Training - Contract Management
Let’s be frank – contract management isn’t the most exciting aspect of procurement. After all, who likes paperwork and minutia? Most people don’t. For those in the earlier stage of their career understanding legal jargon can be daunting and negotiating the contract with the supplier, harder still. More experienced professionals might not have even been taught this core skill properly and, with a desire to focus on more exciting activities, try to steer clear of contracts whenever possible.
Robust contracts are a key tool to manage your suppliers and minimise risk. So, like them or loathe them, you need to be good at them. Following some simple steps and with a bit of practice, I’ll show you that contract management isn’t nearly as arduous as you might think.
If you’re a Head of Procurement or Procurement Director you might have different needs. Perhaps you’re unhappy with the low level of spend under contract, the poor accessibility of contracts or that the full contract value isn’t derived. As a Procurement Director I’ve had this challenge myself and have some god ideas of how to help you.
Training - Contract Management
Let’s be frank – contract management isn’t the most exciting aspect of procurement. After all, who likes paperwork and minutia? Most people don’t. For those in the earlier stage of their career understanding legal jargon can be daunting and negotiating the contract with the supplier, harder still. More experienced professionals might not have even been taught this core skill properly and, with a desire to focus on more exciting activities, try to steer clear of contracts whenever possible.
Robust contracts are a key tool to manage your suppliers and minimise risk. So, like them or loathe them, you need to be good at them. Following some simple steps and with a bit of practice, I’ll show you that contract management isn’t nearly as arduous as you might think.
If you’re a Head of Procurement or Procurement Director you might have different needs. Perhaps you’re unhappy with the low level of spend under contract, the poor accessibility of contracts or that the full contract value isn’t derived. As a Procurement Director I’ve had this challenge myself and have some god ideas of how to help you.
Course Prospectus
Nella Jansson-Wright
Procurement Adventurer®
Intro
There is only one Nella! She has boundless energy, a wicked sense of humour and a fantastic ability to motivate those around her. She's pretty handy at procurement & Supply Chain too! This makes her a natural Procurement Adventurer. Here’s her story…
How did your career start?
I joined the International Graduate Programme with Scottish & Newcastle, which is now part of Heineken. I did 4 roles in 4 countries:
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Sustainability in Scotland
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Brand Marketing in Belgium
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Running a production line in Portugal
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Team leader in England
I’m an engineering scientist by training and I love dealing with people and running factories. I also loved buying the services for factories. My degree and the Graduate Programme set me up well for a career in food and drinks Operations.
From there I moved to Rowse Honey where I worked as the Engineering Manager. There, I bought and installed a bottling line, an extension to the factory to process honey in, lots of spare parts and all the service contracts to keep the factory running. This is how my Procurement journey started.
Tell us about your current role
I’m the Supply, Operations and Impact Director at MOJU. I absolutely love it! For us, it’s all about sourcing the very best quality product at the right time, at the right cost, whilst minimising the impact on the world. My job is to get everything right, from upstream to downstream overseeing Manufacturing, Technical, Projects, Logistics - most of it is third party so in effect procurement.
"In our view, Peruvian ginger is the best in the World"
What were the highlights of your recent sourcing trip to Peru?
It was seeing the care and attention that is taken to produce such a high quality product – in our view Peruvian ginger is the best in the world due to its incredible potency and sensory notes. The Peruvian ginger grows on steep mountain sides, at altitude, in really nutrient rich soil, which create the perfect conditions. The views from the small-holding farms were breathtaking.
Another highlight was working with people who want to make a difference. We work with suppliers with high standards who care about how the ginger is grown and harvested and we met passionate farmers who are proud to be cultivating ginger.
What do you look for when you're recruiting?
I find recruitment one of the most challenging parts of the job. MOJU is a fantastic place to work and we only employ exceptional people. In my mind values always trumps skills. Skills can be learnt but values are very hard to change. So, at first round interviews my primary objective is to assess values and cultural fit.
MOJU values are:
BLAZE TRAILS
We use fresh thinking to go our own way
PLAY TO WIN
We embrace challenges & make bold choices
EVERGREEN
We build and invest for the long term
KEEPING IT REAL
We say what we mean, and do what we say
"We only employ exceptional people"
"You must be honest with suppliers"
What's the trick to SRM?
I believe it’s all in the relationships. Key suppliers are partners – you need to treat them like that. I feel honesty goes a long way, one should align on strategy and values and show that you trust them, and they will trust you in return. Treat them like you’d like to be treated in return. If and when challenges arise, find ways to work through the problems together.
What are your top tips for growing an SME?
I’m not an expert but I think it’s all about having an amazing, super high-quality product. The product is king - you must ensure it’s top quality and believe it meets a consumer need. It’s also about having an incredible team who have strong values. MOJU has both which is fuelling our growth.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Two things: Firstly I wish I’d focused on the people earlier (I used to be more focused on results). It’s the people that will make it happen. And secondly, I’ve learnt to not stress about what you can’t control – I wish I had adopted that earlier.
How does B-Corp interface with Procurement?
B-Corp places equal importance on profit, people and planet to ensure that businesses do the right thing for all stakeholders. As 3 examples:
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We work with the most ethical suppliers we can find for ginger – we place more emphasis on this than cost.
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We choose partners based on environmental criteria – our recent warehouse move is a testament to this, the carbon impact had to be negative on any move we made, and we are proud to have achieved that.
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We choose environmentally friendly e-commerce packaging despite cheaper less sustainable packaging available.
"As a business we are hot on measuring and reducing carbon"
What impact is climate change having on MOJU?
Climate change has always been a sore point for me throughout my career. We face so many risks if we do not work in a sustainable way, both in terms of changes in the climate affecting our crops but more importantly avoiding the long-term crisis that we are slowly heading to. As a business we are hot on measuring and reducing carbon - we have measured our Scope 1-3 for 2 years in a row and have reduction targets in place. We are learning about how climatic conditions affect ginger.
Apart from ginger, what's the most fun thing you've bought?
It has to be what I bought at Ella’s Kitchen - buying the finished goods and materials for baby food – it’s super high quality, playful and fun and we always tried to see everything through a child’s eyes.
How is MOJU deploying AI?
We are at the start of our journey, having created an AI Philosophy recently.
"My Grandmother died at 103!"
Who or what inspires you?
I have a massive love of people and understanding what they’re passionate about. I love seeing people achieve past what they thought they could. I also like seeing things left better than before whether that be a process, the environment or a relationship.
My Grandmother was also a great source of inspiration for me. She died last year at 103! She exercised every day and was always socialising. She also choreographed the opening dance for the Helsinki Winter Olympics in 1952 (I should have mentioned I’m Finnish)
In the business world I had the privilege of working with Mark Cuddigan at Ella’s Kitchen. He influenced me massively. He was an inspiration advocate of B Corp; something I passionately believe in too.
Rapid Fire
Ceviche or empanadas – Ceviche (I’m gluten free)
Pisco Sour or Margherita – Pisco Sour (at the Bar of the Gran Hotel Bolivar, Lima)
Mountains or Sea – Mountains if the snow’s good; otherwise, sea