As many will be aware, the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply has a Knowledge page on the CIPS website dedicated to procurement- and supply-related resources for professional development and enhanced team performance. Therein is housed the salary guide, tools for navigating and understanding procurement processes, CLM for example, advice on standards, qualifications, and other useful content for procurement professionals, like templates.
You may also be aware that CIPS launched a Coronavirus Hub as part of that knowledge bank. It holds the latest news and guidance from CIPS on Covid-19, with details of supporting events and advice on how to gear up for a post-coronavirus procurement and supply chain function. It also contains a useful FAQ section answering questions like: What if My Contract Does Not Include Force Majeure? Have the Rules for Public Sector Buyers Changed? and How Should I React to a Supplier Facing Financial Difficulties? All essential reading for practitioners at this time.
As Supply Management stated when the hub was launched:
“In order to help those working tirelessly to mitigate the impact of coronavirus on their organisations, CIPS has launched its coronavirus hub to share the most up-to-date and relevant news and guidance procurement professionals need.
While an FAQ section will answer pressing questions, a series of webinars and podcasts will offer insights from across the whole profession, and sector spotlights will share how different sectors are managing during this period.
The hub will also feature stories on the ‘procurement heroes’ going above and beyond to source essential goods and find innovative ways to keep businesses and supply chains operating.
Ana Barco, group director, membership and marketing, CIPS said: ‘Individual members, sectors and organisations will all have their unique challenges but collectively as a global community we can solve many of the problems this crisis has thrown at us.’
‘This is the time to lean on CIPS and fellow professionals to support you in the work you have to do to keep supply chains moving efficiently, from healthcare to the food industry to vital services.’”
In a great effort, CIPS has concentrated all of its editorial support into making this a dedicated and up-to-date, go-to resource for procurement professionals (so much so that normal editorial coverage in Supply Management has ceased temporarily during this time). We recommend diving into the hub regularly to read the latest help and advice, since topics change almost daily. Note that this is more practitioner-focused. If you are looking for market- and vendor-related procurement and supply chain content, you can also visit the Spend Matters Coronavirus Response page, to give you a full-rounded view of the current landscape.
A really nice feature of the hub is a focus on the ‘procurement heroes’ of the time. It gives us real-life stories of procurement and supply actions carried out for the greater good. The Salvation Army, for example, has focused its efforts on setting up regional food hubs to ensure vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals and families across the UK receive help. Said Steve Apted, procurement category manager of general indirects at The Salvation Army: “Food banks are really a cottage industry tuned to local needs. They’re all in lots of local communities, staffed by volunteers, and they get loads of donations as people finish their shop. However, all these donations have dried up as people have been socially distancing, using online shopping, and the amounts people can buy have been severely restricted … New food hubs, which are not open to the public … have been created to feed local communities with donations procured through cross-sector non-commercial arrangements with national supermarkets, restaurant chains, leisure centres and even ships.”
These are all great stories – an inspiration to all of us.
