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We’ve all seen it at the airport check-in. Mr. More-Important-Than-Everyone-Else complaining about something or other. He’s late to board and they won’t let him on. Maybe he’s exceeded his luggage allowance, or, best of all, because he’s a frequent flyer, he wants an upgrade. “I fly with you all the time.” “ I’m a personal friend of your CEO.” ” Do you know who I am?!” I was once given a master class in how to get upgraded on a flight. It was from a colleague, a professional buyer,  who bet me he could get his sister a business class seat on a coach class ticket. I paraphrase the conversation for brevity but this is how he approached the check in.

Some great things have come out of Australia but leaving Rolf Harris and Skippy aside, passion for procurement doesn’t seem to be one of them. Why is it that Aussies don't get as passionate as the poms about procurement? Well I'm not sure that the Europeans do get quite as passionate as Claudine Swiatek believes in her captivating article in her blog The Young Sourcerer about passion. But her point is well made that it's a shame that procurement isn't as well respected in some quarters as it should be.

In their market overview Market Overview, ePurchasing And Contract Life-Cycle Management In 2011 to 2012, Forrester describes four forces that are keeping supplier networks dynamic and competitive. They talk a great deal of sense but they forgot the fifth force - the one that's going to make 2012 the year for supplier networks.

Again, we’re delighted to welcome Simon Shorthose, MD Readsoft UK,  as a guest contributor Many organisations are currently operating on Oracle Applications Release 12 or are planning to do so in the near future.  With Release 12, Oracle boasts over 2300 new features over Oracle 11i, with over 300 in Oracle Financials. The application has been geared towards enhanced support for shared services, increased operational efficiency and flexibility, faster and simpler period end processing and timely and simplified reporting. For the finance function, the requirement to eliminate inefficiencies in purchase to pay (P2P) and order to cash (O2C) processes in a central concern. They need better process visibility and compliance; better cycle time; and want to see continual cost reduction.