Cordie learners were recently invited to participate in ground-breaking research with the University of Oxford into the role that curiosity plays in procurement and supply activities.
The research is spear-headed by doctorate researcher Fiona Woods, the former Head of Professional Standards at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS). It involves three separate research streams of procurement learners recording their responses to various questions about curiosity.
Is curiosity relevant for procurement?
Many traditional roles in procurement have focused on order placement and buyer activities. In these roles, the buyer is not required to question, innovate or open themselves to alternative approaches. Traditional buying has been transactional, methodical and administrative.
Fiona Wood FCIPS, MBA, PGCE, MSc(Oxon)
However, modern procurement has revolutionised the profession’s approach to sourcing and managing a wide range of supply markets. Category management, for instance, requires procurement managers to think strategically by researching their categories and the supply markets / supply chains that deliver them, and then projecting forward innovative market solutions to meet demanding business requirements. Curiosity is a trait that sits at the heart of these activities - but how do we become curious?
The interesting conundrum at the heart of Fiona Wood’s research is that curiosity is hardly mentioned within professional procurement literature and certainly is seldom mentioned in the CIPS professional qualifications. Fiona’s research helps to shine a light on this important behaviour and Cordie learners are making an important contribution to this research.