The CPO: Transforming Procurement in the Real World

The CPO: Transforming Procurement in the Real World

by Christian Schuh, Michael F. Strohmer, Stephen Easton, Armin Scharlach, Peter Scharbert
Released November 2012
Publisher(s): Apress
ISBN: 9781430249627

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Book description

In the novel The CPO: Transforming Procurement in the Real World, we meet Thomas Sutter, a German-American living in Dusseldorf and working as a procurement manager for a major global automobile manufacturer, Autowerke. On a chance encounter while flying to Chicago, he meets the CEO of Heartland, a major food company in the U.S. Sutter impresses the CEO with his knowledge and, after a whirlwind courtship, he joins Heartland as its new Chief Procurement Officer, based in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Hired to transform procurement at Heartland, Sutter has an enormous challenge: to bring its procurement practices into the 21st century and save the company $5 billion. Despite the knowledge and experience he gained at Autowerke, Sutter fights over the next 18 months to find his place at Heartland, institute world-class procurement models and methods, win over the procurement teams and senior executives, and meet his goal. At first, his reputation--and his marriage--suffer, along with the company's overall sales and revenue. Can he pull a rabbit out of the hat?

The CPO: Transforming Procurement depicts the real-life challenges of transforming procurement, while demonstrating the benefits of innovative procurement and leadership methods. Written by global thought leaders in A.T. Kearney's procurement and supply management practice--consultants who have helped numerous companies chop billions of dollars in costs out of their procurement budgets--The CPO will prove invaluable for those in purchasing and procurement. It will also present essential information to those in the C suite looking for ways to boost profits and productivity. The CPO:

  • Portrays best-in-class, real-life, actionable methods to turn procurement into a function that can save billions and improve the bottom line.

  • Provides a fun way to learn essential lessons in procurement and change management.

  • Shows how rejecting victimhood in all its aspects leads to personal and business success.

  • Presents lessons in novel format--like The Goal, Who Moved My Cheese, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, and others--to engage you and show techniques in action.

    • What you'll learn

  • World-class methods and techniques for transforming the procurement function into a productivity powerhouse that directly and significantly contributes to improving the bottom line.

  • Insights into assessing the procurement and supply chain management organization and locating the levers for change.

  • How to calculate the return on supply management assets and understand supply and demand dynamics in the context of procurement.

  • Principles of leadership and change management: Finding and shuffling talent to effect change, making the case for change, mobilizing and motivating people, and training workers at all levels to think and act in new and useful ways.

  • The tools of transformation: employing circles of influence, rejecting victimhood, creating a plan to succeed, and more.

    • Who this book is for

    The CPO is a book for ambitious buyers, procurement managers, and C-level executives. CEOs will read it to have an understanding of how procurement transformation supports the strategic goals of the company, CFOs will read it to know what the return on procurement transformation could be, CPOs will read it to learn new methods and metrics and how to put them into profitable practices. It's also for those who want to enjoy a good book while learning how to transform their private lives along with their careers and the companies they work for.

    Table of contents

    1. Titlepage
    2. Dedication
    3. Contents
    4. About the Authors
    5. Acknowledgments
    6. Prologue
    7. Chapter 1: Frankfurt to Chicago
    8. Chapter 2: Sunday Night Back in Chicago
    9. Chapter 3: Late Night Phone Call to Heidi
    10. Chapter 4: Advice from Dan Schaeffler
    11. Chapter 5: Working It Out
    12. Chapter 6: Two Disgruntled Heartland Consolidated Industries Procurement Exectuives
    13. Chapter 7: Have We Done the Right Thing?
    14. Chapter 8: A Day in Thomas's Life at Heartland Consolidated Industries
    15. Chapter 9: In Ross's Office
    16. Chapter 10: Unhappiness Everywhere
      1. Interlude
    17. Chapter 11: Humiliated
    18. Chapter 12: Enter John McGrath
    19. Chapter 13: Capture the Hearts and Minds of the People
    20. Chapter 14: Too Simplistic
    21. Chapter 15: Moments of Truth
    22. Chapter 16: The Agenda
    23. Chapter 17: Go for Gold Is Born
    24. Chapter 18: The Fight
    25. Chapter 19: Planning the Strategy Summit
    26. Chapter 20: The Summit
    27. Chapter 21: Getting Into It
    28. Chapter 22: Building Bridges
    29. Chapter 23: Route to Nirvana
    30. Chapter 24: The Yacht Trip
    31. Chapter 25: The Horse Race
    32. Chapter 26: The Breakthrough
    33. Chapter 27: Laura Achieves “Guru” Status
    34. Chapter 28: Annual Heartland Consolidated Industries Spring Party
    35. Chapter 29: Just Virtual Savings?
    36. Chapter 30: It Is Not Just About Savings
    37. Chapter 31: Gearing Up
    38. Chapter 32: Launching the New Procurement Organization
    39. Chapter 33: It's Not About Penny Pinching
    40. Chapter 34: The Training Plan
    41. Chapter 35: Transformed
    42. Chapter 36: Professional Success and Private Disaster
    43. Chapter 37: Rewarded
    44. Chapter 38: The Heart Attack
    45. Chapter 39: Looking Into the Future
    46. Postscript

    Product information

    • Title: The CPO: Transforming Procurement in the Real World
    • Author(s): Christian Schuh, Michael F. Strohmer, Stephen Easton, Armin Scharlach, Peter Scharbert
    • Release date: November 2012
    • Publisher(s): Apress
    • ISBN: 9781430249627