Getting a new perspective on your position as a purchasing manager can mean better things for you and your company. So take a moment to consider your role in innovation at your company. Do the company executives, stakeholders, and other department managers come to you for suggestions or consider ideas you have to bring new thing to the table? Even if that is not the case at the current time, it doesn’t mean you can’t think like that.
Oftentimes the Chief Information Officer of a company is associated with innovation. Just because that is often part of that position’s job description doesn’t mean no one else can help. Additionally, just because innovation is not part of the purchasing manager job description does not mean it isn’t part of your responsibility as well. We cannot stress enough that introducing thrilling innovations in a company is a major procurement responsibility. Yes, the CIOs, educated in technology, software, hardware, and other infrastructure elements tries to bring just that to the table; But, sadly this is where most innovation ends. Innovation in the most successful companies doesn’t stop there. Procurement enhances innovation in all spheres of the business.
“Innovation” is not just a word thrown around in department meetings, annual reports, and other business meetings. Innovation is an essential ingredient to the success and health of every company. Innovation is a key component in increasing the overall revenue of the company. Innovation often leads to the introduction of new and fruitful products. This helps the company by expanding and evolving how they meet their existing customers’ needs or broaden who their target customer is.
As representatives of our company, whether or not you are executives or share in the profits, you should always strive to put the company at the top of your priority list and think of more innovative ways to raise the company to a higher level. All this is not meant to downplay the role that the CIOs play in the success of any company. Instead it is to throw light on one more aspect of procurement. It is just a small nudge to remind everyone involved that innovation is not the job of one, but the job of all.
As you grow in understanding, procurement managers should change how they think and feel about participating in innovative practices. Whatever they might feel, there is no doubt that innovation is not only a part of the procurement process, but is often where the best ideas are generated. .
If you are a company executive reading this article and are responsible for organizing creative meetings and wondering who should be included, then along with marketing, IT, and other stakeholders of the company, consider bringing in purchasing and procurement managers or team members. You may very well be surprised at the level of help you will get when everyone is working toward the same goals: innovation.
