OM DENNE EPISODE
Ever wish stakeholders called procurement first, not last? We dig into a live MCIPS Corporate Award project aimed at fixing exactly that, using three levers—procurement efficiency, process automation and behavioural insights—to make early engagement the easiest path for the business. Along the way, we tackle the hot take that the Corporate Award is the “easy route,” share what CIPS accreditation actually says, and explain why assignments still demand rigour, evidence and real organisational impact.
We start with the accreditation noise and move quickly into the practicalities of a 10,000‑word project: defining a clear problem statement, proving viability, and getting manager sign-off. Then we break down the plan to reduce late involvement by cleaning up intake, standardising templates, and using guided workflows that route requests to the right people at the right time. For legal and finance, we discuss legal-ready packs, clause playbooks, and approval timing that avoids month end. For stakeholders, we use behavioural nudges, better framing, and small design choices—defaults, reminders, progress bars—that shift habits without heavy-handed change management.
Expect grounded tactics you can copy: choose one high-friction journey, map it, set success metrics like lead time and satisfaction, pilot the new flow, and publish before-and-after results. We also share how tutor checkpoints keep momentum, why scope discipline matters, and how a crisp data story builds credibility for the next wave of change. If you’re wrestling with late buy-in, slow legal queues, or unclear approvals, this is a playbook to speed decisions and earn trust through design, automation and human psychology.
If this helped, follow the show, leave a quick review, and share it with a teammate who’s stuck chasing sign-offs—then tell us what you’d try first.
Please get in touch as we love to hear from you listeners! You can use the "text" function above or drop us on email: 2lukes1cip@gmail.com or visit our website www.letstalkprocurement.co.uk
It would also mean the world if you can drop us a cheeky 5* rating on your platform of choice,
Cya Later
VIS NOTER 🔗
UDSKRIFT 🔗
00:00:17.359 --> 00:00:22.719
I was just about to ask Luke One why he's got a picture of me on his bedside table.
00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:26.879
Um I'm not sure why to be fair.
00:00:27.199 --> 00:00:32.479
I think I think I've got some I've got some photos printed from from the baby shower.
00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:40.479
And right there at the back of the pile of uh photos was one that you and I took together.
00:00:40.719 --> 00:00:42.479
Uh it's quite a nice photo actually.
00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:46.320
Both smiling, looking at the camera, um smoldering.
00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:48.399
So I thought, what what a photo that is.
00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:52.640
And uh my wife said to me, Well, I don't really want that photo.
00:00:52.799 --> 00:00:55.200
I think it must have been pure jealousy or something.
00:00:55.280 --> 00:00:56.960
So I said, fine, I'll take it.
00:00:57.200 --> 00:01:04.239
Put it on my bedside table, and uh it looks really good under the red LED lamp that we have on at night.
00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:07.439
Nice, nice.
00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:12.959
Okay, so that one just seemed to f find uh find its way to the bedside table.
00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:17.519
Um but no, it's right underneath my bedside bedside light.
00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:23.040
Um which is an LED light, so I can change the mood lighting based on uh how I feel about you for the day.
00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:24.319
Nice, yeah.
00:01:24.480 --> 00:01:25.280
I like it.
00:01:25.439 --> 00:01:33.359
So you know, you might you might wake up one day and you think, uh, I I had a bad dream about Lynx Hen.
00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:35.920
Because obviously you dream about me.
00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:37.200
Obviously.
00:01:37.760 --> 00:01:41.280
And you could change it to purple.
00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:47.439
Yeah, well it's currently red, which some people say is anger, but some people say it's love.
00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:51.040
So I'll let the listeners work out which one I've gone for.
00:01:52.879 --> 00:01:53.519
Yeah.
00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:54.640
I like it.
00:01:54.719 --> 00:01:56.560
And we're starting a new thing today, aren't we?
00:01:56.719 --> 00:02:01.200
We keep saying we're starting season three, and then we keep actually not starting season three.
00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:07.840
I think there's been a few by the time this one goes out, there'll probably have been like five episodes where we say we've been season three.
00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:17.759
I'd like to think that well, we said for season three that we were gonna we were gonna be more um prepared, didn't we?
00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:19.039
More professional.
00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:20.960
More professional, yeah.
00:02:22.240 --> 00:02:22.879
We did.
00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:25.280
And how are we gonna do that?
