During negotiations, both parties need to be flexible for an agreement to be reached. That usually means each party makes a series of concessions. So, do you say, “thank you” when your counterparty gives you something? What if the concession is inadequate? According to one definition of the Cambridge English dictionary thank you is “said […]
How to Unlock a Deadlocked Negotiation
Negotiation is a topic close to my heart and as a procurement professional it’s an activity I have engaged in for more than 20 years. It’s a very useful skill we all use in many contexts. In a past article, I have shared the negotiation process I follow to achieve great results. And in this […]
6 Things You Need to Know About Buying Services
Buying B2B services is very different from buying physical goods and, therefore, requires a different approach. Goods are tangible – you can touch them, test them and quality approve before they are shipped. So, with the right due diligence in place, there is a high degree of certainty in terms of what you get when […]
How to Negotiate Scientific Journal Subscriptions in a £19 Billion Oligopolistic Supply Market
The supply market for scientific journal subscriptions is unlike most other supply markets. Free content, based on publicly funded research, is transformed into premium digital subscriptions by an oligarchy of commercial publishers with net profit margins well above 20%. The oligopoly is being challenged by the Open Access and Open Science movements, and changes are […]
Building Business Resilience: How Procurement Plays a Critical Role
Right now, the focus is very much on business resilience. And for good reason. COVID-19 has disrupted long and complex supply chains and Just-In-Time systems like never before. So, what can Procurement do to help build this “new” element of competitive advantage called “business resilience”? In my view, there are two key areas where the […]
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