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00:00:19.519Hello and welcome to Let's Talk Procurement, the only show you need to master the art of procurement.
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00:00:20.879Let's go.
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00:00:28.079Hello, listeners, and welcome to another episode of the Let's Talk Procurement Podcast.
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00:00:29.920Got a cracking episode ahead.
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00:00:33.200With me as always in the studio is uh Luke Ten.
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00:00:34.880How are you doing, my friend?
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00:00:36.799Acceptable.
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00:00:38.399I'm acceptable.
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00:00:42.560I um I'm feeling how am I feeling?
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00:00:45.119I'd say approximately seven out of ten.
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00:00:46.640It's not bad.
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00:00:49.119I'd say you you look nine out of ten today.
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00:00:52.719What nine out of ten fatigue?
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00:00:55.920No, no catches, just a compliment.
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00:01:02.399I've just got trouble from you uh from you hating on me all the time.
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00:01:03.840Don't blame you.
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00:01:07.920Um if we had a hate child department, I'd be in trouble, that's all I could say.
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00:01:10.400I think uh it's been a while actually, hasn't it?
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00:01:11.359It has been a while.
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00:01:13.200It always feels like it has.
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00:01:17.599Yeah, we've we've pretty much used most of the bank, haven't we?
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00:01:18.719At this point.
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00:01:20.400At this point, yeah.
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00:01:25.280I think this will probably go out after some episodes that we're due to record.
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00:01:28.640Um so hopefully we'll have refilled the bank by then.
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00:01:34.640Yeah, look, I'm not gonna lie, I want to dive straight into this first bit because I've been buzzing about this all day.
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00:01:37.359Um so expectations.
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00:01:44.560Uh definitely if you've got any shouts or ideas for this, drop us uh an email on two luke's one sip at gmail.com.
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00:01:48.640That's the number two Luke's the number one CIP at gmail.com.
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00:01:53.280We should say actually that the idea for this came from uh from a listener.
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00:01:55.120Came from Janet, didn't it?
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00:01:56.239This this segment.
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00:01:58.640Sorry, Janet can piss her right off.
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00:01:59.760This came from me.
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00:02:04.400Um so yeah, sorry, Janet, but this wasn't your idea.
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00:02:05.680I know Luke's trying to be nice.
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00:02:06.799Janet inspired.
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00:02:08.800Yeah, maybe Janet inspired.
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00:02:24.800Um so so I sent Luke a challenge this morning, um, and myself as well, actually, and it was to come up with some procurement puns where they are you are mixing procurement buzzwords with countries.
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00:02:28.479So you come up with a with a country.
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00:02:35.680Uh the one I used was um actually pretty intense for an example, but it was uh Uzpakistan.
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00:02:39.120So instead of Uzbekistan, you've got proc in there for procurement.
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00:02:41.120So um Uzpakistan.
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00:02:44.000That was that was the gauntlet thrown in.
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00:02:47.759And uh I think you've had a few hours to think about it, haven't you?
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00:02:49.199Yeah.
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00:02:53.680How many of those hours was I thinking about it is a different question.
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00:02:56.240I don't think you've taken your mind off it.
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00:03:09.520I mean, I I had I have a lot of great thoughts in the shower, and that's where I came up with probably the my my favourite two personally, but I'm interested to see what you've come up with, and maybe we've got a little bingo match where we've no snap.
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00:03:12.719Snap where we've uh both come up with the same idea.
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00:03:14.080Okay.
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00:03:16.879Do you wanna do you wanna reel off your worst one?
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00:03:21.199They're all equal, they're all equal, bad.
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00:03:22.560Uh okay.
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00:03:29.280Right, I've got a small uh small island nation in Asia, IT Taiwan.
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00:03:30.479Are you done?
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00:03:34.639That's so bad.
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00:03:37.759That's ITT, yeah, invitation to Taiwan.
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00:03:40.159Invitation to Taiwan, yeah.
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00:03:43.120Great, you go next.
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00:03:44.879I'll pick my worst one, yeah.
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00:03:49.120Um Shri quotes Lanka.
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00:03:50.639Why are we still here?
00:03:52.319 -->
00:03:53.840Just to suffer.
00:03:54.879 -->
00:03:55.840So like three quotes.
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00:03:56.800I've got to like that one.
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00:03:59.919God, if that's your worst one, I'm in trouble here.
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00:04:09.919Um I will say, by the way, I genuinely did probably think about this for five minutes and then got along with the rest of my days.
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00:04:16.720So uh that's the precursor to um to the North American country.
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00:04:21.279Uh it's not Canada, it's can I get a discount?
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00:04:26.959Can I get a discount?
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00:04:28.560Well, I actually like that.
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00:04:30.480That's so bad, it's it's pretty good.
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00:04:33.920Um alright, I'll chuck a couple in.
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00:04:36.079RF Island.
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00:04:37.839Oh, that's yeah.
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00:04:39.040That was right there.
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00:04:40.639That was right there for the taking.
