director of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) Africa - Andre Coetzee has urged procurement and supply professionals to adopt the skill-set required to move the practice from merely a function of driving pricing,to one that fosters collaboration between buyers and suppliers for mutual benefits.
He said the procurement and supply profession having evolved from a back-room function to a boardroom one,requires a massive shift in technology in order to remain a management function.
Andre Coetzee made this call during the Ghana branch event and Annual General meeting of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply in Accra.
The event which was attended by members of the institute was also used by leaders to account for one year of leadership to their members and was under the theme,"Enhancing professionalism in Procurement management:the key to economic growth in Ghana."
Andre Coetzee noted that once the change in skill-set is achieved,modern supply chain will witness a share of the risks as well as rewards between buyers and suppliers as a result of the collaboration built between the two players.
He said the supply profession in Ghana was at the center-stage and needed to move to catch up with their global counterparts who are at the boardroom,but this he added will only happen if there is a great change in techniques used.
"As we move from the back-room to the center-stage,we cannot keep doing the same things and expect different results.It is really important we change the skill-set."
Among the skills he advocated must be learned and practiced by supply professionals include supply chain and network relationship management,negotiation skills,strategic internal consultancy and analytical skills.
According to Andre Coetzee,these skills if properly harnessed will deliver added value to the solutions delivered to buyers by suppliers.
In addition to the skills and attitudinal change,some competence levels such as tactical,operational,managerial,and advanced professional skills will ensure massive gains are made in the profession in Ghana which will go a long way to cushion Ghana's economy.
He further mentioned that the function of procurement and supply has become an integrated chain where virtually all departments of an organization are linked to - in areas of finance,sales,production and information flow.
Vice Chair of the Chartered institute of Procurement and Supply,Simon Annan in his remarks outlined a number of activities the institute embarked on in the past year,with a call on members to actively participate in all activities it undertakes.
He added that,the introduction of social media platforms will enable members interact as well as discuss issues of economic importance in the coming weeks.
Simon Annan indicated that in the past year,the institute was able to join the Association of Recognized Professional bodies in Ghana,whose sole aim is to present a paper to parliament to regularize these bodies in the country.
He was confident this year would witness even bigger things as well as engage in public education on the issue of procurement ,since quite a number of individuals are oblivious of the dealings of the
profession.
Procurement is an essential economic activity for good governance.
Government agencies and other independent organizations,multilateral funding institutions and international aid organizations implement their development assistance and human relief programmes aimed at fighting diseases,reducing poverty,and fostering economic and social development through procurement and supply.
Practicing procurement and supply chain in developing countries will ensure there is value for money through maximizing economy and efficiency in procurement,promote competition among suppliers,and contractors for the supply of goods and services.
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