Global Category Manager’s Handbook

The Global Category Manager’s Handbook was exactly what I needed to be able to show my team what
good looks like to me. The practical and structured use of relatable examples ensures that the reader can connect to something they have or probably will encounter in the future. Additionally, highlighting skillsets and capabilities required for diff erent aspects of the process was something you generally do not see discussed. Whether you have a new team or a seasoned team, this Handbook should be considered a critical read!

A great handbook for category managers and procurement leaders as it captures all the aspects of good category strategies and their implementation. It’s easy to apply in every stage and supports the process with tools and templates, and especially pragmatic sample questions and answers. I love that it describes good strategies in detailed examples and gives hands-on tips and watch-outs throughout the journey. It is an easy read that makes me want to start developing a category strategy again!

We are at an inflection point, where our enterprises are in need of broader and competitively differentiating value from their supply networks and procurement organizations must enable that to occur. Key to this is the transformation of our procurement professionals into to “true” category managers harnessing the full value of supply markets for enterprise advantage. The Global Category Managers Handbook enables this transformation to occur. While it provides comprehensive processes and templates, it truly serves as a guide that enhances the capabilities of the category manager and does not limit their creativity.”

This is one of the best desktop reference guides for procurement professionals to design and implement category strategies focused on delivering tangible value to their enterprises. A must-read for aspiring procurement professionals, supply chain professionals, and business executives seeking to capture untapped value.”

If you care thoroughly about your career in purchasing and seek to excel, then put the Global Category Manager’s Handbook from Erik Stavrand and José Hanagan on your required-reading list and daily tool repository. This is a must-read primer for anyone in purchasing. Read this book—learn from the best

The Global Category Manager’s Handbook is an essential tool for any sourcing professional that desires to achieve mastery of category management, be a change agent that delivers breakthrough value for their organization and advance their career to the senior ranks of procurement or supply chain. The methodology, processes, and tools outlined in this book provide the underpinnings of repeatable and sustainable value generation

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Stavrand and Hanagan’s Global Category Manager’s Handbook is an essential guide for category managers in organizations at every stage of growth—it’s particularly fundamental for procurement teams investing in digital transformation. We expect the future of procurement to be a data-led journey, and this book acts as a map. To learn how to maximize the value of your procurement strategy, look no further than this book

Category Management has evolved from one-dimensional optimization (cost) to multiple-dimensional optimization (cost, footprint, flexibility, resilience, etc.). This increased level of complexity necessitates a more sophisticated toolkit. This book provides forward-leaning category managers with exactly that

In this thought-provoking and instructive effort, Erik and José have synthesized an exhaustive set of insights on how organizations can maximize value realization from purchased spend. The book should appeal to you whether you are a category manager, an operations leader trying to maximize value capture, or a senior executive looking to connect purchasing with company strategy. The journey the book takes you through deftly combines the strategic (why, what, which) with the practical (who, how). All of the critical elements are brought to life through a well-crafted industrial case example and should nicely resonate with your specific case. An essential read for any executive looking to transform procurement end-to-end.

The Global Category Manager’s Handbook is an authoritative, well-organized reference text for developing, implementing, and sustaining category strategies. It is immediately applicable to all levels of any procurement organization and their business partners. Erik and José have used their depth of experience across multiple industries to transform the two-dimensional process map into a three-dimensional operator’s manual. A significant added value are the narratives throughout the handbook that clearly demonstrate the keys to success as well as critical “watchouts.” This comprehensive handbook can replace every other category management text I’ve read or worked with

The Global Category Managers Handbook is the most comprehensive guide I have seen for enabling achievement of breakthrough sourcing results in the Procurement process. This methodology truly lays out, if followed, an integrated business process that will elevate the GCM to the status of “valued business partner.

Strategic category management is a business requirements-driven process that delivers supply strategy options for business leaders. It is not a supplier-based approach; it is a business-based approach to deliver solutions that meet current and future business needs. This Handbook outlines a practical, step-by-step process that I wholeheartedly recommend—I know fi rst-hand that it works