Click to t Sourcing in Procurement & Supply Session 2 Study Skills

GPS - Course Structure Session 1 Introduction & Context Session 2 Study Skills Session 3 Procurement & Supply Environments Session 4 Procurement & Supply Operations Session 5 Procurement & Supply Workflow Session 6 Inventory & Logistics Operations Session 7 Procurement & Supply Relationships Session 8 Examination Technique & Next Steps

Study Skills – Learning Outcomes By the end of this session, you should be able to: Identify your learning style and implications for studying Quantify time commitments and availability Develop effective study plan based on learning style and taking time constraints into account

Learning has occurred when someone: knows something they did not know earlier, and can show it is able to do something which they were not able to do before Honey, P. and Mumford, A. The Manual of Learning Styles, 3rd editions, 1992 Definition of learning

Learning Styles Activist Reflector Theorist Pragmatist There are four types of learning style which link to stages in the learning cycle: Honey, P. and Mumford, A. The Manual of Learning Styles, 3rd edition, 1992.

The Learning Cycle & Associated Learning Styles Honey, P. and Mumford, A. The Manual of Learning Styles, 3rd edition, 1992

Learning Styles Activity Review your learning styles questionnaire results What is your profile? Where does this place you on the learning cycle? What are the implications for your study?

Individuals’ Barriers to Learning Fear Time Previous bad experiences of learning Lack of interest in whether things work in practice

For Effective Learning You Need to GROW..... Clear G oals –SMART, with the emphasis on ‘Achievable’ Take account of the Reality of your situation –constraints, ability, aptitude and attitude - where you currently stands in relation to the goal – close or far Options - restrictions or restraints on resources –Particularly time Will - motivation or will to succeed

Time Commitment – from session 1 If studying by the Distance Learning route, ‘average’ time for completion of each session is one week Intensive Weekend students will probably work through the materials in a shorter ‘average’ time after attending the weekend session What is ‘average’?

The Time Problem Time required for study are expressed in guided learning hours and independent study, and are based on the ‘average’ student What is average? How quickly you are able to complete the course will depend on 3 things: –How fast you assimilate the material (read and understand) – this will speed up as you move through the course –How quickly you write up notes, assignments and projects –How much of a perfectionist you are!

How Much Time Do You Need? Vs How Much Time Do You Have? Go to the CIPS section on Oxcom Learning Download ‘Time Estimates’ table and complete the activities This will help you to quantify your current time commitments, both business and personal, and calculate a realistic estimate of weekly time that could be freed for study without detriment to health, relationships or time spent at work

Basic Principles of Time Management Direct your efforts appropriately Direct your efforts efficiently Reduce time wastage

Direct Your Effort Appropriately Remedial Action: Plan your time Delegate more – at home and work Understand why you sometime overcommit – insecurity? Practise saying ‘no’ Renounce perfection! Stop doing ‘things’

Direct Your Effort Effectively Remedial action: Organise office/home/study Stop devoting time to NOT doing things Use prime time for prime jobs e.g. Are you a ‘daytime’ or ‘evening’ person? Make sure you know what you are meant to be doing – seek clarification/support Work to deadlines Work on one thing at a time, aiming to finish it.

Reduce Time Wastage Remedial action: Reduce meeting commitments Reduce interruptions Shorten unavoidable interruptions All of the above apply to business and personal lives

Time For A Break! Take time out from the serious side of time management – click on the links below for two contrasting perspectives on time management (apologies for the production values on the Time Management Fairy)

Effective Study Requires: Location Developing a ‘habit’ Planning Clarifying your study objectives Understanding your learning style Understanding your body rhythms – when are your good/bad times Taking breaks & exercising

Improving Reading Skills Selecting Reading Material: –what do you need to know; what sources exist; what are the relative merits of the sources Choosing a Reading Speed: –Some sources will be suitable for reading through as you would a novel; others will be text books, quite heavy going, which you need to dip ‘in and out’ of Taking notes: –Very important, not just for use as a resource for assessments, but also to be able to reference where you found the information –Often provide a more helpful resource than the original materials as they may be easier for you to understand

Other Skills Required... But Covered In Future Courses Using diagrams: –Presenting often complex information is easy to read/understand formats Learning from case studies –A useful way to practise application of skills, knowledge and techniques in quasi real situations Using numbers –Provides a clear, unambiguous and concise way of describing some sorts of relationships Writing reports and spelling

Advanced Certificate In Procurement & Supply Assessment Method Five 2 hour papers 4 units assessed by Multiple Choice format – 60 questions – approximately 2 minutes per question 1 unit assessed by workbook format – practical written exam (4 questions, worksheets and short form answers required)

Multiple Choice Questions At the end of sessions 3-7, you will be attempting end of session assessments which are typical of the question format and content used by CIPS to assess candidates on the Advanced Certificate To prepare you for these, before moving onto these sessions – the following slide will give a couple of tips on techniques for attempting multiple choice papers

‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ If you have watched this programme you will know that the questioning approach uses multiple choice format, typically: Which of the following colours are not in the rainbow: A)YellowB)Brown C)IndigoD)Blue Whilst you won’t have ‘phone a friend’ or ‘ask the audience’, with most MCQs there are usually two ‘wrong’ answers you can rule out straight away – in this case A and D which are clearly in the rainbow. Which leaves you with C) Indigo, or B) Brown. If you do not actually know the correct answer, an educated guess should lead to eliminate Brown (not much brown up in the sky – if there is, it’s usually not natural )

Have A Go! Using the same technique, and without going back over the session slides, attempt the question below: Which of the following is a recognised definition of quality? A)% of poor quality goods produced B)conformance to specification C)proven life of the equipment D)use of standard materials in the product

End of Session Activity In the next session you will start ‘learning’ about Procurement and Supply In preparation for this, using your time estimates table, develop a study plan for the remaining sessions. Include topic to be studied, activities e.g. reading, note taking, Oxcom Learning, activities and break periods, allocating time against each item listed