The way forward

Abstract

On a daily basis we are in contact with procurement executives around the world who are applying the principles of the Purchasing Chessboard. Many of them ask us to help them introduce the Purchasing Chessboard to their company; some are happy to implement it without outside help. In all cases, the Purchasing Chessboard has profoundly altered procurement. As we expected, it has significantly increased the external effectiveness of procurement — that is, the ability to reduce costs and increase value with suppliers. But its rewards do not stop there. We have been pleasantly surprised to find that it seems to have changed the way procurement both regards itself and interacts with other functions. Procurement organizations that use the Purchasing Chessboard appear to be more outgoing, readier to interact, and more proactive in engaging others.

As usual, there is a flipside to this. A pushier, more confident procurement causes some repercussions. Those who fear that procurement might step on their toes typically question the successes it claims — and we do have an answer for that later in this chapter. But first, let us summarize our insights, study results, and observations on how the Purchasing Chessboard is being used in today’s business world.