CATEGORY MANAGEMENT IN PROCUREMENT AND SUPPLY

This is a tutor led virtual classroom course which can be tailored to your teams business needs.  The course runs for 2 days, in 90 minute sections using our virtual classroom platform.  The courses are interactive, with the option for students to ask questions and receive personalised feedback from trainers who are experts in their fields.  Courses are taught live using video and chatbox tools with tutors and delegates.  The result is enjoyable learning, efficient use of your time and rapid progress.

If you are interested in booking a course with us, or have any questions about our tutor led virtual classrooms, please contact our Operations Manager via email at

Why this course is different 

This 3-day program is designed and run by professional Buyers with Buyers in mind. It takes a strategic approach in training people. With skills and tools that build sustainable results through effective procurement. 

Through a variety of strategies and techniques including interactive learning using case studies and role plays. Your presenters are commercial, pragmatic, motivational and above all results oriented. You will:

• Learn an optimal methodology to consistently buy goods and services

• Manage cost, risk and quality throughout the supply chain

• Understand and apply best practice techniques

• Gain skills and tools for mastering category management

• Become more strategic in procurement thinking 

• Select and manage third party’s that deliver benefits​

Why you should attend 

Procurement Category Management is gaining in relevance and importance and is raising its profile as a business approach. Category management enables leading organisations across business sectors to gain a competitive advantage in the global marketplace. Challenging and managing procurement activities in this way ensures that resources are focused where they will achieve value for money.

Category Management provides deep analysis to understand how spend can be controlled and managed. “Control the category and you control the costs”.

This course will enable you to know how category management can deliver better value, and the tools and techniques to optimise category management strategy in your organisation to enhance alignment with stakeholders and create long-term methods to effectively manage spend and reduce costs.

Benefits for you

With increasing focus on procurement activities category management is gaining in importance. With procurements maturity and diminishing returns from strategic sourcing category management is raising its profile as a business approach.

Category management is a continuous and embedded process that demonstrates agility to meet the demands of a dynamic supply market and business needs within a strategic procurement framework.

Managing procurement activities in this way ensures that resources are focused where they will achieve the greatest value for money.​

Who should attend 

Procurement managers, category managers, commercial managers, supply chain specialists and analysts, contract and vendor managers, auditors, six sigma process managers, operations managers, buyers, sourcing and tendering specialists.

Key areas covered

Understand the principles of category management to increase efficiency

• Stakeholder Needs Analysis

• How category management works

• The benefits of effective category management

• Stakeholder engagement Business needs

• Category Project management

Interactive exercise:The strategic difference to tactical Purchasing 

Assessing the main expenditure categories to manage costs

• Category spend analysis 

• Total cost of ownership

• Category Classification and segmentation analysis

• Budget approval

• Centre Led/Centralised/Local

Group Discussion: 

Role play and dialogue 1 

Identify the business benefits for adopting a category management approach 

Making the category management approach work for your organisation

• Category strategies and tactics

• Category balanced score cards and selection approval

• Category Communication and RACI

Case Study:

Buying professional services

The impact and importance of market factors on category management

• Supplier and market analysis

• Make or buy: The advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing

• Strategic sourcing

Practical Exercise:Define a category strategy

Implementation of Category Management models

• Risk assessment and mitigation

• 5 forces, SWOT, PESTLE

• Portfolio Analysis and Supplier Preferencing to reduce overall expenditure

Group Discussion: 

Role play and dialogue 2 

The role of a business partner for successfully driving Cat Man forward using strategic models and tools 

Category Management behavioural and technical skills required to implement category management

• Category and contract management

• Supplier Relationship Management

• Category teams’ structures

• Category reviews and performance assessment

• Category innovation

• Category contingency planning

• Exit strategies

• Change management

• Tracking the benefits of category management

Case Study:

Buying for a major event

Group Discussion:

How does procurement add value supporting the achievement of the organisation strategic goals?