An Eclectic Peek into Procurement Foundry By Ronald Hedley It is really very simple. In order to be successful in virtually any endeavor, supply chain or otherwise, one must collaborate. The better the collaboration, the more success will be had. In his Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management article entitled “The Science Behind the Growing Importance of Collaboration,” author Benjamin F. Jones explained why collaboration matters more today than ever. “Our individualized knowledge is becoming more and more specialized. There is more and more to know in the world, and you can only have so much in your head, so the share of stuff you know as an individual is declining in any field.” What is the effect? Jones continued, “This increasing specialization of skills means that you need bigger and bigger groups, with more and more specialists, in order to be successful. Over time, this is an ongoing, neverending phenomenon of increased specialization, which is ever increasing the demand for collaboration.”
“There is nothing like Procurement Foundry out there in the market today that focuses strictly on practitioners. We are a real-time collaboration.” Cadieux is proud of his new community, of which he said, “There is nothing like Procurement Foundry out there in the market today that focuses strictly on practitioners. We are a real-time collaboration community. We are a fully vetted community, where not everybody can get in. For me, foundry means building something from scratch. The name is a good fit for my vision.” The following question and answer session should give the reader a deeper understanding of Procurement Foundry, Cadieux’s realized dream for a “safe haven” where procurement people can gather, learn, share and grow:
Jones offered this advice: “Make space for people to meet potential collaborators they may not otherwise run into.”
Hedley: Who is your typical Procurement Foundry member?
Enter Procurement Foundry: the brainchild of Michael Cadieux.
Cadieux: People who are sincere about their careers and who are not promoting something else. They are practitioners who are looking to find like-minded practitioners to collaborate, communicate, and network with.
Cadieux launched Procurement Foundry in June 2019. He explained why he chose the name. “A foundry is where metal is forged. I thought it would be cool to have that connotation. This is where collaborations are made. This is where networking is forged. This is the new beginning.”
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Hedley: Why are members vetted? Cadieux: I have a lot of consultants and sales side folks who want to gain access to the community. I don’t let them in because I know that once they are in, they are going to try to sell consultancy services to the
