Procurement Daily Activities Planning

Procurement teams have so much to think about? Am I right?

Something I wish we could find in every organization: a planning for the full range of activities that every procurement professional needs on daily basis to organize and stay focus among all requests and emergencies.

Procurement teams wear many hats 🤯. The daily demands can be overwhelming. It’s easy to get caught in a non-stop requests, emergencies, & ad-hoc tasks, losing sight of the bigger picture & strategic goals.

This is where a robust & comprehensive procurement plan becomes invaluable. It serves as a roadmap, guiding professionals through the complexities of the role & ensuring to stay focused on the most important tasks.

Why is a detailed plan essential?

1. Priorities & focus: a plan helps prioritize tasks, identify critical activities, & avoid getting bogged down in less important ones.

2. Efficiency & productivity: outline daily/weekly/monthly activities, to streamline workflows, identify bottlenecks, & eliminate unnecessary steps.

3. Better decisions: a clear plan helps analyzing potential risks & rewards, evaluate different options, & choose the best course of action.

4. Value optimization: a well-defined plan can help identify & capitalize on cost-saving opportunities.

5. Better communication & team work: facilitates collaboration with internal stakeholders (finance, operations, engineering…) & external suppliers.

6. Risk mitigation: minimize disruptions & ensure business continuity.

7. Continuous improvement: a must have, always. a regularly reviewed plan allows to track progress, identify areas for improvement, & make adjustments.

How to Implement a Procurement Plan (below an example):

✅ Define objectives
✅ Prioritize tasks
✅ Create a schedule
✅ Allocate resources
✅ Monitor progress
✅ Conduct regular reviews

Tools for procurement planning & management
❇️ Procurement software (if you have)
❇️ Project management tools (if you have:))
❇️ Spreadsheets (my go to): basic spreadsheets can be effective for tracking tasks, budgets, & key metrics
❇️ Note-taking apps or the old good notebook (what I prefer, I need to write 😅)

Staying afloat: personal strategies
✴️ Prioritize, always!
🔝 Time management techniques: use techniques like time blocking, …
✴️ Break down large tasks: from large to small steps.
✴️ Regular breaks: take breaks throughout the day to avoid headaches:)
✴️ Delegate: share tasks with other team members whenever possible.
✴️ Seek support: don’t hesitate to seek help from colleagues, mentors, or procurement community.

Check below a breakdown of the activities in my planning, let me know what is missing & what could be improved?? (ps: the 1st page is a compilation, click for more slides for better visibility and download to adapt to your activities as needed).
Thank you 🙏