00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:28.879
Because I uh you know that's easier said than done, I think.
00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:34.080
Well, we're gonna start by cutting down the ramble.
00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:36.240
That's what we're gonna do.
00:02:36.479 --> 00:02:45.120
So we're gonna we've put a timer on, which is uh seven minutes, and when that seven minutes is up, the ramble's over.
00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:48.400
Seven minutes in heaven, you could call it.
00:02:49.199 --> 00:02:54.159
Um well it says the recording's been going for 14 minutes already, so we over time.
00:02:55.280 --> 00:02:58.560
No, no, we we uh we've still got a few minutes.
00:02:58.639 --> 00:03:00.560
Is the bulletin included in the ramble?
00:03:00.800 --> 00:03:01.280
Yeah.
00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:04.479
Okay, okay, well I better start because I've got two things.
00:03:04.719 --> 00:03:12.560
Um R mate Nick, we we uh had an email from Nick R.
00:03:13.599 --> 00:03:17.039
Make sure I I uh say the name there.
00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:19.199
I'm not I don't want to say his full name.
00:03:19.439 --> 00:03:24.400
I've I purposely left a gap in between the name and the first letter of his surname there.
00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:28.159
Um he emailed us about Daniel Doe.
00:03:29.439 --> 00:03:41.759
Um and we emailed back to him, or we actually we we answered his question live on a podcast, um, which uh to which he has he has replied.
00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:48.879
He has said, Hi Luke's, I still hope you are well, despite your hurtful and mocking tones on the pod.
00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:57.520
One day one day I hope you too I hope you know what it feels like to be openly mocked by two of your heroes.
00:03:59.919 --> 00:04:00.960
That's brilliant.
00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:05.840
This is because he he basically emailed us and said, My exams are next week.
00:04:05.919 --> 00:04:09.199
Can you tell me you know the practice test you mentioned?
00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:11.280
Can you tell me where they are?
00:04:11.439 --> 00:04:13.919
And we didn't tell him in time.
00:04:14.159 --> 00:04:17.839
Um he said I found the test two months later, didn't we?
00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:18.480
Yeah, exactly.
00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:23.519
Yeah, he said I found the test with about three days to spare and got 86 and 78%.
00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:25.279
So happy days.
00:04:25.680 --> 00:04:27.360
Oh congratulations.
00:04:27.519 --> 00:04:40.639
Yeah, I mean we we have we have actually off the back of that uh contacted Danny Danny Do Danny Doe and uh we're cooking up something special in the background, so stay tuned for that.
00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:43.360
Yep, yeah, agreed.
00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:46.399
That was a that was a smooth uh smooth little teaser there.
00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:46.879
Nice.
00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:53.600
Um Nick does give an us an idea for a future podcast, so maybe we'll come back to his email in the future.
00:04:53.680 --> 00:04:56.560
Uh if you want to get in touch with us, what's the email address?
00:04:56.639 --> 00:04:56.800
Mr.
00:04:56.959 --> 00:04:57.360
Luke1.
00:04:58.399 --> 00:05:02.560
It is 2luke1sip at gmail.com.
00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:06.399
That's two luke's onesipcip at gmail.com.
00:05:07.040 --> 00:05:12.879
If you don't know how to spell sip uh the procurement way, then you're probably on the wrong podcast.
00:05:14.639 --> 00:05:16.959
You can also get in touch with us on Instagram.
00:05:17.120 --> 00:05:25.279
So our Instagram handle is um underscore let's underscore talk underscore procurement.
00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:26.399
Is that right?
00:05:26.879 --> 00:05:33.040
I think it's let's underscore talk underscore procurement, but you'd probably get uh the same.
00:05:33.519 --> 00:05:34.240
Exactly.
00:05:34.399 --> 00:05:35.920
Um correcting me there.
00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:41.199
Um and um yeah, we're almost running out of our seven minutes.
00:05:41.279 --> 00:05:42.959
So did you have anything for the billetin?
00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:48.480
Well, I just wanted to um very, very quickly wish you a happy birthday, my friend.
00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:55.759
So um I know I know you're you celebrated a a big milestone birthday, you turned 12.
00:05:56.720 --> 00:05:59.439
Um just recently, so yeah, happy birthday.
00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:03.920
Hope you had a lovely day celebrating, and I'm sure the listeners will wish you a happy birthday as well, my friend.
