Xerox global purchasing receives CIPS certification
Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply puts stamp on processes
Susan Avery -- Purchasing, 6/29/2009 2:12:02 PM
Xerox global purchasing has achieved professional certification from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS). CIPS is located in Stamford, South Lincolnshire in England.
According to the CIPS website, certification is an established benchmark of excellence in organizational procurement competence and ensures that an organization maintains excellent procurement standards and delivers benefits to the bottom line year over year.
The program is endorsed by the Institute of Quality Assurance. An organization that meets certification standards for excellence in purchasing policies and procedures, also meets purchasing requirements of international quality standard, ISO 9001:2000.
The main certification audit was conducted over a one-week period in the U.S. with satellite audits in Europe and southeast Asia.
Xerox centralized its global purchasing operation in 1982; purchasing professionals were working in Asia beginning in 1988. The group was transformed in 2006. Now, a significant proportion of its people, including senior decision-makers are located in low-cost territories close to suppliers. The organization has offices in the U.S., Europe, India, China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.
The group under the leadership of Ken Syme, vice president of global purchasing, manages 87% of the almost $8 billion that Xerox spends annually with suppliers of products and services in such indirect categories as transportation, travel, fleet, facilities, Information technology, marketing, contract labor and business services as well as direct material suppliers, OEMs, contract manufacturers and design partners who help Xerox produce digital publishing systems, office printers and multifunction devices and associated inks and toners.
Xerox global purchasing has developed such tools such as competitive analysis, best of breed modeling and product cost engineering systems that include “should pay” databases.
Xerox began marketing its procurement services to other organizations earlier this year as reported on Purchasing.com
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