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00:04:45.839Another one that comes in quite quite nicely with RF Island is uh Priceland.
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00:04:47.600Yes, yeah.
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00:04:48.160Smart.
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00:04:49.360Smart.
00:04:50.079 -->
00:04:50.720Couple there.
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00:04:51.759Uh I've got two more.
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00:04:53.759I'm saving the best one for for last.
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00:04:58.000Um no, I I've got one more, got one more.
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00:05:03.279South America, I might visit this on my travels uh one time.
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00:05:05.279It's Arjun Bayer.
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00:05:07.199What?
00:05:07.600 -->
00:05:08.879Where's the pun in that?
00:05:08.959 -->
00:05:10.879You just shove bio in I guess two.
00:05:11.360 -->
00:05:12.720I thought that was the game.
00:05:13.839 -->
00:05:15.600You just butchered a country in half.
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00:05:19.920That's like going and th instead of Sweden, just going Swee Tender.
00:05:20.720 -->
00:05:22.959There you go, yeah, that's perfect.
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00:05:24.240Christ.
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00:05:28.879Go on then.
00:05:28.959 -->
00:05:30.879I've got high expectations for these last two.
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00:05:33.279The last uh I've got quote Beck.
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00:05:34.959Oh well.
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00:05:36.480Wait, isn't that City?
00:05:37.040 -->
00:05:37.519Could be.
00:05:37.680 -->
00:05:39.600I wasn't sure, but I liked anyway.
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00:05:44.879Um And then my favourite, um I probably overrugged it a little bit.
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00:05:46.480Uh packaged on.
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00:05:52.000You know how we uh we have to make sure everything's properly packaged.
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00:05:54.399I thought, yeah, packaged on is quite good.
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00:05:59.519I think I think uh RF Island was uh was my favourite.
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00:06:02.480Simple, straight to the point.
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00:06:03.839Yeah.
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00:06:08.879Well, if you've got any l uh any ideas, listeners, let us know.
00:06:08.959 -->
00:06:12.000I'm sure we've missed some really obvious ones.
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00:06:16.480Um But there you go.
00:06:16.639 -->
00:06:24.720Let us know if you can top Uz Pakistan or uh Arjun tender or whatever it was.
00:06:27.120 -->
00:06:32.800So uh today we are celebrating, aren't we?
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00:06:34.160Yes.
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00:06:44.000I've got a um a glass a cold glass of lemonade good man.
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00:06:57.439What we're celebrating today is um the end well hopefully, hopefully, touch everyone's saying it's hopefully the end of my sips study journey.
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00:07:04.240Um I have submitted my final assignment.
00:07:04.480 -->
00:07:12.639It's actually been probably about a month since I submitted it, but we've just not we've not been recorded, we've not really recorded since then.
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00:07:21.600Um this is the first time we could catch up about it, but I have submitted my module six for the uh uh assignment group.
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00:07:22.639That's the last one.
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00:07:23.920Um nice.
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00:07:28.879That is the fifth essay I've submitted, even though it's module six.
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00:07:37.120Because the last sorry, the the penultimate two module four and five were combined together as one.
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00:07:45.600Um so what I've had to do to get to this point is obviously level four did that via the the normal usual exam route.
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00:07:46.800Um yeah.
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00:07:50.800So that got me that got me into the advanced practitioner course.
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00:08:01.920And since then I've done uh three 3,000-word assignments, one 6,000-word assignment, and this last one, which was 10,000 words.
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00:08:08.879Uh and the title of this one is Project and Programme Change Management in Procurement and Supply.
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00:08:14.560Did I just say that's 25,000 words you've had to write for levels five and six?
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00:08:20.160I d I don't I can't work out if that seems like a lot or not a lot.
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00:08:22.079I don't know, I feel like it sounds like a lot.
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00:08:26.959If that was all if that was all in one one document, you'd probably have a good novel.
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00:08:28.879Yes, yeah.
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00:08:36.159Um I can't actually remember how many pages my uh my last assignment was.
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00:08:40.159I want to say it's like 40 pages, the 10,000-word one.
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00:08:49.440Are you uh are you that person who uses size 45 fonts, so it looks like there's more than there's one letter on each yeah.
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00:08:54.960Um no, so so SIPS actually sets uh font size.
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00:09:04.159There's a requirement on how many you can uh how me how well you know that there's a requirement you have to be this one and it has to be this size.
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00:09:06.159There you go, 59 pages.
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00:09:16.720Um but that does include a few pages of annexes, uh a few pages of kind of references and bibliography.
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00:09:21.600Um so yeah, so that one was 59 pages.
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00:09:23.120This last one.
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00:09:26.639Well, that must have felt like an absolute grind.
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00:09:29.519Yeah, yeah, yeah, it did.
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00:09:37.200Um I I feel like I'm quite lucky in terms of I had quite a bit of time that I could set aside to it.
00:09:37.279 -->
00:09:43.039I think I really would have struggled if I you know had had other requirements like yourself.
