Training & Events

Highlights at a Glance

• Identify levers for increasing strategic contribution
• Define strategic goals and objectives
• Measuring against world-class purchasing benchmarks
• Diagnostic software tool to take away

Highlights at a Glance

• Identify savings for your organisation
• Understand management vs transaction fees
• Explore how technology is changing the face of business travel
• Using management information to best advantage

This highly interactive course will allow delegates to explore a number of aspects of purchasing in a practical way, using substantial case study material to demonstrate the way in which buyers can contribute to an effective supply chain.

Procurement conducted in a responsible manner is central to the sustainability agenda. Personnel involved in the contracting and delivery processes need to understand their current position with regard to current environmental legislation and pressures.

This programme is aimed at all those who have recognised that they need to develop their negotiation skills. The programme gives a strong overview of the core concepts of negotiation generally, and is particularly appropriate for those delegates who feel that they are new to a role/business that requires them to use their negotiation skills.

This course is aimed at those delegates who have contractual responsibility for the puchasing and supply of goods and services within their company and who wish to develop, test and refresh their skills.

This course is for those who are relatively new to procurement, or have no previous training in the legal aspects of the procurement process. Delegates will gain an insight into the basic principles of contract formation and the rights, duties and remedies for breach that apply to commercial contracts.

This is an intensive, practical programme that rapidly turns theoretical knowledge into practical skills, which participants can use when negotiating with suppliers and others. The programme moves quickly from theoretical input to highly participative role-play sessions in which delegates negotiate against specially trained role-players. Video recordings of these sessions are used to provide confidence building feedback to delegates, enabling them to change, modify and develop their behaviour in successive role-play sessions and realise the benefits of the changes made.

This is an intensive, two-day workshop that encourages self reflection and self evaluation on many levels for the individual. The workshop uses unique behavioural profiling and is specifically aimed at, and developed for, professionals who are keen to enhance, refresh and re-evaluate their existing skills. Experienced tutors will provide the coaching to assist delegates in modifying and improving their behavioural profile. There is also consideration given to the impact of NLP, Emotional Intelligence and body language in relationship management during this programme.

Buyers often miss opportunities by not investigating information freely available in the public domain when they are making decisions about which supplier to use or develop. Understanding how to read a set of accounts is a vital part of a buyer’s toolkit. This programme will provide key information that will enable buyers to start asking questions of suppliers when it is appropriate and hopefully avoid any pitfalls.

This unit is designed to provide students with the ability to apply a variety of theories to negotiation in respect of preparation, planning and participating in the negotiation process.

This unit is designed to provide students with an appreciation of the marketing concept, the role of marketing within an organisation, marketing’s relationship with purchasing and supply, and marketing’s contribution to the overall strategic plan.

An appreciation of the fundamentals of contract management and why it has become so important in today’s competitive business environment.

This course is aimed at delegates who have recognised that they need to enhance their negotiation skills. The course gives a strong overview of the core concepts of negotiation generally, and how this relates to purchasing theory, and includes a delegate v delegate role-play case study that further enhances the learning process. This course would appeal to those who have been within the purchasing arena for a short time, but have not yet had the opportunity to benefit from negotiation training.

This course will provide an understanding of the role and benefits of purchasing within an organisation.

The West of Scotland branch would invite you to attend their relaunch event. The focus will be on building professional networks and developing current procurement themes. In response to a recent survey of local members, the first meeting will include two break-out sessions on CSR & Sustainability (hosted by Fiona Gooch from Traidcraft) and on Public Sector Procurement Reform (hosted by Nikki Bell, Deputy Head, Procurement Scotland).

The Cheshire & North Wales would like to invite you its Annual General Meeting and to join in a discussion covering a ‘Practical Approach to Sustainable Procurement’ which will be led by Graham Collins – Managing Director of ProQuest Consulting Ltd.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was CIPS’ main theme a couple of years ago and interest in CSR and sustainable procurement continues unabated.

Whilst largely accepting of the broad objectives many procurement professionals struggle to gain traction within their own organisations and find the potential agenda too complex and broad. Amongst all the other priorities it often doesn’t get the attention and priority it warrants.

Graham’s talk will underline the importance of CSR as is a make or break issue for procurement professionals. In particular, he will suggest how we can begin to cut through some of the complexity and implement practical steps that will deliver more sustainable procurement outcomes.

If you are involved in purchasing and you need to understand how a Procurement strategy is put together then the Chilterns branch would like to invite you to their next event which will explain how to develop and draft an effective Procurement Strategy. This will be a workshop which will explore the more practical elements presented by our guest speaker Barbara Hill, Head of Procurement at Thames Valley.

A practical, in-depth programme, covering all the relevant issues needed to be addressed in the management of contracted-out services, and providing contract managers with the relevant tools and techniques to promote optimum contractor performance.

• Understand what employment rights temporary and contract workers have
• Learn how best to improve efficiency and achieve economies
• Find out how to minimise legal risks
• Know what to push in negotiations and what not to