Nelson passes NAPM torch to Bradshaw in New Orleans
By Staff -- Purchasing, 5/18/2000 2:00:00 AM
On May 3, at the close of napm's 85th annual International Purchasing Conference in New Orleans, Dave Nelson of Deere & Co. ceded the organization's presidential post to Richard (Dick) Bradshaw, the purchasing director of Boston University Medical Center in Boston, Mass. Bradshaw, who will serve as napm president through May of 2001, will be leading a very different organization, however, in fast-changing times for the purchasing profession.
Last February, the National Association of Purchasing Management (napm) voted in some major structural changes, the implementation of which Bradshaw will spearhead. "This is a very exciting time for napm," Bradshaw remarks. "I couldn't be more pleased to be serving as president this year."
According to Bradshaw, the major changes to napm's by-laws will-
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Eliminate districts from the organization's governance structure.
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Establish new nominating committees for filling various leadership positions throughout the organization.
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Shift the board of directors' attention from operational management to strategic planning.
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Create two support councils-one for affiliates, one for groups and forums-to handle the operational aspects of the organization.
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Create an executive committee-where the two support councils intersect-through which strategic issues will be conveyed to the association's board of directors
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Increase the role of national staff to provide communications throughout the napm organization.
The changes, Bradshaw says, are intended to create "a much stronger organization," one that will be more responsive to the demands of napm members. "In the 85-year history of napm, there have been very few organizational changes. To-day we are changing substantially from the top down."
Beyond his stewardship of this major organizational transition, Bradshaw cites two other aspects of napm's five-year strategic plan that will have his full attention this year: membership and diversity.
"Last year, Dave Nelson pursued a plan for making napm more strategic, leveling up' the educational curriculum, and attracting more senior-level procurement professionals to the membership. This year, I'll focus on broadening the membership base to industries that are not well represented such as healthcare, financial services, hospitality and retail, to name a few." Casting a wider net, Bradshaw believes, will be necessary for napm to meet its ambitious goal of doubling the organization's size by 2003.
To accomplish this goal, Bradshaw says napm will pursue new marketing avenues and focus on designing new programming that will attract purchasing professionals from other sectors of the economy. As warranted, the organization may establish new groups-similar to the existing MRO, metals, chemicals, or electronics buying groups. "The key," Bradshaw says, "will be to offer programming or other resources that are geared to different areas of the profession-such as retail-in addition to all the general knowledge that might apply in any supply management situation."
A second pet project for Bradshaw will be to assure diversity and inclusiveness throughout the napm organization. "We need to ensure that there are no barriers to any individual who wishes to serve in positions of leadership at napm. We've added a person to the national staff who will spearhead this effort. We also have created an ad hoc committee to promote diversity. This group will ensure that we do what we say we will."
NAPM's five-year plan
Nearly five years have passed since napm devised its first evolving five-year strategic plan, a process in which Bradshaw was deeply involved. "In the past," he notes, "each president would pursue his or her own agenda. But it was impossible to do everything that needed to be done in just one year. Now we have a concerted effort, where each president picks up where his predecessor leaves off. Initiatives continue to their conclusions. The five-year plan ties objectives to the association's budget. It sets realistic goals that we can afford to meet."
As to where napm stands in relation to its strategic goals, Bradshaw remarks that several items-such as the by-law changes-are now complete or nearly complete. "We're making definite progress on accomplishing many objectives of the plan. Some things have taken longer than we thought. Others have been accomplished more quickly. It's clear that we've strengthened the national organization. The association is now growing and affiliate support is increasing."
Looking to the future
Assessing the climate of his napm presidency, Bradshaw says he's "extremely excited" about the explosion of e-commerce and the consequent changes occurring in the purchasing profession. "This may prove to be the most exciting year in the association's history. I've been in purchasing for 34 years and the changes I've seen in the past five to six are far more substantial and more positive than all that have come before," he remarks. "E-procurement is here to stay. The traditional transaction-based role for purchasers is fading and purchasing professionals will need to educate themselves if they want to move into emerging roles in purchasing and supply management." Personally, Bradshaw adds, "this is one old dog who wants to learn new tricks."
The association is responding to the changes both in terms of its educational offerings and in the ways it certifies professionals, Bradshaw observes. For example, he notes that the association tested a modernized C.P.M. exam at its New Orleans conference in May, one it will roll out officially in January of next year. "The new exam is much more strategic in focus," Bradshaw says. "It's based on what industry says are the new tasks that purchasing professionals are performing."
Prior to serving as the 1999-2000 napm president-elect, Bradshaw, who holds a bachelor of science degree in education from Northeastern University, held each elected position in one of napm's largest affiliates, the Purchasing Management Association of Boston. He served as co-vice chair of the 74th Annual International Purchasing Conference held in Boston in 1989 and as District IX Director and Assistant Director. During his term with the napm national Board of Directors, Bradshaw was active in implementing and supporting the napm Strategic Management Process and served on the national Executive Committee.
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