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00:09:47.039You've got you've got a little little Luca, haven't you, to uh to contend with.
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00:09:49.360He's taking up tons of your time.
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00:10:01.519Um so I'm lucky in that respect that I although I'm I'm his pod father, I don't have yeah, I don't have you know as much, quite as much responsibility as you do in regards to uh that's a fair point.
00:10:01.679 -->
00:10:02.399That's a fair point.
00:10:02.480 -->
00:10:07.279And I think um, you know, if you do have any kids out there, um you're certainly not in their life.
00:10:07.600 -->
00:10:08.960So, you know.
00:10:10.240 -->
00:10:14.480You're not paying for them, you're not, you're not kind of feeding them or housing them, they're just there.
00:10:17.200 -->
00:10:18.159So confused.
00:10:18.799 -->
00:10:19.279Are you?
00:10:19.440 -->
00:10:23.360I'm just saying, you know, if you if you don't have any commitments, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:10:23.440 -->
00:10:30.879You personally, if you don't have other commitments, you're you know you're not committing to them anyway, even if they do exist, um, is what I'm saying.
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00:10:31.440Right.
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00:10:32.559Right, okay.
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00:10:34.879I see, I see where you're going with that.
00:10:35.120 -->
00:10:49.759Um so the task um is quite a bit different to the other four assignments because you have to set your own question.
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00:11:00.559I think we may have gone over this in a previous episode, um, but I've had to come up with my my own kind of question basically.
00:11:00.799 -->
00:11:03.519I had to submit that uh title to SIPS.
00:11:03.759 -->
00:11:09.600SIPS had to then approve it and say, yeah, that's all good for you to for you to write about.
00:11:09.840 -->
00:11:18.639Um so the one I went for was enhancing stakeholder engagement through procurement efficiency and behavioral science within my company.
00:11:18.879 -->
00:11:26.000Um and it as as all of these assignments do, they have to relate back to the company they're working for.
00:11:26.240 -->
00:11:33.519Um so you can talk about theory, but you also need to talk about the application of that to your company.
00:11:33.759 -->
00:11:45.519Um you can, if you work for a company that might be a bit funny about that, then you can say company A, company B.
00:11:45.840 -->
00:11:52.000Um, so then you can say company A company B.
00:11:52.080 -->
00:11:54.480Yeah, you just touch in the zone there.
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00:12:06.320Um so and I think there's quite a wide variety of, well, in theory, you can write it about anything as long as you kind of put it back to procurement.
00:12:06.559 -->
00:12:20.799Um the assignment question, well, the task section of it says you've been asked by your organization to propose and develop a procurement and supply-related business project to deliver clear benefits and sustainable improvement.
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00:12:44.240Now, your report should be in the style of a business case and must demonstrate your understanding of there's four things here concepts of change management, aspects of programs and projects in organizations, approaches to the planning and management of projects, programs, and change initiatives, and contracting and financial options in projects and programs.
00:12:45.120 -->
00:12:46.639It's a bit weird, isn't it?
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00:12:56.320I think well I say weird, coming from the exam route, this whole all four of those points feel very project managery and not procurement-y.
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00:13:03.200Um, procurement is probably not a word, but it hopefully you get my criteria where yeah, yeah, let's let's let's do that.
00:13:03.360 -->
00:13:13.120I think it just doesn't really seem like it's a like the final essay for a procurement qualification, and it's more focusing around how a program or project works.
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00:13:17.039And I get that we often feed into projects or we have our own projects, but I don't know.
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00:13:25.279Do you agree or does that yeah, definitely, definitely I found that quite a small majority is that a phrase?
00:13:25.440 -->
00:13:43.759A small majority of the sources that I would look I was looking at were you know project management um organizations like uh newsletters or whatever the SIPS version of project managers is because there's a few different ones.
00:13:44.000 -->
00:13:51.679Um and obviously you've got project program and change management, so there's a bit of change management stuff in there.
00:13:51.919 -->
00:14:10.879Um but I think they they want that kind of that's on purpose because you need to be able to show that you've taken something and you've kind of implemented a change, or you or you're thinking about how you could implement a change, yeah.
00:14:11.120 -->
00:14:16.639Rather than just stating, here's a theory and here's how it works in the company.
00:14:17.919 -->
00:14:33.279So if if what I'll do as well for the listeners, because this has been quite a nice um series of episodes, I think that the last episode we did was where we actually went through a couple of different options for your topics, um, and then that's how I think we came to your essay title.
00:14:33.360 -->
00:14:43.120But I think what would be probably quite good as a next step is to understand from your perspective or SIPS perspective, what goes into that essay.
00:14:43.279 -->
00:14:50.320So obviously, I presume, I say obviously, but I presume you get an introduction, a conclusion, um, as you tend to get those in most things anyway.
00:14:50.480 -->
00:14:52.000Uh, but what goes into the main body?