00:06:04.240 --> 00:06:06.079
Thank you, thank you, I appreciate that.
00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:10.160
I um you know, it's a special time once a year.
00:06:10.319 --> 00:06:13.839
Uh birthday comes around, so you gotta you gotta make the most of it, haven't you?
00:06:14.079 --> 00:06:18.879
You gotta um you know it is it's it's Luke 10 day.
00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:26.720
If anyone if anyone listening knows my birthday, then they'll know that um it's a special day.
00:06:27.279 --> 00:06:28.800
It's a very special day.
00:06:28.959 --> 00:06:32.000
Um yeah, just just very happy for you, mate.
00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:33.439
I'm I'm pleased you got through the year.
00:06:33.519 --> 00:06:38.480
You know, you've made some good progress in your personal and professional life, so um, yeah, good all round.
00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:38.959
Well done.
00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:41.600
Yeah, just can't wait for my balls to drop.
00:06:46.560 --> 00:06:48.319
Why why do we say this though?
00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:49.439
It goes out into the internet.
00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:51.839
Why do why do we say this?
00:06:53.360 --> 00:06:55.040
But nobody made you say that.
00:06:55.360 --> 00:06:56.879
I know, this is the thing.
00:06:57.120 --> 00:06:59.279
I just said that completely off my own back.
00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:06.959
I think when people I do think on a serious note, when people are looking for procurement material, they also want to know about the listeners' balls dropping.
00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:08.800
It kind of goes hand in hand.
00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:12.079
So you only get that with us.
00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:13.360
So stay tuned.
00:07:13.439 --> 00:07:16.399
Um let's dive into today's episode.
00:07:18.399 --> 00:07:24.639
So now we're in the the main body of the uh of the episode.
00:07:24.879 --> 00:07:28.879
Um it's sort of a a partial bulletin as well.
00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:35.600
Um, I know we just did the bulletin, but this is related to the to the content, so I thought I'd save it until now.
00:07:35.839 --> 00:07:50.160
Um I saw a LinkedIn post recently, it was uh it was someone complaining about the uh what we call the corporate award route to get MCPs.
00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:55.680
So that's the assignment route for or the the non-technical language or the non-sips language.
00:07:55.759 --> 00:07:58.240
The assignment route is called the corporate award route.
00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:02.319
Um I think that's because it's only offered to companies.
00:08:02.399 --> 00:08:12.560
It's not, you know, if you if you're an individual without a without a company, I don't think you can do the assignment route in the same way that you can do SIPS exams.
00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:28.800
So the guy that was saying it, it was a little bit biased because he runs a SIPS study school that helps train helps train people for the exams, and he was saying that the corporate award route isn't a legitimate route to get MCPs.
00:08:29.279 --> 00:08:35.600
Um obviously that scared me a little bit having invested quite a lot of time and effort so far.
00:08:35.759 --> 00:09:06.159
Um so I emailed my project uh project tutored type person, um, and she said uh so sorry, I said to her, um uh I read online brackets, which of course may be false, close brackets, that the corporate award as a way of achieving MCPs isn't recognised by Offcall, which is the um the awarding body accreditator in the UK.
00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:07.679
Is that a word accreditator?
00:09:07.840 --> 00:09:08.639
No, accreditor.
00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:10.080
Accreditor.
00:09:10.320 --> 00:09:18.480
I said, would you would you be able to confirm that this isn't the case and that the way of achieving MCIPs gives us the same qualification as exams, please?
00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:27.840
Uh and she said, Um, you're right, Ofcorps will only accept one qualification with the same or similar learning outcomes on the qualification framework.
00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:33.279
Corporate award is mapped 100% to the SIPS qualification to enable it to be accredited by SIPS.
00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:38.960
Therefore, we cannot put it on the QCF as it has the same learning outcomes.
00:09:39.200 --> 00:09:50.080
However, SIPS is an awarding body in its own right and therefore can regulate the corporate award and so and does so with rigor as SIPS is regulated as an awarding body by OfQL.
00:09:50.399 --> 00:09:57.440
The two qualifications lead to the same membership status, diploma or full membership MCIP status.
00:09:57.519 --> 00:10:04.399
So that the diploma is if you're doing the practitioner, and the MCPs is if you're doing the advanced practitioner.
00:10:04.960 --> 00:10:07.279
So hope that clears everything up.
