Reviews/Praise
"Next Level Supply Management Excellence is a terrific book. It applies equally to the CPO who wants to take their procurement organization to an even higher performing organization, as well as the CPO who is just beginning a transformation process. It covers a broad range of topics, with deep dives into leadership, talent, client relationships and risk management. These are areas that MUST be focus areas for ANY sustainable transformation of procurement. I wish I had this ‘guidebook’ 10 years ago when I began to devise our purchasing journey!"
Rick Hughes
Chief Purchasing Officer
The Procter & Gamble Company
"Having led the Corporate Procurement function and a significant transformation in a previous role, I feel this book is a must read for anyone undergoing or trying to understand the strategic transformation process and potential payoff. It's a great complement to Straight to the Bottom Line®."
John D. Smith
SVP, GM
Caesars Entertainment Corporation
"Next Level Supply Management Excellence is an important book for senior executives and for leaders of procurement and supply chain departments. Written by knowledgeable experts, the book is a definitive work on turning your supply management organization into a strategic driver for improving top-line and bottom-line performance."
"I found the emphasis on talent management to be refreshing. All too often, senior executives tend to focus more on the measurable KPIs and less on the selection/development of our employees. This book puts all of the transformation dimensions into proper perspective."
Randall S. Dearth
President and CEO
LANXESS Corporation
"Next Level Supply Management Excellence is the first book to not only define the foundations of a ‘next level‘ supply management organization, but to also provide a transformation roadmap that an organization can use to make the transition. Don't just read this book, devour it!"
Michael G. Lamoureux, PhD
Editor-in-Chief,
Sourcing Innovation
"Next Level Supply Management Excellence provides a refreshing, strategic perspective on many complex aspects of supply management. The concise, straightforward approach to the multiple dimensions of Supply Management Excellence should make it easy for you to apply the principles. This is a must-read for progressive Supply Management Executives!"
Ernest G. Gabbard, CPSM, CPM, CPCM
Senior Director, Corporate Strategic Sourcing
Allegheny Technologies Incorporated
"If you could pick only one book on Sourcing and Supply Management, this would be the one. Regardless of your title or experience, the authors challenge the status quo of Sourcing and Supply Management and encourage you to think strategically. Whether you have led, or are thinking about leading, a transformation within your organization, this book will give you the confidence and tools necessary to get started; as well as take your organization to a higher level of performance."
Daniel H. Kaufman, CPSM
Vice President, Sourcing
International Specialty Products
"Rudzki and Trent present a compelling case that a 'Next Level' for Supply Management is clearly attainable, and lay out the steps to get there. The key factors that will open this door are leadership and vision, but both must be shared and articulated broadly by the C-Suite. There is a large pot of gold at the end of this rainbow."
Brad Holcomb CPSM, CPSD
SVP & CPO
Dean Foods Company
"Executives are often looking for the secret to success, the fast and easy way to elevate their companies above the competition. If you are serious about SCM and want to drive the "how" in addition to the "what," Rudzki/Trent provide us with the answers:
- Identify and analyze key benefits by embracing truly strategic supply chain management for your organization.
- Garner genuine and continued support and involvement from top management across the organization.
- Garner genuine and continued support from your internal customers across the organization.
- There are no short cuts. Stake out the roadmap, then follow it diligently keeping the end goal in mind.
- Communicate successes and shortcomings consistently and frequently to all the stakeholders in the organization.
- You are only as good as your weakest supplier.
I had the pleasure of hiring Bob Rudzki and his team to conduct the work at CMC. They helped us move from what we wanted and focused us on what we where trying to achieve."
Matt Kramer
President, Kramer Global Advisory
Former EVP, Commercial Metals Company
"The title of the Rudzki and Trent book, Next Level Supply Management, is an apt description of the contents. A collaboration of an academic and a consultant, both with decades of actual senior leadership experience in supply management, create a how-to guide of advanced practices that is full of this-is-how-it-is-done insights. What is great about the book is the relevance of the topics. I regularly poll CPOs about supply management topics that are important to them. It is uncanny how closely the contents of the book matches up with the projects supply management executives are currently undertaking. Risk management, talent management, lean procurement, export compliance, and contributing to the company’s growth, for example, are leading front burner issues."
Dan Meckstroth
Chief Economist and Council Director
Manufacturers Alliance
"An inspiring, thought provoking, and educational read on the future road map that best in class companies should take. The authors offer a well thought out and structured approach with numerous real life examples on how to drive profit straight to the bottom line. I especially found the understanding and discussion on the importance of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and Life Cycle Management (LCM) well done. In particular the evolution of the concept from landed total cost to include specification, operation and disposal. These are the areas that can have the biggest impact on a company’s bottom line. I highly recommend this book not only to members of the supply management profession but also to the "C" level of any organization that truly wants to take the right costs out and have those dollars materialize on the bottom line."
Todd Snelgrove
Global Manager: Value
SKF USA Inc.
"With Next Level Supply Management Excellence: Your Straight to the Bottom Line Roadmap, Robert Rudzki and Dr. Robert Trent have authored and collected a set of outstanding essays and contributions that truly provide a ‘next level’ contribution to their earlier books in the same series. From the intersection of working capital management and procurement strategy to global trade, supply risk and operations/lean initiatives, this volume expertly covers a range of essential topics in enough depth to keep even an expert practitioner actively engaged and taking mental notes throughout.
"For organizations looking to teach their next generation of procurement, finance and supply chain leaders about the supply management topics that will shape their efforts for decades to come — or for those looking to get a leg up on a range of emerging subjects on their own — I can’t think of a better reference that covers so much ground and provides an actual roadmap of how to affect change and put advanced supply management topics to work. It’s already taken a place at the front of my desk (not even my book shelf) and I suspect it will be there for a long time to come.”
Jason Busch
Managing Director and Editor, www.spendmatters.com
"Next Level Supply Management Excellence is an excellent sequel to Straight to the Bottom Line®. The book is straight to the point with real world examples and no-nonsense guidance. It includes excellent insights on supply management transformation, speaking the language of finance, and even the use of purchasing consultants. As a CPO across diverse industries for over ten years, I believe that this is the most comprehensive and up-to-date roadmap — one that all CPOs need to be versed in to take their organizations to the next level. Actually, this book’s principles are applicable whether you are buying for a manufacturing or a service firm, or whether you are a small or big business. This is a must-read not only for supply chain professionals, but for any business leader who wants to supercharge their critical supply chain initiatives."
Howard Levy
Chief Procurement Officer
Biomet, Inc.
"Bob Rudzki and Robert Trent provide valuable insight into initiating and sustaining procurement transformation results, including developing staff, gaining leadership support for the new role of procurement in the organization, and linking procurement's activities to business strategy and financial objectives. Next Level Supply Management Excellence is the Procurement Executive’s practicum for transformation, with critical insights into migration from tactical buying to strategic procurement.”
Quave Danielle Burton
Vice President, Procurement Services
Collective Brands, Inc.
