Overview
Following the release of Part One, Part Two of our category management series seeks to analyse in more depth the reasons why category management is struggling to deliver in particular categories. The report also identifies the actions needed in the areas of talent, business alignment and thinking beyond category management in order to re-invigorate it as the process of choice for procurement professionals.
Key findings
- Category management is often a procurement only process, with little stakeholder involvement
- Stakeholder apathy is a result of poor engagement at the implementation stage. Procurement continue with category management despite lack of support from stakeholders, alienating them in the process
- Category management is very highly supported within the procurement function, unless it is seen as there to exert control
How to use this report
The research shows that relatively few organisations consider themselves to be advanced in the practice of category management; that there are categories common to many that fall outside of procurement’s remit; and that stakeholders, generally, are uninterested in the process. The reader is offered recommendations on how to address these issues; an important point is that you will see you are not alone, so have the courage to stay on the path of category management, accepting that advanced category management takes many years to work through.