00:10:08.320 --> 00:10:13.440
That kind of confused me a little bit, but basically it is it is MCIPs.
00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:19.759
You you get MCPs from either, and they're both they're both um accredited.
00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:22.159
I have no reason to doubt that.
00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:24.480
Ignore the haters, you know.
00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:26.320
If you want to take the easy route, do it.
00:10:26.399 --> 00:10:27.600
I don't blame you.
00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:31.440
He hates it, he does hate this.
00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:42.320
Well, I'm about to show you um that it's not necessarily the easy route, probably easier overall, but it's not not as easy as this guy likes to make out.
00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:53.840
So uh what we're gonna talk about today is how I'm getting on with my corporate award, advanced practitioner level.
00:10:54.240 --> 00:11:01.519
Uh, where as a recap to where I am, I've currently submitted four assignments for five modules.
00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:26.480
Um the first three were three thousand, the first three modules were three separate reports, all three thousand words, modules four and five were combined in a six thousand-word report, and now I'm on to my sixth module, fifth assignment, which is um the last one that I've got to do.
00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:35.519
So just to recap again, this one is about project and program change management.
00:11:35.759 --> 00:11:42.159
Um, there's not a question set in the same way as there are for other exams.
00:11:42.320 --> 00:11:47.600
It doesn't say, you know, this is your task and this is the things you have to write about.
00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:54.720
You have to come up with your own sort of title, I suppose, your own project proposal.
00:11:55.120 --> 00:11:56.879
Like a dissertation title.
00:11:57.120 --> 00:11:57.840
Exactly, yeah.
00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:01.919
So it's 10,000 words long, which I believe is less than dissertation, right?
00:12:02.080 --> 00:12:04.559
Most uh longer, you tell me.
00:12:04.639 --> 00:12:04.879
I don't know.
00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:08.720
No, shorter, I think I think that's shorter, but not not by a long shot.
00:12:08.799 --> 00:12:09.600
I think they're not good.
00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:10.159
Okay.
00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:12.320
Yeah.
00:12:12.879 --> 00:12:22.000
Uh and what I what I had to do for that, if I can find the notes that I prepared earlier.
00:12:25.759 --> 00:12:40.799
So I had to come up with a project proposal, as I said, um which kind of has to be based around the obviously, obviously based around procurement.
00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:55.039
Um there needs to be a central a central kind of focus, and that that should be kind of reflected um in the in the SIPS learning that you've done up to this point.
00:12:55.360 --> 00:12:58.960
You need to come up with some aims for the project.
00:12:59.200 --> 00:13:14.080
Uh, you need to do some sort of research into it in terms of like, are you gonna are you gonna look at secondary data from online or are you gonna look at primary data and do uh interviews or surveys and things like that?
00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:23.840
Um and it needs to be um viable within your company, which I'll come on to a bit later on.
00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:36.000
So SIPS provide a sample project, which of which the title is improving contract management within the facilities management category at JoeBlogs Group.
00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:50.559
So you can see there that it's it's about changing something, it's about project and program change management, and it's uh it's also about contract management, which is part of the procurement cycle.
00:13:51.039 --> 00:14:00.080
And you also gotta relate it back to your company, as with all the assignments, you've got to relate it back to how things work in your company.
00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:11.440
Um so what my uh shall I do what my one is first or shall I say about viability?
00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:17.440
I think the last the last episode we had was discussing what potential topic options, right?
00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:19.440
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:14:19.679 --> 00:14:34.320
Um so so yeah, that that's I guess what what is the viability metric just just briefly, because we did I think we did we did discuss that in the last episode, but if you can just recap for any any new listeners or those of us with short-term memory?
00:14:34.720 --> 00:14:41.279
Yeah, so the the viability asks nine questions.
00:14:42.080 --> 00:14:44.000
Nine's the magic number.
00:14:44.399 --> 00:14:48.720
Uh the questions are is it a significant business opportunity?
00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:51.039
Are there clear outcomes and benefits?
00:14:51.200 --> 00:14:52.720
Is it within your control?
00:14:53.039 --> 00:14:55.200
Does it conflict with the strategy?
00:14:55.600 --> 00:14:57.919
Is it realistic in scope and ambition?
00:14:58.159 --> 00:15:00.480
Does it enhance procurement credibility?
00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:02.879
Is it a significant challenge?
00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:08.480
Is it fresh uh is it fresh exper does it give you a fresh experience, sorry?