00:14:52.080 -->
00:14:53.440Like, do you have to do any research?
00:14:53.600 -->
00:14:56.000Do you have to do any kind of actual work?
00:14:56.240 -->
00:14:58.559Do you have to do stuff you know within your company?
00:14:58.639 -->
00:15:01.440Just to kind of app break down, I think that'd be quite interesting.
00:15:01.840 -->
00:15:05.120That's uh that's like we planned this before.
00:15:05.440 -->
00:15:08.000So this is what I wanted to talk about.
00:15:08.240 -->
00:15:14.720So um obviously the ask was actually, I'll I'll circle back around to your point in a second.
00:15:18.080 -->
00:15:22.480The ask obviously was about project and program change management.
00:15:22.720 -->
00:15:33.840Um, in order to get my title approved, I had to do a proposal document and um I had to meet a number of criteria, which we we did talk about on the previous episode.
00:15:34.000 -->
00:15:37.679Um, but I had to get sign off from a line manager.
00:15:38.000 -->
00:15:51.120Um you then to help you, you've also got a guidance document from SIPS, which says the stuff I was talking about earlier in terms of it has to be this font size, this spacing between each paragraph, um, etc.
00:15:51.360 -->
00:15:51.759etc.
00:15:52.240 -->
00:15:55.200Uh also talks about the use of use of AI.
00:15:55.440 -->
00:16:14.879Um and SIPS's approach to that, just to cover that quickly, was basically you can use it to research, um you can use it with like idea generation, but you shouldn't use it to write any of the words that go into the assignment.
00:16:15.600 -->
00:16:20.399Because they want that to be your own content, which I guess that's kind of fair.
00:16:21.200 -->
00:16:21.919That's kind of fair.
00:16:22.000 -->
00:16:32.240I think well, I think the the interesting thing on that is that there's a lot of flaws in using AI to do your research, um, because it will go and pick obviously from a database of different things.
00:16:32.399 -->
00:16:38.080It won't verify whether the SIPS website is a better source than Wikipedia, for example.
00:16:38.480 -->
00:16:39.360Yeah, yeah.
00:16:39.600 -->
00:16:44.080It does say as well, like you've got to make sure to verify your your sources.
00:16:44.320 -->
00:16:49.840Um so then going on to like kind of what I did part.
00:16:50.639 -->
00:17:00.720Um I found it quite hard to to kind of research without having written a bit.
00:17:00.799 -->
00:17:08.160So I'd I think I think the way most people do it would be to do all their research and then do all the writing.
00:17:08.400 -->
00:17:14.880Whereas I don't know if it's my my brain just doesn't work that way, or the topic I've picked doesn't work in that way.
00:17:15.279 -->
00:17:31.440Um so mine obviously from the title, it's it's I don't know if that's obvious, but it's a number of small incremental changes rather than one like we're gonna implement electric vehicles or we're gonna change from business partnering to category management model.
00:17:32.000 -->
00:17:43.920Um I suggested a lot of small little changes to be run as a program that could overall make stakeholder engagement better, basically.
00:17:44.160 -->
00:17:52.720Um and I kind of structured it in a cert, so there's a set, there's a little bit of a set structure which you should follow.
00:17:52.960 -->
00:17:56.079Um, however, you've got some flexibility within that.
00:17:56.400 -->
00:18:01.920So obviously you've got to do an executive summary, which is a bit of a summary of the whole document.
00:18:02.000 -->
00:18:04.240Um, then an introduction.
00:18:04.640 -->
00:18:09.519As someone at some point in there, you've got to talk about how you did your primary research.
00:18:09.759 -->
00:18:15.200So, what I did for primary research is I interviewed a few of the stakeholders in my company.
00:18:15.519 -->
00:18:25.200Uh and obviously it being about enhancing stakeholders engagement, those were my primary kind of target people that I wanted to talk to, basically.
00:18:26.319 -->
00:18:28.960Um sorry, I've lost the teams.
00:18:29.200 -->
00:18:29.839Right, there you go.
00:18:30.079 -->
00:18:47.119Um so then I because mine is a is a program, I then talked about kind of the program as a whole and introduced it, and that's when you get your theory in about what's a project versus what's a program.
00:18:47.599 -->
00:18:47.920Yeah.
00:18:48.160 -->
00:18:56.640Um obviously trying to demonstrate to the assessor that I half know what I'm talking about in terms of projects and programs.
00:19:01.039 -->
00:19:03.440U examples that you're you're working through.
00:19:03.839 -->
00:19:04.799Yeah, yeah.
00:19:05.039 -->
00:19:19.119So then after that, I I talked about the current state of stakeholder engagement, what is done now in the company, uh, and yeah, the basic well, literally the current I called it the current state of stakeholder engagement.
00:19:19.440 -->
00:19:28.960Um then I went on to talk about the two kind of headline topics, so procurement efficiency and behavioral science.
00:19:30.240 -->
00:19:33.519And within those sections, I broke those down quite a bit.
