Gearing up for a Global Procurement Strategy

How do you take a globally based sourcing team that is currently aligned to different internal customer sets – and build it into a strategic function that understands not just its customers but also the often volatile external commodity markets, and that can guide the business to making the best purchasing decisions for now and the future? Suzette Neyra-Jones recently took on this challenge at McAfee, and is excited about the challenge of building a world class procurement organization.

For now, the procurement function is still more transactionally-focused than Suzette would like it to be. Her vision is more end-toend in scope, where procurement partners with customers to make smarter purchasing deciiosns. She emphasizes the importance not just of understanding customer needs and external markets, but of leveraging data and process knowledge to maximize the impact of dollar spend. "It's really about taking a holistic approach versus just one piece of the process," she explains.

McAfee's purchasing team is based in a number of low-cost locationa around the world, but that's not just about cutting cost. It's important to stay close to your customer to provide them with a more regionalized service, Suzette explains. "You've got to be clear on whether you are maximiizing the process - or saving a dollar."

Listen to the interview.

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