Introduction

International procurement is a complex process, which has the potential to provide many benefits to the organization in the form of lower prices, higher quality, and improved supplier performance. In this program you will learn how to:

• Develop your management skills

• Build your staff into a dynamic team

• Develop a strategic mindset

• Negotiate in a dynamic fashion

• Target vision of excellence for your operation

• Locate, evaluate and manage international sources

• Implement best practices in international procurement

• Effectively draft an international procurement contract

• Manage the international movement of materials

Objectives 

• Appraise powerful techniques for building teamwork

• Scrutinize important aspects of strategic thinking

• Evaluate the key elements of operational excellence

• Examine how to locate and evaluate new sources internationally

• Consider the impact of the internet on purchasing operations

• Review best practices in international purchasing

• Analyze ways of managing suppliers more effectively

• Study new concepts in inventory management

• Explore productive negotiating skills

• Understand the proper drafting of international contracts

• Plan for effective international transportation management

Methodology 

Participants will learn by active participation during the program through the use of program materials, exercises, video presentations and discussions on “real life” issues in their organizations.

Summary

This intensive program begins with a week focused on the core topics of an MBA including management of people, leading teams, strategic planning, negotiation skills development and the creation of operational excellence. The second week will be devoted entirely to the specialty of international buying techniques and best practices. Effective international buying is essential to the success of the modern business, government and military supply chain management operation. This program will focus on the best practices for locating, utilizing and managing global suppliers. Techniques for improving supplier performance, lowering prices, improving quality, shortening lead times, reducing inventory levels and eliminating unnecessary costs will also be carefully considered. In addition, we will also examine the impact of the internet on global buying activities. The main goal of this program is to improve personal management effectiveness as well as organizational performance. A prime objective is that you will leave the program with new ideas you can implement.

Outlines

Day 1:

People Management

• The importance of socio-technical management

• Techniques for effective communication

• Motivating for results

• Enhancing your coaching skills

• Empowering employees for improved performance

• Characteristics of a successful manager

Day 2:

Leading Teams

• Obtaining the benefits of teamwork

• Characteristics of ineffective teams

• Characteristics of effective teams

• Managing conflict in a productive manner

• Understanding team member styles

• Creating a virtual team

Day 3:

Strategic Planning

• Analyzing the strategic planning process

• Achieving competitive advantage

• Utilizing dynamic SWOT analysis

• Focusing on vision and mission

• The importance of contingency planning

• Examples of strategic success and failure

Day 4:

Negotiating for Results

• Gaining insight into the negotiating process

• Characteristics of an effective negotiator

• Developing negotiating strategies

• Employing persuasive negotiation techniques

• Achieving the benefits of effective negotiating

• Negotiation exercises

Day 5:

Operational Excellence

• The Malcolm Baldrige quality award-standard of excellence

• Lessons from the best-performing companies

• Benchmarking your operation against the best

• Creating employee commitment

• Managing continuous improvement

• Creating the high-performance organization

Day 6:

The Modern Buying Function

• Globalization and its effects

• Utilizing the internet for procurement

• Modern buying practices

• Assuring supplier performance

• Methods for determining a price

• Procurement’s role in the organization

• Procurement performance measurement

• Long term contract pricing formulas

Day 7:

International Buying

• International buying operations

• International counter-trade

• Achieving the benefits of global procurement

• Overcoming the difficulties of international buying

• Utilizing the learning curve

• Ensuring the quality of material deliveries

• International buying and inventory management

• Reducing costs in inventory management

Day 8:

International Supplier Sourcing

• Preparing to move beyond domestic sourcing

• Global sourcing

• Locating international sources

• Determining the type of supplier to utilize

• Single source vs. multiple source policy

• Source evaluation criteria

• Managing exchange rate risk

• Dealing with issues of ethics

Day 9:

Negotiation and Contract Preparation

• Insights into the negotiation process

• Characteristics of the effective negotiator

• Preparing to negotiate

• Negotiating techniques

• Obtaining the benefits of supplier partnering

• International buying legalities

• Drafting the international contract

• Dispute resolution mechanisms

Day 10:

International Movement Of Goods

• International commercial terms

• Buying transportation services

• Utilizing air transportation

• Utilizing ocean transportation

• Securing marine insurance

• Calculating the total landed cost

• Strategic purchase planning

• Re-engineering purchasing operations