Join us for a candid discussion and behind-the-scenes look at the remarkable career journey of Grace Zacharek, a prominent senior supply chain executive. Grace will share her personal highs and lows, offer invaluable insights and lessons learned throughout her distinguished career of more than 20 years across multiple industries.

This webinar is a must-attend for women aspiring to excel in the field. Discover how Grace carved her path to the top and emerged as a respected leader. Don't miss this chance to hear from an industry leader and ISM Committee leader. Gain practical advice and empowering recommendations tailored specifically for women in supply chain roles.

ISM membership is not required to attend – all are welcome.

Supply management professionals are constantly encouraged by senior management to expand strategic cost management efforts. Strategic cost and price management is the process of relating meaningful information to a firm’s business strategy using value chain analysis, strategic positioning analysis and cost driver analysis. A range of tools and techniques can be used, including complexity reduction, greater standardization, tighter management of specifications and demand, compliance management, price benchmarking, should-cost analysis, and total cost of ownership analysis. You will learn strategies to improve profits through shaping both the bottom line and top line of your organization. You will have 60 days access after the last day of the course.

The session will help procurement and supply management professionals become familiar with terms, concepts and applications employed in the construction industry to build comfort in addressing and managing major high dollar and critical acquisitions for the organization. Construction, like Supply Management, has its own language and vocabulary. It’s hard to buy, manage or approve change orders in a contract if you do not understand what the contract is covering. Usually, we manage a large project by work packages which breaks the large project down into sequenced and costed activities. This session seeks to explain some of the major concepts, terminology and shows you how you can be more effective in purchasing a project which could dwarf a traditional inventory, equipment, services, raw materials and MRO expenditures combined on an annual spend. Many managers often bypass purchasing to manage a construction project; for a new plant, new office building, remodeling or mitigation effort from initial planning, pre-solicitation, acquisition and contract management assuming you are not technically degreed. (You need to be a sign off before the proposed project goes to the board for budget monies.) So, they give the project to the Architect and Engineering firm, or the General Contractor or the Prime Contractor to manage—none of whom are part of your company! It is estimated a construction project not managed by a Procurement or Supply Management Professional could encounter overruns as much as 7 to 11%. On a $50M project that could be as high as an additional $4-$5M in additional money. This session will provide you the skills and ability to do what you are the expert in: sourcing, qualification of contractors, developing the RFP, negotiation of the cost/price, delivery elements, review of the construction contract and managing the construction to a successful completion.