00:19:33.680 -->
00:19:37.839That's where the bulk of my my words were, effectively.
00:19:39.200 -->
00:19:44.400And then after that, I talked about cost-benefit analysis.
00:19:44.559 -->
00:19:50.160So the things that I'm suggesting, what are the benefits associated with that?
00:19:50.400 -->
00:19:50.559Yeah.
00:19:50.880 -->
00:19:52.960First and what are the costs?
00:19:53.440 -->
00:20:00.160I presume that's the fourth bit of the four things you said around, I think you said about cost and finance in a put within a program.
00:20:00.559 -->
00:20:02.000Financial options, yeah.
00:20:02.240 -->
00:20:02.880Yeah.
00:20:03.359 -->
00:20:08.480Uh then after that, you've obviously that informs your recommendations, isn't it?
00:20:08.880 -->
00:20:09.039Yeah.
00:20:09.200 -->
00:20:33.279Then from then you can you can suggest, you know, if I've if I've talked about 20 different possible things and I've said 17 of them are viable options based on risk versus reward, I've then put that into an implementation plan about how you can then talk about how you can then introduce those things into the organization.
00:20:34.400 -->
00:20:34.720Okay.
00:20:36.000 -->
00:20:38.799So it's basically like a full project, isn't it?
00:20:38.880 -->
00:20:46.000It literally is describing a project from start to finish that I presume you actually have to deliver, at least partially.
00:20:46.880 -->
00:20:54.160Well, so you have to you either have to deliver it or you have to talk about how you would deliver it.
00:20:54.319 -->
00:21:01.119There's no requirement, there's no official requirement on you having done the project.
00:21:01.279 -->
00:21:09.519As in, you know, if you're talking about changing the fleet from petrol to electric cars, there's no requirement for you to have actually done that.
00:21:09.680 -->
00:21:09.920Yeah.
00:21:10.160 -->
00:21:19.039Just for you to talk about how you would do it, how you would implement it, how you would manage the change, how you would make sure the change is sustainable, right?
00:21:19.279 -->
00:21:22.799And then how track the benefits of that at the end of it.
00:21:23.119 -->
00:21:30.960I suppose not every company is going to have someone go through their assignment that they're going to trust to do a project of that scale.
00:21:31.599 -->
00:21:34.240Um, or be ready to do the project of that scale, right?
00:21:34.319 -->
00:21:37.440If you if you're doing a big transformational project, it's it's money and time.
00:21:37.599 -->
00:21:41.039So are you the right person in that role to be doing that and is it the right time?
00:21:41.119 -->
00:21:44.480So you can't really coincide that with SIPs for everybody.
00:21:45.039 -->
00:21:46.160Yeah, yeah.
00:21:46.480 -->
00:21:59.759I I would say I quite liked the sort of project and program element of it, because it's about kind of like creating a change and implementing that those the theories that.
00:22:00.160 -->
00:22:03.680You find out through your secondary research into your company.
00:22:04.640 -->
00:22:15.440The thing I also thought was pretty good, and this helped when I was struggling, uh, because I I was struggling a bit with, well, mine, is mine really a project?
00:22:15.759 -->
00:22:18.559Because I'm just suggesting a lot of small little things.
00:22:18.720 -->
00:22:28.640So you actually have three um, well, there's three mandatory project surgeries, they're called project surgeries with a SIPS tutor.
00:22:28.720 -->
00:22:40.079So that's someone who works for SIPS, and you talk to them about how your kind of project of research, primary and secondary, is going.
00:22:40.319 -->
00:22:44.799And you tell them about your title, and then they say, Have you thought about this?
00:22:44.960 -->
00:22:47.519or how would you approach this situation?
00:22:47.759 -->
00:22:53.200And they help you to kind of you know, they kind of point you in the right direction, I suppose.
00:22:53.440 -->
00:22:53.920Yeah.
00:22:54.160 -->
00:22:56.720And I found those really, really helpful.
00:22:57.599 -->
00:22:58.160That's good.
00:22:58.240 -->
00:22:59.680How long were the sessions?
00:23:00.079 -->
00:23:02.160I believe they were an hour long.
00:23:03.200 -->
00:23:04.000Yeah, that's quite good.
00:23:04.079 -->
00:23:12.960That's that's similar to a dissertation, then, um, in that sense, where you have a bit of uh kind of mentorship, I suppose, guidance towards the right direction.
00:23:13.279 -->
00:23:16.079Um which means you shouldn't shouldn't really fail, should you?
00:23:16.319 -->
00:23:19.279I mean, if you've had that guidance and leadership.
00:23:19.599 -->
00:23:23.200Yeah, they they don't they don't ever get to see what you've written.
00:23:23.440 -->
00:23:34.400Um so I suppose it's worth well it's definitely worth aligning everything that you want to talk about before you go into those sessions.
00:23:34.640 -->
00:23:45.920Um the the woman who who was my tutor, she was probably sick of me turning up with loads of questions and just saying, I don't know what to do here, or I've thought about this for that section.