00:15:08.960 --> 00:15:15.279
And does it give a clear success measure and is ownership clear?
00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:17.840
Okay.
00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:23.759
Kind of makes sense, but probably easier to write and and easier to say than actually do in reality.
00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:24.559
Yeah.
00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:28.720
Depending on your company's size and shape and what's actually going on.
00:15:29.279 --> 00:15:40.320
I think they asked these questions and they they ask uh one of your well, they asked for a line manager um to to sign it off, basically.
00:15:41.039 --> 00:15:48.720
They they asked, yeah, they asked for your line manager to to say, yeah, approve I approve that these things are right.
00:15:49.120 --> 00:16:02.320
Um and I think that's because the whole kind of purpose of the corporate award is to make you a better procurement professional in relation to the organization.
00:16:02.879 --> 00:16:14.240
Everything it asks you to do is like apply this back to your company or say how say how this works in your company, or even if this doesn't work in your company, how could it be improved?
00:16:14.559 --> 00:16:15.200
Yeah.
00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:36.399
And you probably remember that for my my last assignment that I submitted was partially about category management, and my sort of outcome on that was this is what category management is, but it doesn't work or it wouldn't work for my company, and that's why my company is not structured in that way.
00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:39.600
Okay, see where this is potentially going.
00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:51.120
So my project proposal that I had to submit to SIPS and also get approved by by SIPS as well.
00:16:51.279 --> 00:16:53.600
It's quite a long title, so bear with.
00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:55.120
Have I told you what it is yet?
00:16:55.200 --> 00:16:56.879
I don't think I have told you what it is.
00:16:57.039 --> 00:17:07.200
Um so it's enhancing stakeholder engagement through procurement efficiency, process automation, and behavioral insights within my company.
00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:17.759
So there's the the main thing, it's it's generally about enhancing stakeholder engagement.
00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:18.480
Yeah.
00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:36.319
And then the three sort of threads that I'm gonna try and use to do that is procurement efficiency, process automation, and behavioral insights, which is like basic basically behavioral psychology of the procurement team.
00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:38.880
Of the stakeholders, stakeholders.
00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:53.440
Well, potentially both, but I was thinking about it from the perspective of like how can we frame things in a different way to make stakeholders engage more with us in procurement.
00:17:54.079 --> 00:17:55.119
Okay, I like that.
00:17:55.279 --> 00:18:00.079
There's definitely challenges with that, so yeah, yeah.
00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:05.680
I think I think it might be my initial thoughts on it are that it could be it could be too broad.
00:18:06.240 --> 00:18:08.799
There's quite a lot of things to write about.
00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:17.359
Um as in behavioural psychology is a massive topic, procurement efficiency is a pretty big topic.
00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:22.480
Obviously, process automation and AI is becoming a massive thing as well.
00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:34.160
Uh, I'm potentially worried that I will have too much to write about and I will end up not going into enough detail and not being specific enough.
00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:40.640
That's me having literally not wrote a single word of the assignment so far.
00:18:41.039 --> 00:18:43.680
Not surprised, it's probably due tomorrow as well.
00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:48.000
So, this is the other hard thing about it is that it's due.
00:18:48.480 --> 00:19:02.720
Well, so I had to submit this proposal document in June, end of June, and I got it back a couple of weeks later from SIPS, and it's not due until the final deadline's in December, mid-December.
00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:12.480
So it's kind of like it's really hard to motivate yourself to do anything on it because it's just like I've got a lot of months to do it.
00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:14.960
Um but it's a lot of words, mate.
00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:16.000
It's a lot of words, don't you?
00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:24.480
Well, yeah, and the good thing is that we have to book on to um regular one-to-one sessions with a project tutor.
00:19:24.720 --> 00:19:35.039
This uh this lady called Sandra, she's an expert on on uh on these assignments, and she has kind of meetings with everyone to to go through their topics.
00:19:35.279 --> 00:19:46.240
Um so I had one in early August, I think, and I've got one uh next week, which will be mid-September.
00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:48.079
I don't know if yeah.
00:19:48.559 --> 00:20:05.759
There's a and there's a few things like so we call they're they're called the the August one's called P1, September one is called P2, and then the next one's called P3, I don't know when that is, but we agree that when I okay, this is P1, when I see you at P2, this is what you will have done.
