Dr Peter Colman, Simon-Kucher & Partners:
Although the procurement function will be at different levels of maturity across industry sectors, the trend is one direction only – increasing levels of professionalism. For sales and marketing teams experiencing these changes, it is a fundamental and worrying shift in the dynamics of the customer relationship.
The customers’ buying centre (i.e. decision making group) is now larger, more complicated and more likely to have divergent goals. Furthermore, the professional procurement manager will have access to good market information, the option of utilising technical innovations like e-auctions and be financially incentivised to demonstrate savings.To counter this strengthened position, three actions should be taken by marketing and sales teams. (more…)