00:23:46.079 -->
00:23:46.799What do you think?
00:23:46.960 -->
00:23:50.720Um did so did you prepare sessions then?
00:23:51.440 -->
00:23:52.000Sort of.
00:23:52.160 -->
00:24:09.680I would I would go in with with a list of a few questions and say, and then yeah, and then kind of like few a few of my questions were about because we we get a crib sheet like all the others, you get a crib sheet to say you should try and hit these points.
00:24:09.839 -->
00:24:15.359So for example, one of the one I talked about was how would you make sure the change is sustained in your company?
00:24:15.519 -->
00:24:16.079Yeah.
00:24:16.319 -->
00:24:20.559So I was like, oh, I don't really know what to write for this section.
00:24:20.799 -->
00:24:30.160Uh and then she would just help me kind of think about they don't tell you the answer, obviously, but they help you think about what you should write for that section, if that makes sense.
00:24:30.480 -->
00:24:31.920Yeah, that kind of makes sense.
00:24:32.160 -->
00:24:33.920Do you want to give her a shout out?
00:24:34.400 -->
00:24:36.160Shout out, Sandra, definitely.
00:24:36.319 -->
00:24:36.720Yeah.
00:24:37.039 -->
00:24:37.680Lovely, thank you.
00:24:39.359 -->
00:24:50.000If you're doing the AP advanced practitioner course, um then she's uh yeah, she's really helpful and she's she's very calm about things, I think.
00:24:50.160 -->
00:24:58.319Which uh which helps, you know, if you're going to her and you're stressing about, oh, there's only you know two months till submission, I don't know what to do.
00:24:58.720 -->
00:25:03.599And she's quite good at helping you think and she's in the right job by the sounds of it.
00:25:03.839 -->
00:25:05.440Oh, definitely, yeah.
00:25:06.640 -->
00:25:07.119Nice.
00:25:07.279 -->
00:25:16.400And um how long do you have to do the whole essay process from sort of deciding your topic through to submission?
00:25:17.519 -->
00:25:21.440That is a good question that I should have looked at before.
00:25:22.559 -->
00:25:24.240It's not like you did it recently.
00:25:25.359 -->
00:25:27.680I okay we'll find out for you so.
00:25:32.400 -->
00:25:39.599I submitted my proposal on what's that?
00:25:41.279 -->
00:25:52.720June, the 27th of June um and my final assignment submission date was mid-December, was that 14th of December, something like that?
00:25:53.039 -->
00:25:53.200Yeah.
00:25:53.440 -->
00:25:58.480So you get a good Yeah, and obviously you've you're thinking about it before that point.
00:25:58.720 -->
00:26:10.720I'd say in all this probably about nine months from when they when when we did the classroom learning to when we submitted the assignment.
00:26:11.519 -->
00:26:12.720It's it's a long time, isn't it?
00:26:12.799 -->
00:26:24.720I suppose, but then you probably fall into the trap that everyone does where you you think you've got ages and then all of a sudden it's like a month till till submission, and then you've got to probably do the bulk of your work towards closer to the deadline.
00:26:25.039 -->
00:26:25.839Yeah, definitely.
00:26:25.920 -->
00:26:27.839And I fell into that trap a little bit.
00:26:28.079 -->
00:26:37.920Um at the start, well, kind of in the middle where I got to the first project surgery, and I was like, Oh, I think I might start writing about this.
00:26:38.400 -->
00:26:47.920And she was kind of like, Oh, by by this, you know, by this one, you probably should have like started, or you should have done this by now, basically.
00:26:48.160 -->
00:26:57.680Um and then it that was helpful and we went to the second one because she said, Right, what I want you to have done by the second one is you know, this, that, and that.
00:26:57.920 -->
00:27:01.680Um but yeah, it's definitely a what's the word?
00:27:01.920 -->
00:27:05.680Self self-control type thing.
00:27:05.839 -->
00:27:16.000Yeah, you can quite easily think, yeah, you can very you know there's no one on a day-to-day telling you you need to submit this this paragraph by 5 pm.
00:27:16.480 -->
00:27:20.400Yeah, and I think that's that's a reflection of what reality is at work, isn't it?
00:27:20.480 -->
00:27:24.960It's not most of the time you you don't always have the deadlines that are hard.
00:27:25.279 -->
00:27:33.200You've got to review a contract at some point, so do you do you do it by Monday or you know set yourself those deadlines and you'll achieve more, I think.
00:27:33.279 -->
00:27:34.400So um, yeah.
00:27:34.720 -->
00:27:44.880I feel like you've I feel like you've you've gone quite a lot through this process, and if I was to to look back and reflect, uh would I would I say you're worthy of uh the CIP?
00:27:45.680 -->
00:27:46.640Yeah, I think I would.
00:27:46.720 -->
00:27:48.160I think I think you've earned your stripes.
