Sharad Raina, General Manager - Supply Chain, Fortis Healthcare

1. How procurement and supply management go hand-in-hand?

Procurement and Supply Management parallely denote to all activities required to ensure the continuous and reliable availability of sufficient quantities of quality-assured, effective products and services to end-users, procured at the lowest possible prices, in accordance with national and international laws.

2. What are the current challenges that the procurement managers are facing?

Over the years, the main task of the procurement officers was to bring down cost of the purchased materials and services as much as they can and ensuring the timely delivery of goods and services. But now, the scenario is different, most of the procurement officers have plethora of issues including legal concerns, sustainability concerns and regulatory and ethical considerations to deal with. These road blocks impact not only the brand image of the company but also hamper its production line. Over the next decade, procurement officers will need to take on more expansive roles within their organization. They will need to become guardians of the corporate brand, advocates for sustainable business practices and innovators who help develop new products and services.