00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:23.759
Um like for example, I have got to start my secondary data, uh secondary research, so look through spend data and company policies, things like that.
00:20:23.920 --> 00:20:26.720
I've got to have started my stakeholder mapping.
00:20:27.119 --> 00:20:38.960
I've got to have um done sort of a skeleton outline of how I want to structure it, those type of things by the time I come back to her next next week.
00:20:41.039 --> 00:20:42.160
Okay, so yeah, that's good.
00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:43.119
She's setting the bar.
00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:45.039
Do you think we can get her on an episode?
00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:47.599
Eventually.
00:20:49.279 --> 00:20:52.000
Yeah, maybe I could I can ask.
00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:53.519
You can always ask, can't you?
00:20:53.680 --> 00:20:56.480
And see what they uh see what they do.
00:20:57.039 --> 00:21:10.000
So to to go back to the the project proposal, I want your as a as a M-Sips man, I want your thoughts on um on where I can go with this or or just I guess your general thoughts.
00:21:10.160 --> 00:21:31.519
So my sort of aim of the the project is to use procurement efficiency, process automation, and behavioural insights as a means to improve stakeholder relationships and therefore the engagement that we're getting as a procurement team, right?
00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:32.640
Yeah.
00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:35.440
So communication is obviously gonna be a big big thing.
00:21:35.519 --> 00:21:42.960
Uh are you planning on combining some of those to using AI to improve communications or whatever?
00:21:43.279 --> 00:21:44.799
Yeah, I don't see why not.
00:21:45.039 --> 00:21:51.359
I think I think there's gonna be quite a bit of overlap between process automation and procurement efficiency.
00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:54.880
Yeah, because that's your solution, isn't it?
00:21:55.119 --> 00:21:55.920
Surely.
00:21:56.400 --> 00:21:57.200
Yeah, yeah.
00:21:57.359 --> 00:21:58.079
Probably one of them helps.
00:21:59.200 --> 00:22:03.599
Yeah, one of them helps the other one out, so kind of yeah.
00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:10.079
It's gonna be interesting because it will be specific to your organization and the challenges you've got with stakeholders as well.
00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:25.599
So I'd probably say you need to be mindful and calling out what those particular issues are, because to say it's quite easy to say, yes, there's we've got stakeholder management problems, um, but every company's got stakeholder management problems.
00:22:25.680 --> 00:22:26.960
But what what are the real stakeholders?
00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:29.519
Is it is it finance, is it, is it legal?
00:22:29.759 --> 00:22:59.119
Um yeah, so so what I've sort of defined so far as the problem is um if there's bad stakeholder engagement or no stakeholder engagement as in from the the stakeholders don't engage with us in time, when we become involved late, we're reactive and we potentially delay the process.
00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:06.000
Whereas if we'd if we'd been involved earlier, we could have contributed an added value, right?
00:23:06.400 --> 00:23:10.559
So some sort of value leakage from being involved late.
00:23:10.960 --> 00:23:13.359
So I don't know if I like the word leakage, but yeah.
00:23:13.519 --> 00:23:21.519
Um so is it always late involvement that you see as the the main issue with stakeholders?
00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:24.960
Potentially, yeah.
00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:27.440
That's well that's that would be the biggest thing, yeah.
00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:31.839
The biggest thing would be involved being involved late.
00:23:32.160 --> 00:23:37.680
One of the things that always I think is the behavioural insights is understanding of stakeholders.
00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:48.720
So, for example, we touched on a couple of departments uh like a second ago, but finance, you don't never talk to your finance colleague during month end, it's just a golden rule.
00:23:48.880 --> 00:23:58.480
Um obviously, month end happens every month, and that's their busy period where they've got to focus on the work that's core to them and and kind of what they do.
00:23:58.640 --> 00:24:05.440
So if you know that, how can you factor that into the way that you manage their approvals and their their guidance?
00:24:05.839 --> 00:24:15.599
The other the other thing we said was leak legal, and every well, I've not met a company yet that doesn't have uh lots of work for lawyers and not enough lawyers to do the work.
00:24:15.759 --> 00:24:28.559
So, how can we how can we use our knowledge, our time, our skill sets, our systems to basically put things on a plate for legal and improve how quickly they can turn things around?
00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:41.519
Um, because quite often we we jump at other people and say, look, it's the it's the business not getting out to us quick enough, but equally are we giving other people the right information or the all the or the proper you know correct stuff?
