“I always think procurement’s like a really good joke; it’s about timing.”
Innovation is a keyword thrown around in business like a well-loved frisbee, and perhaps with that, it’s easy to lose sight of its definition and meaning in a procurement setting.
Sarah-Jayne Aldridge is no stranger to innovating on a massive scale, with an impressive roster of roles at Sky, O2, G4S, and now Network Rail.
Joining Martin on this week’s Talent Talks podcast, ‘SJ’ dives into the scale on which procurement can innovate and how those innovations should link in with business objectives, as well as recalling the invaluable experiences that have come from the demanding realm of the public sector.
This episode of Talent Talks covers:
- What kind of innovation is capable within a procurement framework
- The links between innovation and supplier diversity
- Taking a different approach to innovation in younger functions
- Always being open to learning about new developments in the sector
- The invaluable lessons unique to public sector procurement
This episode of Talent Talks is sponsored by 4C Associates – a leading European procurement and supply chain consultancy, who work collaboratively with forward-thinking clients to deliver real business value across a wide range of transformation and cost optimisation service offerings. Visit https://www.4cassociates.com/ for more information.
Links & references
- Sarah-Jayne Aldridge, Director of Sourcing at Network Rail https://www.linkedin.com/in/indirectprocurement/
- Network Rail https://www.linkedin.com/company/network-rail/
- Martin Smith, Founder & Director of Talent Drive https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinsmith2009/
Episode highlights
“We band the term ‘innovation’ around quite a lot within procurement, but also procurement is the subject of trying to find innovation for the business.” – 1:55 – Sarah-Jayne Aldridge
“When you’ve got supply management and SRM practitioners, this is an enormous skill in every business now and it’s a function that should be wrapped around and endorsed, because they can really scratch under the skin of what’s going on and potentially re-engineer processes.” – 7:00 – Sarah-Jayne Aldridge
“In public procurement, which is what I’m in, it’s absolutely restrictive, because you’re spending public money. So it’s got to be well thought through, it’s got to be relevant to what you’re trying to achieve, and it’s got to have some longevity to it.” – 11:35 – Sarah-Jayne Aldridge
“If you’re getting a lot of pushback, then maybe there is something that you’re not listening to, and maybe isn’t time to do it. I always think procurement’s like a really good joke; it’s always about timing.” – 15:15 – Sarah-Jayne Aldridge
“You’ve almost got to forget what you did before and just start all over again, and understand how the business is going to enable people to do business with other people again. Maybe that’s a really good environment for innovation? Would you do a bit more of a hybrid approach? Would you actually close with a virtual event rather than open with a virtual event?” – 22:25 – Sarah-Jayne Aldridge
“You have to have a culture of innovation, and that’s really important when you’re deciding what type of organization you want to work for. If you’re a person who is really passionate about change and innovation, don’t go to an organization that’s traditionally conservative and doesn’t want to change.” – 27:20 – Sarah-Jayne Aldridge
“Be open to the fact that you don’t know everything, and that shiny new person with shiny new ideas might make you more efficient, or improve your commercial advantage.” – 33:10 – Sarah-Jayne Aldridge
“If you really want to do proper procurement, come and do it in the public procurement sector. Your stakeholders are subject matter experts, everything has to be done really quickly, you’re dealing with significant amounts of spend, and it’s really highly regulated.” – 37:20 – Sarah-Jayne Aldridge
