“ Another effective structure involves organising the sourcing team around Category Managers , with each specialising in specific categories . These managers focus on market trends , risk and resiliency insights , supplier relationships and negotiation strategies and use spend data to gain a competitive advantage .
“ Some organisations also create a Spend Analysis Center of Excellence ( COE ) to provide an even deeper level of expertise in spend-related matters . This team supports Category Managers by ensuring best practices , consistency and continuous improvement in spend analysis processes .
“ Whether through a centralised model , specialised category managers or a COE , these strategies help organisations use spend data to improve procurement efficiency and save money .”
procurementmag . com 137