00:27:48.319 -->
00:27:58.400I think um you put you've certainly put your effort in and um done the projects and things that would probably give you that that additional bit of knowledge.
00:27:58.640 -->
00:28:16.720Uh I do feel like if you'd have done the assignment route from the start and not done level four, I feel like you could do the assignment and then somebody who's done the exam route come out, both equally worthy of SIPS, but both having completely different understandings or thought process of what SIPS is.
00:28:16.960 -->
00:28:17.279Yeah.
00:28:17.759 -->
00:28:21.279They don't seem that linked if you see if you if you get what I mean.
00:28:21.599 -->
00:28:33.839Yeah, and you're probably the perfect person to to know about that as well, because you have done the full exam route and you've heard me yap on about the assignment route for for a long time.
00:28:34.079 -->
00:28:48.480Um but yeah, I I do I don't really want to jinx it, but when I submitted it, I was I was thinking like this I don't I don't really know what more I could put into it to make it a pass.
00:28:49.119 -->
00:29:05.279Um I think it's just like one of those things as in it makes sense to me the way I've written it, but does it make sense to an examiner who's reading it objectively and has got to make that decision right?
00:29:05.680 -->
00:29:07.039Have I hit the right points?
00:29:07.359 -->
00:29:10.799Yeah, and that's open to interpretation on any thing, isn't it?
00:29:10.960 -->
00:29:17.200I I think if you've hit if you've hit the four points or the kind of guidance that you've been following, you should be should be spot on.
00:29:17.279 -->
00:29:44.240And I mean, to be honest, if we if we I'll say if we fast forward a minute or two on this episode, you will find out if um although in reality that's still still a number of weeks away for for you, so yeah uh the listeners will feel like it's just happened really quickly, but for you it's you know a few more weeks of sleeping on it and and uh really wondering if you've made it into the uh hall of fame for procurement professionals.
00:29:44.480 -->
00:29:47.359And uh I well I I do want to wish you all the best, mate.
00:29:47.440 -->
00:29:56.720I I really do you know think it's a big big moment in your career, just as you decide to take a year off or whatever before the world.
00:29:56.799 -->
00:29:58.480But it's it's under your belt then, isn't it?
00:29:58.559 -->
00:29:58.960Hopefully.
00:29:59.039 -->
00:30:13.039So um this is the other thing that as as people who listen to what's currently the previous episode will know that I am taking a sabbatical from uh LTP Industries.
00:30:13.200 -->
00:30:14.960Uh I'm gonna go do some travelling.
00:30:15.119 -->
00:30:24.240So if I do end up failing, it would be difficult to rewrite and resubmit on the road.
00:30:24.319 -->
00:30:29.279And I don't know what the requirements in terms of timescales are for that.
00:30:29.440 -->
00:30:32.480Like if you get a week, a month, two months.
00:30:32.799 -->
00:30:42.640Um I do intend even if I fail, I do intend to resubmit so at the past because I think it would be stupid not to, like I've done work.
00:30:43.039 -->
00:30:43.279Yeah.
00:30:43.599 -->
00:30:46.319Unless they say you're like, mate, just just give up.
00:30:46.559 -->
00:30:49.039Like the feedback is no, this is rubbish.
00:30:50.400 -->
00:30:52.079Yeah, this isn't the career for you, mate.
00:30:52.160 -->
00:30:54.640Like we're just not we're not gonna allow you to resubmit.
00:30:54.720 -->
00:30:56.000It was that bad.
00:30:56.559 -->
00:30:56.799Yeah.
00:30:57.279 -->
00:31:06.000Like I saw I saw a um a thing on social media the other day which said this woman finally passed her driving test after like 700 attempts.
00:31:06.240 -->
00:31:11.839And I was thinking, like, do we really want this person to be on the road after that many attempts?
00:31:11.920 -->
00:31:15.279But anyway, maybe that'll be me when I'm in my sixties or something.
00:31:15.680 -->
00:31:17.920Finally get your sips just as you retire.
00:31:18.079 -->
00:31:18.720Yeah, yeah.
00:31:19.039 -->
00:31:20.880Like that sounds like a like a plan.
00:31:21.039 -->
00:31:22.480Um, I've just thought of one more.
00:31:22.559 -->
00:31:23.920Um, the buyers.
00:31:24.480 -->
00:31:26.240I feel like that was that's quite a good one, isn't it?
00:31:26.400 -->
00:31:27.599Dubai, the buyers.
00:31:27.680 -->
00:31:29.519Um, they're getting worse, mate.
00:31:29.599 -->
00:31:30.720They're getting worse.
00:31:31.039 -->
00:31:32.559Or the junior buyers.
00:31:32.720 -->
00:31:33.519That's horrific.
00:31:33.599 -->
00:31:35.279That's just the buyers is better.
00:31:35.440 -->
00:31:36.079The buy.
00:31:36.160 -->
00:31:37.359Um the buy.
00:31:37.680 -->
00:31:44.480Yeah, so just a quick shout out and reminder to reach out if you do have any procurement buttons, if you do want to wish Luke all the best for his results.
