Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 6th Edition

Agile procurement in an uncertain world

A recurring theme throughout this book is that as the level of volatility and uncertainty in the wider business environment increases, so too must organisations adopt a more agile stance. In Chapter 6 we introduced the idea of ‘agility’ as the basis for developing a more responsive supply chain capability. This requirement for agility applies just as much to the procurement activity in the organisation as it does to manufacturing and distribution.

What actions should be taken to build a more agile approach to procurement?

Perhaps the first pre-requisite is to encourage an agile ‘mindset’ amongst the procurement team. Essentially this implies a recognition that constant change is inevitable and that nothing ...