Social Media and Procurement #procurement #socialmedia #coup2015 Marion Hutchins Communications Manager, SUPC

Today What is social media? What makes it so powerful (or not)? How can it be used to support procurement? Why should I consider using/not using social media? What can I do now to start benefiting?

#thechallenge

What is social media? Websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking – Oxford Dictionary Social media are the tools, services, and communication facilitating connection between peers with common interests. -Chris Garrett, Chrisg.comChrisg.com

Call for Social Media Use in Procurement “Social media use for information sharing, and learning, appears to be less popular in procurement than in other functions. This is a missed opportunity that needs to be addressed.” - Stephen Ashcroft, Procurement Risk Specialist in Supply Management

Stats - #showmethevalue

What about within procurement? 80% of commercial enterprises (suppliers) use social media Merging of business and consumer platforms – businesses use social media to communicate with consumers and vice versa LinkedIn most used for procurement professionals; Twitter, YouTube for training videos, calls for feedback/consultation Research shows that procurement professionals are in the early adoption stage with social media (2012) Research conducted by Wax Digital:

What makes it so powerful (or not)? Sheer volume of users Engagement potential Repository of knowledge Social media is here to stay – procurement needs to find its own best practice to leverage networks

How can it be used to support procurement? Supply market intelligence Relationship-building Knowledge sharing and innovation Real-Time Information

Particularly relevant for specific commodities: travel, IT * Accessing a broader network Improving efficiency - can be a good place to start on research. How can it be used to support procurement?

#procurementfail Just finished our #specification Most specifications fail – half made up, half challenged by internal stakeholders. Heading into negotiations – hoping to leverage another bid to get a better deal.

Reasons to use? Reasons to not? Use Efficient Intelligence gathering Connecting with experts Observe Don’t Use Takes too much time Risky (long-term memory) Colleagues/networks don’t use it Unclear rules Professional/Personal blurring

#misconceptions You have to be on every social media channel out there If you don’t post, you don’t get value My industry is dominated by Generation ? and they don’t use social media You have to constantly monitor your social media accounts to get any value from them Social media is easy Relationships on social media don’t matter

What can you do now? Dip your toe in Setup an account to observe – LinkedIn/Twitter Set some SMART objectives Explore Follow key sector leaders @yourlocalconsortia Look up hashtags #procurement #negotiation #CSR Assess Did you meet your objectives? Can you demonstrate greater value (i.e. information aquired, connections made)

Networks for Procurement Professionals Procurious World’s first global online community for procurement and supply chain professionals Buyers Meeting Point Helping procurement and purchasing professionals find the information necessary to fulfill their responsibilities. We centralized blogs, white papers, and solution provider listings. CorporateBrainz The online specialist community for procurement & supplier management professionals.

#codesofconduct Engage (if possible) Don’t post statements/comments that you wouldn’t state in-person Share items of value – link to interesting content, etc. If in doubt, don’t post

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