Comments on: 89% Buyers say – Sales people would make successful buyers http://www.esourcingforum.com/archives/2007/04/24/89-buyers-say-%e2%80%93-sales-people-would-make-successful-buyers/ The source of information and best practices in strategic sourcing. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:56:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Adam Smith http://www.esourcingforum.com/archives/2007/04/24/89-buyers-say-%e2%80%93-sales-people-would-make-successful-buyers/#comment-7755 Adam Smith Thu, 03 May 2007 09:07:12 +0000 http://www.esourcingforum.com/?p=432#comment-7755 When I first joined the procurement profession it was very much process driven with large paperwork trails. Technology is changing this and processes are becoming streamlined and automated. Procurement now requires strategists and thinkers and it is very much feasible that these kind of people can come from sales orientated roles as they have been expected to think this way for many years. Good old fashioned processes still need to be maintained but they rarely add value to a business. A buyer now needs to be more in touch with the whole business than ever before and start to understand trends and emerging products within their own business. This has taken place in retail for many years with buyers expected to spot trends but it is now being seen in manufacturing and other disciplines. Strategic buyers get involved a lot earlier than perhaps 10 years ago when they were just expected to react to demand that appeared from within their own company walls. When I first joined the procurement profession it was very much process driven with large paperwork trails. Technology is changing this and processes are becoming streamlined and automated. Procurement now requires strategists and thinkers and it is very much feasible that these kind of people can come from sales orientated roles as they have been expected to think this way for many years. Good old fashioned processes still need to be maintained but they rarely add value to a business. A buyer now needs to be more in touch with the whole business than ever before and start to understand trends and emerging products within their own business. This has taken place in retail for many years with buyers expected to spot trends but it is now being seen in manufacturing and other disciplines. Strategic buyers get involved a lot earlier than perhaps 10 years ago when they were just expected to react to demand that appeared from within their own company walls.

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