Twelve characteristics needed to succeed in procurement.

1. Preparation – whether talking with stakeholders or negotiating with suppliers you must always be prepared. In procurement over 80% of effort is preparation
2. Patience – the role involves dealing with many different viewpoints, patience is critical in getting the best outcome for your business
3. Process – following a process consistently whether it is sourcing or problem solving, it lies at the heart of procurement success
4. Pace – business relies on speed increasingly, your stakeholders want results fast
5. Progress – supporting the business is tough, dealing with suppliers challenging, but positive outcomes are a must and fast
6. Passion – you have to love your role in procurement, showing your energy and passion in your role wins others over to your side
7. Professionalism – dealing with internal and external stakeholders, suppliers and customers requires a consummate level of diplomacy professionalism in all you do
8. Perseverance – just stick to it, it’s never easy in purchasing, but keeping to it, will deliver results
9. Pragmatic – no day is ever the same, be flexible of mind and spirit is essential
10. Profit-centered – after all procurement is essentially about reducing costs both in third party goods and services and the overhead of acquiring them
11. Perspective – thinking about the external marketplace is essential whilst also considering your own business
12. Practitioner – never stop learning, stay abreast of best practice, never stop developing and challenging the status quo.