Como você equilibra a gestão de categorias e o strategic sourcing em seu processo de compras?

CATEGORY MANAGEMENT is a recurring methodology whose objective is: ✅ define the strategic & future needs of the business ✅ research the supplier market & key suppliers incl. trends in sustainability & digitization ✅ analyze costs / TCO, demand & other axes of value creation ✅ analyze the risks to establish a 'mitigation' plan ✅ define & implement a strategy ✅ Define & implement a list of initiatives based on all Proc. levers ✅ One of the first initiatives is a Strategic Sourcing Process ▶️ to optimize the spend of a category & achieve an optimal value of this spend to help the business ➡️ In short: a vision, a category strategy & a set of initiatives for the next 2-3 years to buy ➖ and achieve ➕ or sell ➕ . ⏭ Catman leads to SRM programs

Category management is a strategic procurement approach aimed at achieving cost savings and process enhancements. By grouping products or services into categories, organizations can streamline procurement processes, strengthen supplier ties, and boost efficiency across the supply chain. This method involves analyzing market dynamics, supplier capabilities, and demand patterns to align procurement strategies with organizational goals effectively.

La gestión de categorías en FORSITIS implica tratar cada grupo de productos o servicios como una unidad estratégica dentro del proceso de adquisición. Esto significa que no solo analizamos el coste, sino también el impacto a largo plazo, la demanda interna y las tendencias del mercado. Se trata de maximizar el valor, no solo en términos de ahorro, sino también en la calidad y la innovación que pueden ofrecer los proveedores dentro de cada categoría. Es un enfoque holístico que permite alinear las decisiones de compras con la estrategia global de la empresa.

Category management is the system to classify the goods that any company is purchasing into different groups and subgroups. Groups could be material groups, for instance metals, raw materials, quemicals ... etc, and subgroups would be much more specific, such as aluminum, glue... etc.

STRATEGIC SOURCING (or Strat. Sourcing process) is a project delimited in time whose objective is: ✅ define & challenge specifications / requirements ✅ analyze prices / costs (Cost DOWN) ✅ identify potential suppliers ✅ define the bidding strategy based on basic Proc. levers (Supply/Sourcing Mgmt. & Process Mgmt.) ✅ choose / negotiate / sign / implement a contract with one or several suppliers ▶️ to be able to acquire a good / a service / a solution achieving the best market conditions ➡️ In short: a major tender or RFx to buy better & approved by a Steering Committee ⏭ At the end of the project, an SPM (Supplier Performance Mgmt.) can be carried out & often another sourcing process is started in another expense category

Strategic sourcing is the complete awarding process from the design to the award of the project to a supplier. Strategic sourcing includes identification of suppliers, analysis and evaluation of suppliers, RFQ sending, offer evaluation and negotiation of commercial terms and conditions.

Strategic sourcing is the application of a rigorous methodology to a category of expenditures in pursuit of best-in-market total cost , terms, and service relative to a company's needs and volume. Sourcing should include: - questioning of the spend in the first place - challenging the current approach to the category - deep analytics - close engagement with internal stakeolders - Exploration of advanced optimization strategies - Efficient inclusion and engagement of a wide range of suppliers - Providing extensive data to suppliers so they fully understand the opportunity.

Balancing category management and strategic sourcing involves aligning both to achieve business goals. Integrate category strategies with strategic sourcing objectives through cross-functional collaboration and data-driven decision-making. Segment suppliers based on their strategic importance to tailor sourcing strategies that align with category goals. Regularly review and adjust strategies to adapt to market changes and drive continuous improvement. Incorporate risk management to ensure supply chain stability and resilience. This balance leads to cost savings, supplier innovation, and overall value creation in procurement.

El abastecimiento estratégico, por otro lado, es el enfoque en FORSITIS para construir relaciones de largo plazo con los proveedores adecuados. Aquí no se trata solo de negociar el mejor precio, sino de analizar qué proveedores pueden aportar más valor a la cadena de suministro, ya sea en términos de innovación, flexibilidad o sostenibilidad. Es un proceso continuo de evaluación, negociación y mejora de las relaciones con los proveedores clave, garantizando que la empresa esté bien posicionada para aprovechar oportunidades y mitigar riesgos.