00:24:41.759 --> 00:24:45.359
So it's just my my two pence worth there, mate.
00:24:45.599 --> 00:24:46.079
Nice.
00:24:46.319 --> 00:24:48.000
You're worth more than two pence, mate.
00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:49.359
I I'll tell you that first of all.
00:24:49.680 --> 00:24:50.400
Thank you.
00:24:50.960 --> 00:25:01.839
So I think what I've got to do now, and this is only gonna be a short episode, um, but what I've got to do now is just basically pick up a few of the things that I've got to do for P2.
00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:10.799
Um and I think what I'm gonna struggle with is how I'm gonna structure it.
00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:19.680
Um because I'm one of the people that like I need to see, I need to sort of see how it works.
00:25:20.160 --> 00:25:20.640
Yeah.
00:25:20.880 --> 00:25:25.119
Before I under Yeah, I need to see how it works before I understand how it works.
00:25:25.359 --> 00:25:30.160
Um, so trying to understand how it's gonna be structured before I've even written it.
00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:31.599
It's gonna be different.
00:25:31.680 --> 00:25:34.000
But again, that's gonna help me with writing it, isn't it?
00:25:34.079 --> 00:25:36.720
So maybe I should look at it in a more positive way.
00:25:37.279 --> 00:25:44.319
Yeah, maybe just start writing down what you think of the the subject headings or the the titles and then go from there.
00:25:44.799 --> 00:25:56.400
Yeah, and and I think the good the good thing about this one is well, I say that now, I probably won't be saying it in a couple of months' time, but I've sort of picked things that I'm relatively interested in.
00:25:56.559 --> 00:25:58.160
That's how I kind of came up with it.
00:25:58.319 --> 00:26:10.160
I wanted to do something on stakeholder engagement because because that's you know, that's a big obviously a massive topic in procurement and it's something I find relatively interesting.
00:26:10.559 --> 00:26:12.240
Yeah, yeah, relatively.
00:26:12.319 --> 00:26:18.480
So what I says is you don't find it that interesting, but on the grand scheme of procurement stuff, it's it's up there.
00:26:19.119 --> 00:26:30.480
Yeah, yeah, like like if you'd have if you'd have uh told me I had to write about contract management, or I know Caitlin, who we had on a previous episode, she she did the corporate award as well.
00:26:30.720 --> 00:26:33.680
She wrote about category management.
00:26:34.480 --> 00:26:40.160
Um she wrote about the implementation of category management, I think.
00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:49.920
Um I mean the episode with her was quite interesting, but I don't think I'd want to read that whole 10,000-word report from her.
00:26:51.039 --> 00:26:52.000
Sorry, Damon.
00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:54.480
I'll just stick to the conversation.
00:26:54.640 --> 00:26:58.640
I think the conversation was fine, but yeah, I wouldn't wouldn't really read that to be honest.
00:26:59.039 --> 00:27:00.799
Probably wouldn't even open it.
00:27:01.440 --> 00:27:04.240
Did you read the title and go, nah, you're alright?
00:27:04.480 --> 00:27:05.839
Yeah, you're alright, mate.
00:27:06.160 --> 00:27:07.759
Maybe oh maybe that's what I should have.
00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:10.559
Maybe she that's how she got a good a good mark.
00:27:10.640 --> 00:27:18.240
Is she just like wrote a really boring title and the assessor opened it and went Yeah, let's just let's just give this one a pass.
00:27:19.039 --> 00:27:22.559
Maybe or maybe she brings something that I've not yet seen from you.
00:27:25.599 --> 00:27:33.680
Passion she's full of passion, Caitlin is, and that really resonates with the way she talks.
00:27:35.039 --> 00:27:39.839
And and uh she she's very driven.
00:27:41.440 --> 00:27:44.559
Exactly, and this you know you could take a leaf out of her book, really.
00:27:44.799 --> 00:27:49.359
Um yeah, didn't we say this in the last episode or in the episode with her?
00:27:49.440 --> 00:27:51.359
It was like be more like Caitlin or something.
00:27:51.519 --> 00:28:02.960
I was trying to talk about um these are things that I'm relatively interested in stakeholder engagement, uh efficiency, automation, and behavioural science, psychology type stuff.
00:28:03.119 --> 00:28:04.720
So that's kind of how I came up with it.
