2013 Global SRM Research Report - Six pillars for success

97

■ VERY IMPORTANT ■ IMPORTANT ■ USEFUL ■ NOT IMPORTANT

Figure 4.6. Knowledge and skills priorities for SRM

Skills for the job

1

TRUST BUILDING COMMUNICATION

2

3

STRATEGIC THINKING INFLUENCING SKILLS

Our research indicates that as SRM is becoming better defined and organisations are establishing their preferred operating model, an increased understanding of the skills and competencies required to deliver SRM value is emerging. We asked what skills and compe- tencies were considered most important for SRM practitioners to have. The most important was considered to be good communi- cation skills , followed by the ability to build trust , influence effectively , think and act strate- gically , and to be able to work in cross functional teams .

4

5

NEGOTIATION SKILLS FACILITATION SKILLS LEADERSHIP CROSSFUNCTIONAL WORKING

ANALYTICAL SKILLS CREATIVE MINDSET COMMERCIAL AND CONTRACTUAL EXPERTISE CHANGE MANAGEMENT MARKET AND CATEGORY KNOWLEDGE

ACCOUNT PLANNING BUSINESS COACHING UNDERSTANDING THE SALES AND KEY ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT PROCESS PROJECT MANAGEMENT

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Supply and demand

Figure 4.7. Training demand and supply – buy side

■ DEMAND ■ SUPPLY

Having established the skills and competencies organisations believe are most important to SRM, two additional questions were asked to understand which of these skills were in need of improvement, and what training has taken place in the last 12 months. This chart combines the answers to provide an indicative supply and demand picture. What is clearly shown is that demand for training in the skills and competencies required to deliver SRM value, significantly outstrips supply in nearly every area. Some of the biggest gaps are in the areas iden- tified as the most important in the previous analysis ( above). Adequate training only appears to be provided in the areas of negotia- tion , and commercial and contractual expertise . This is easily explained by the fact that these are core procurement skills and that almost 70% of SRM is currently delivered from the procurement function.

4

STRATEGIC THINKING

5

CROSS FUNCTIONAL WORKING

COMMERCIAL AND CONTRACTUAL EXPERTISE CHANGE MANAGEMENT

7

1 2

COMMUNICATION

TRUST BUILDING

3

INFLUENCING SKILLS

LEADERSHIP

6

NEGOTIATION SKILLS

ACCOUNT PLANNING

UNDERSTANDING THE SALES AND KEY ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT PROCESS FACILITATION SKILLS

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

CREATIVE MINDSET

ANALYTICAL SKILLS

BUSINESS COACHING

OTHER

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

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