News

The 10 safest jobs in a recession

People who have suffered the trauma of being made redundant are not usually in any hurry to repeat the experience. So, in times of recession such as these, it makes sense to consider how secure your next job will be. If you've been made redundant and are unlikely to find the same type of work again, a career change will be forced on you. Others, meanwhile, will welcome the opportunity to try something new. But which are the safest career choices at a time of economic slowdown? We've drawn up a list of 10 jobs that experts say are most likely to weather the storm.

Tuesday 27th January | Read More

Improving IT procurement and encouraging open source software

George Osborne has welcomed recommendations from Dr Mark Thompson on how to deliver better value for money in IT procurement and create a level playing-field for open source software. In March last year, the Shadow Chancellor invited Dr. Thompson, of the Judge Business School at Cambridge University, to develop independent recommendations to provide a better deal for taxpayers.

Tuesday 27th January | Read More

Only 53% of organisations use e-purchasing

Nearly half of organisations in the UK use little or no e-procurement, according to a study by the National Computing Centre. The survey by the IT sector membership group of 110 public and private sector groups of all sizes found 47 per cent are not regularly using electronic purchasing for goods and services.

Monday 26th January | Read More

Abandon your comfort zone, buyers told

Purchasers must do something that "scares" them every day to make a positive impact over the next 12 months, according to the former CPO of British Airways (BA). Speaking at an event for CIPS fellows in London last night, Silla Maizey, customer director at BA, said the economic downturn means there is no better time for purchasing to influence the board and "stand up and be noticed".

Thursday 22nd January | Read More

Public sector procurement never more important

The public sector spends around £8 billion every year buying goods and services. Transforming the way we do business is vital, for two simple reasons. In tough economic times, we need to maximise the contribution that public contracts make to the Scottish economy. And every penny spent by the public sector must represent best value to the taxpayer. We simply cannot afford to miss any opportunity to improve how we spend money.

Thursday 30th October | Read More

With Tough Times Ahead, Procurement Leaders Go "Back to Basics" and Save More by Performing Spend Analysis

With global enterprises facing, perhaps, the strongest recessionary headwinds in a lifetime, Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs) and other procurement leaders will be forced to do even more with even less over the next 12 to 18 months. While desperate times may call for desperate measures, a majority of procurement departments need only take a "back-to-basics" approach to uncover huge reserves of potential savings, according to a new study by Aberdeen Group

Friday 24th October | Read More

Procurement Should be Central to Corporate Strategy, Says New Norton Rose Report

Procurement should be placed firmly at the core of corporate strategy and have proper resources allocated to it, according to a report by international legal practice Norton Rose Group. The 100 page report, "A Smart Approach to Sourcing" is based on 40 in-depth interviews conducted by Norton Rose Group lawyers with chief information officers, general counsel, heads of procurement and other senior executives at technology vendors, as well as customers between March and July 2008.

Tuesday 21st October | Read More