Episode 012: Using Procurement Collaboration to Improve an Organization with Paul McCarthy

The Procurement Podcast

Using Procurement Collaboration to Improve an Organization with Paul McCarthy.

Paul McCarthy talks about buying products and services in a way that is effective, not necessarily cheap, but the best for your company, the best for right now, and the best for the future.

Paul talks about a huge procurement knowledge gap that began with procurement employees that began their career post the 2008-09 financial crisis. With 10 years of expertise to 2019-2020, and a market now in decline, the focus is still buying as cheap as possible, but at the same time this approach expedites the decline of the market in the paper industry due to poor(er) profitability of its participants. And with COVID-19 coming along, the decline of the market has been even more dramatic.

McCarthy regularly challenges his organization to look for everything and anything that is other than magazines and newspapers. He regular asks his staff -- quote -- "find ways to replace plastic with paper, don't ask children, ask your parents. Remember when fish was wrapped in paper not plastic?"

Only by adopting a collaborative approach, paradigm shifts can occur, new uses of products can be identified and keep organizations alive.

Finally, by ensuring all functions work in sync toward the same end goal -- and getting employees to buy into this paradigm shift, everyone should be able to sell the organisation.

About Paul McCarthy

Managing Director SCA Graphic Paper UK Limited. Driving sustainability in print and paper from the forest to the office. SCA £10.7bn turnover brands include GraphoCote, GraphoInvent and GraphoNews. McCarthy has spent 12 years in paper sales, most recently as publishing sales manager at Sappi Fine Paper Europe. Prior to joining the paper trade he worked in magazine production and was commercial production manager at Condé Nast.

Paul McCarthy on LinkedIn.

About the Procurement Podcast

This episode is brought to you by the Procurement Podcast, with Andy Franks (BrightSky ClearMind) and Christophe Barriere-Varju (BvW Global), two passionate Procurement Consultant Professionals.

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