- Genre:business & economics
- Sub-genre:Purchasing & Buying
- Language:English
- Pages:68
- eBook ISBN:9798317852979
Book details
Overview
Most CEOs don't become CEOs because they're experts in procurement and supply chain management. They don't need to be. But they do need to understand how these functions shape cost, risk, resilience, and business performance.
In today's business environment, procurement and supply chain decisions influence 50-70% of enterprise costs, the majority of third-party risk, operational resilience, regulatory compliance, ESG performance, and long-term profitability. Yet many executives still view these functions as little more than purchasing departments.
In Procurement & Supply Chain Management: What Every CEO Needs to Know (Before It's Too Late), global procurement and supply chain executive David J. Watkins challenges conventional thinking and explains why procurement and supply chain management are among the most powerful drivers of enterprise value and risk. Drawing on decades of leadership experience across multiple industries and global organizations, Watkins provides practical answers to the questions CEOs should be asking about organizational structure, governance, supplier risk, operating models, technology investments, negotiation practices, and executive accountability.
Written in a direct, candid, and accessible style, this book helps leaders understand how procurement and supply chain decisions shape business performance long before problems become visible. It offers practical insights for CEOs, board members, senior executives, investors, and aspiring procurement leaders who want to better understand the critical role these functions play in driving operational excellence, managing risk, and creating long-term value.
You don't need to become a procurement or supply chain expert. But you do need to stop flying blind.
Read moreDescription
Most CEOs do not become CEOs because they are experts in procurement and supply chain management. They do not need to be. But they do need to understand how these functions influence cost, risk, resilience, growth, and long-term business performance.
The reality is simple: most enterprise value and risk live outside a company's four walls. Procurement and supply chain decisions influence 50-70% of enterprise costs, shape relationships with critical suppliers, impact operational performance, and determine how well organizations respond to disruption. Yet many executives continue to view procurement as a purchasing function rather than a strategic business discipline.
In Procurement & Supply Chain Management: What Every CEO Needs to Know (Before It's Too Late), veteran procurement and supply chain executive David J. Watkins provides a practical, executive-level guide to one of the most misunderstood functions in business.
Drawing on decades of leadership experience across multiple industries and global organizations, Watkins explains:
• Where procurement and supply chain should report within the organization and why it matters
• Why Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs) and Chief Supply Chain Officers (CSCOs) need executive authority
• The critical differences between sourcing, procurement, and supply chain management
• How operating models can either create value or destroy it
• Why shadow procurement functions exist and the risks they create
• How procurement and supply chain drive operational excellence
• Why supplier negotiations should be led by trained professionals
• How technology enables visibility, control, resilience, and performance
• What CEOs should expect from a CPO or CSCO during the first 100 days
Written in a direct, candid, and occasionally provocative style, this book challenges long-standing assumptions and provides practical insights that leaders can apply immediately. It avoids unnecessary jargon and focuses on the questions that matter most to CEOs, boards, investors, executives, and business leaders responsible for enterprise performance.
Whether you lead a multinational corporation, a growing business, a public-sector organization, or are building a career in procurement and supply chain management, this book will help you better understand how supplier decisions shape business outcomes long before problems become visible.
You do not need to become a procurement or supply chain expert.
But you do need to understand what happens when the function is underfunded, misunderstood, or ignored.
Because by the time most leaders realize how important procurement and supply chain management really are, the consequences are already showing up in their results.
Read more