That is not to say that I don’t want to improve, surely I do. And as a consultant in this area, I need to stay one step ahead of the competition. The problem is that as we look for the next big thing, we forget about the tried and true. We neglect the things that work, and how to learn from our mistakes.
The most recent evidence I’ve found of this problem came from a presentation Ariba and Archstone put together with some case study help from McDonalds, called “Next Generation Category Management Strategies”.
The presentation provides great detail and insight into the process McDonalds used to get control of indirect spend in that organization. The process and the results were substantial, and I give credit to the team at McDonalds as well as the consultants that helped them get the job done. The problem I have with the presentation is the focus on their concept of the next big thing in supply chain – “Strategic Category Management” and how “different” it is from strategic sourcing, when in reality, the process McDonalds used was strategic sourcing in its truest, and most basic, form.