Category management ensures that procurement activities are aligned with the overall business strategy. It focuses on long-term value creation and continuous improvement within each category. Strategic sourcing, on the other hand, focuses on optimizing costs and securing the best possible terms in the short to medium term.

They go hand in hand. A good category setup initially fuels the success of an all encompassing Sourcing Strategy. Spending more time on Category management is essential to ensure the sourcing strategy meets the business needs.

Category Management and Strategic Sourcing are interdependent and both disciplines focus on reducing the Total Cost of Ownership. Category Management defines the needs and strategies for each product group, relies heavily on analyzing sales, market trends, customer preferences, and supplier performance while Strategic Sourcing ensures that these strategies are supported by efficient and cost-effective procurement processes, using data to identify the best suppliers and negotiate favorable terms.

La gestión de categorías y el abastecimiento estratégico en FORSITIS están profundamente conectados. La gestión de categorías establece una visión amplia y estratégica de cada grupo de productos o servicios, mientras que el abastecimiento estratégico asegura que estamos colaborando con los mejores socios para ejecutar esa visión. Ambos enfoques se complementan: una buena gestión de categorías identifica las necesidades, y el abastecimiento estratégico asegura que esas necesidades se cubran de manera eficiente y sostenible, creando un círculo virtuoso entre ambos.

The process of overall spend analysis (of the total or partial perimeter of Third Party Spend) is used to identify possible actions; ABOVE ALL, it allows you to choose correctly, and for each category, what will work best between Strategic Sourcing & Catman. The 2 tools are not exclusive but complement each other.

El equilibrio entre la gestión de categorías y el abastecimiento estratégico es una cuestión de prioridades y objetivos. En FORSITIS, nos aseguramos de que las decisiones a nivel de categoría estén alineadas con las metas de abastecimiento a largo plazo. Esto significa que, mientras optimizamos cada categoría para obtener valor, también mantenemos relaciones sólidas con los proveedores que pueden apoyar ese valor a lo largo del tiempo. La clave está en no sacrificar lo estratégico por lo táctico, y viceversa, sino encontrar el punto óptimo donde ambos enfoques se potencien mutuamente.

Flexibility is key. As well as puting into the table the strategic KPIs and the category specific KPIs, finding balance between them.

Equilibrar gestión de categorías y abastecimiento estratégico implica segmentar productos, analizar gastos, evaluar proveedores y desarrollar estrategias alineadas. Fomentar colaboración interfuncional, utilizar tecnología y análisis de datos, y gestionar riesgos y sostenibilidad. Este enfoque optimiza valor, reduce costos y fortalece relaciones con proveedores, impulsando eficiencia y sostenibilidad.

I would stay that the benefits are: - improvement of efficiency - optimisation of supplier for portfolio - increase of negotiation leverages - reduction of redundancies - better collaboration - much more lean structure

Dentro de los beneficios claves en el equilibrio la gestión de categorías y abastecimiento estratégico: 1. Eficiencia en procesos de compras y gestión de proveedores. 2. Optimización de costos a través de reducción de los mismos. 3. Continuidad en el flujo de la red de abastecimiento. 4. Enfoque a la confiabilidad y cultura de datos minimizando la deuda técnica. Lo anterior junto a la alianza estratégica de proveedores, colaboradores y otros stakeholders brindan una ventaja competitiva a la compañía o emprendimiento.

The challenge is usually the balance between category management and strategic purchasing. Key is to match the KPIs from category management with global sourcing strategy. Macro targets should be established in the same wat, while there will be differences with microtargets and local strategies. In addition, category management presents the challenge of complexity and definition of categories. Objetive should be to cover almost all references in a lean, non-complex way; trying no to overcreate categories.

In my experience the challenges include: 1. Data Integration: Consolidating information from multiple sources for accurate analysis. 2. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Promoting communication between departments. 3. Supplier Evaluation: Maintaining strict and updated criteria. 4. Risk Management: Identifying and mitigating risks in real-time. 5. Sustainability: Integrating sustainable practices without increasing costs.