00:31:44.720 -->
00:31:47.839Um if you waited until the end of the video.
00:31:48.160 -->
00:31:48.720Yeah, exactly.
00:31:48.799 -->
00:31:57.200Yeah, uh, if you want to congratulate him or commiserate him, um, because remember, he doesn't know the results uh until this next part.
00:31:57.440 -->
00:32:02.240And uh it's live for you guys, so um see how he does.
00:32:02.559 -->
00:32:06.799Depending on when the results get released, I I may be in an airport.
00:32:07.680 -->
00:32:22.160So or at least on my way to if I'm not in an airport, if they get released before I leave, then yeah, I'll be uh I'll uh if they're before I leave, I'll have my massive backpack on and we can do uh we can do an episode like that.
00:32:22.400 -->
00:32:24.240I'll drop you off at the airport if that's alright.
00:32:24.480 -->
00:32:24.640Yeah.
00:32:25.039 -->
00:32:27.440We can we can rec we can wreck in the car.
00:32:29.680 -->
00:32:36.319I am I'm nervous, but I yeah, I put a lot of effort into it, so hopefully effort equals pass, we'll have to see.
00:32:36.559 -->
00:32:37.759No, you've got it in the bag.
00:32:37.839 -->
00:32:46.000I uh the thing I always say about you is you you're just above average, and um that's what it takes to pass sips, so I would take that.
00:32:46.319 -->
00:32:48.640Slightly above average, yeah.
00:32:49.279 -->
00:32:54.240Um let's uh let's see how it goes.
00:32:54.640 -->
00:32:59.200Skip yeah, it's getting to about 30 seconds where I'll be extremely nervous.
00:32:59.519 -->
00:33:00.319See you in a bit.
00:33:00.640 -->
00:33:01.599See you in a bit.
00:33:10.240 -->
00:33:12.880Well Luke Ten is uh currently in the airport.
00:33:13.039 -->
00:33:14.240Is it Gatwick?
00:33:14.559 -->
00:33:37.359In Gatwick Airport, he's just he's just eaten a spoon's breakfast or lunch um at a million miles an hour, realised he's due to board, uh, went to the wrong gate, and uh now he's trying to log into SIP so he can see his live results and whether he has achieved MCIPS the day he is due to travel the world.
00:33:39.599 -->
00:33:42.799Um not too sure.
00:33:43.119 -->
00:33:46.400Literally it's not like I think I did all I could at the time.
00:33:46.559 -->
00:33:46.880Yeah.
00:33:47.039 -->
00:33:51.200It's like, you know, I do what they're looking for and sort of stuff, right?
00:33:51.920 -->
00:33:53.440You're not gonna be able to control the screen.
00:33:53.680 -->
00:33:57.599Yeah, so you've got to just go to it and um Am I looking for the right one?
00:33:58.079 -->
00:33:58.640I want that.
00:34:01.119 -->
00:34:02.319I think you are, yeah.
00:34:02.720 -->
00:34:03.279Yes in.
00:34:03.599 -->
00:34:04.640He smashed it.
00:34:05.839 -->
00:34:07.359That's unbelievable.
00:34:07.680 -->
00:34:08.960In an airport.
00:34:10.000 -->
00:34:13.19971% He's smashed it.
00:34:13.280 -->
00:34:16.320He's empty qualified just for awareness.
00:34:17.119 -->
00:34:23.920He's been striping through the airport, walking towards the plane with with me on loudspeaker, celebrating his uh procurement results.
00:34:24.000 -->
00:34:25.119So uh mate.
00:34:25.440 -->
00:34:28.320I am literally just onto the plane view.
00:34:28.880 -->
00:34:39.360Mate, all I can say is what an unbelievable way to end your uh your time in the company you work for and also uh the podcast, right, for now at least.
00:34:39.599 -->
00:34:43.840And um, you know, you can just go off and enjoy your travels now, man.
00:34:44.239 -->
00:34:51.519So that's me out for a good flight, so I hope your uh TV screen is working and you have a good flight, mate.
00:34:51.920 -->
00:34:58.079Justin hasn't been talking of just onto the plane, so that shows you all how close we're unbelievable.
00:34:58.159 -->
00:35:04.000Um look, thank you for your commitment and uh yeah, I guess we all wish you uh an amazing time traveling the world, mate.
00:35:06.320 -->
00:35:06.960Keep in touch.
00:35:07.039 -->
00:35:10.480I'm not saying it's goodbye, I'm just saying we may never see you again.
00:35:10.719 -->
00:35:13.039Yeah, just just stay safe in Guatemala.
00:35:14.000 -->
00:35:14.880I do, I do.
00:35:15.119 -->
00:35:15.599All right, all right.
00:35:15.760 -->
00:35:16.239See you later.
00:35:17.679 -->
00:35:17.920Later.
00:35:18.320 -->
00:35:18.719See you.
