The purchasing function as a professional service firm: implications for training and development

Purchasing has undergone significant changes in many organizations and has moved from a reactive activity to a strategic one, contributing to a firm’s competitive success. The skills and competencies required by professionals in the past are not the same as those required today. This article charts the development of the purchasing function within a multinational aerospace company as a result of introducing major structural changes. Maister’s Professional Service Firm model is then applied in an operational manner to outline the changing roles and responsibilities of the procurement function and to identify potential areas for training and development. It is proposed that this framework not only illustrates how planning and organizing issues can be addressed using the concepts developed by Maister, but also provides an illustration of how one model propounded by management educators can provide a foundation for enhancing organizational performance.