00:28:04.799 --> 00:28:22.559
I thought if I'm gonna write 10k words about about something, I'll try and you know make it something that there's a lot of content out there to write about or to use to write, and also make it something that I don't mind looking into.
00:28:23.359 --> 00:28:38.240
Also, it's it's uh a relatively hot topic, I think, some of those, so your company is more likely to buy into the fact that you're doing that and kind of consent to you doing a project, yeah, right?
00:28:38.720 --> 00:28:50.480
In in theory, you're you're meant to actually implement this as a project, but in reality, like on paper, you you'd say if I was to implement this, then I would do XYZ.
00:28:50.880 --> 00:28:56.240
But in reality, if there was absolutely no changes that happened as a result of it, you wouldn't fail.
00:28:56.559 --> 00:29:03.119
But I think the idea that is that you create this, show it to your bosses, and and then they go, Oh, actually that's a really good idea.
00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:05.039
Let's you know, let's start.
00:29:05.440 --> 00:29:15.039
I think someone in my in my uh cohort is doing something about changing their fleet company fleet cars from petrol to electric.
00:29:16.000 --> 00:29:26.319
How that would how that would and you can see you can see the bosses looking at that and going, yeah, actually, you know, they've done the research, they've done the maths, they've done the cost analysis or whatever they need to do.
00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:28.160
Let's go, let's go and do it.
00:29:28.640 --> 00:29:32.240
Yeah, or they'll go, but electric cars are shy.
00:29:32.799 --> 00:29:36.880
I love my little petrol car that I get from the company, so not doing anything.
00:29:37.119 --> 00:29:38.480
But yeah, no, no, I get that.
00:29:38.559 --> 00:29:40.000
That's quite easy to relate to, isn't it?
00:29:40.079 --> 00:29:44.400
I mean, do you think your management will buy into the the work you're doing?
00:29:44.640 --> 00:29:46.720
I suppose they probably have, haven't they, because they've signed it off.
00:29:46.799 --> 00:29:49.119
But yeah, it's been it's been signed off.
00:29:49.359 --> 00:29:52.400
Um I don't know.
00:29:52.559 --> 00:30:30.640
I guess it depends on what my kind of summary is, right, and how I present it as to whether it will be you know implemented um but yeah I suppose it's a kind of it's not a it's not a formal implementation is it nothing there is it's not like a switch if you think about the the types of change there's a model for you Balogun's types of change it's not a it's not just like a big we're switching from one thing to another it's sort of like we should start doing these types of things which will hopefully result in a slow gradual change to this type of behaviour.
00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:54.960
Yeah well if only we knew a behavioural psychologist who could potentially give you some advice I did listen to the Johnti the other day the Johnti psychology and procurement episode which I believe is series two episode five if anyone wants to watch that or listen to that no way you know that by heart that's so sad but I love it.
00:30:55.279 --> 00:32:44.000
I listened to it two days ago I asked Copilot to do a summary of it and it came up with in season two episode five the Luke's talk to Johnti a behavioral psychologist so we are known we're known by Copilot I was I was impressed with that yeah that's we're big leagues we're big leagues if uh copilot knows us and if you want to make us any bigger make our heads inflated and ego inflated then uh we'd appreciate if you could drop us a a five star review on the platform of your listening um that would really help us out and also what would help us out and give us some motivation is to email us at our email address two luke's onesip at gmail.com that's number two luke's blur or the number onecip at gmail.com we also have a text us function which is in the description of every episode so slide into our DMs from there and if your comments good enough it could be featured on our website which is www.letstalkprocurement dot co.uk and yes it's dotco uk because I'm cheap and I didn't want to pay for.com nice see you later see you later do we have to fade the talk out now as we're back in the pub uh are we up to the bar for another round what you have in a cup of tea please considering it is like 10am pub's not even opened yet but yeah I'll have a I'll have a cup of tea cheers maybe we should do cheers instead of see you later yeah I like that what um what pub are we in today?
00:32:44.079 --> 00:32:50.480
That's what we should do seventeen octopuses.
00:32:50.799 --> 00:32:55.920
Yeah you were thinking of the same pub I was then and then you just you came up with something along the lines of it.
00:32:56.079 --> 00:33:04.240
I was thinking of the three Welsh birds how many how many limbs do they have though?
00:33:06.000 --> 00:33:07.119
Your wings count as a limb