Seminar on “Procurement and Materials Management” at WeSchool, Mumbai on 8th August 2014
WeSchool Management Development Center (MDC) and Indian Drug Manufacturers’ Association (IDMA) jointly hosted a 1-day Seminar on “Procurement and Materials Management” on Friday, 8th August 2014 at WeSchool to share ideas and best practices in the functional area from pharma and other industries.
Mr. Daara Patel (Secretary General, IDMA) welcomed the participants and exhorted them as to raise the level and visibility of the procurement and materials management profession such that it finds representation at senior management levels on par with other professions.
Next Prof. Dr. V. H. Iyer in his keynote address explained how the Indian Pharma 
industry, is poised to become a world-leader in research, manufacturing and clinical trials of drugs. He also referred to the need for certification for the procurement and materials management professional in the industry.
The sessions then began with a well researched presentation on “Effective Supply Management strategies, Managing and Mitigating risks in Supply Management” by Mr. R. Sridhar (Sr. VP- Strategic Sourcing Unit, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd).
He explained the differences in the challenges faced in India vis-a-vis abroad and cited several illustrative examples. He also shared M&M’s road map of risk mitigation strategies for a resilient supply chain.
In the next session on “Supplier Management”, Prof. R. Mukundan (erstwhile of Larsen & 
Toubro and visiting faculty at WeSchool) mentioned the increasing dependence of businesses on their suppliers. He went on to present various methods of supplier performance measurement.
This was followed by the session on “Innovation and Best Practices in Supply Management” by Mr. Richard Moras (Sr. VP- Supply Chain, Concept Pharmaceuticals) wherein he highlighted several innovative and best practices within and outside the pharma industry that they could learn and adapt from.
Next, Mr. Marcel Parker (Independent Director and Chief Mentor, IKYA Human Capital Solutions Ltd and visiting faculty at WeSchool) presented an interactive session on “Talent Management and Performance Evaluation” wherein he highlighted the key aspects of managing talent especially in the procurement and materials management function. He also shared some important tips for job seekers.
Thereafter, in the session on “IT in the Supply Chain“, Prof. Dr. P. H. Pendse (Dean- Information Technology & Business Design, 
WeSchool), explained how IT and e-commerce have revolutionised business. His co-speaker, Ms. Amruta Joshi (Consultant, e-Sourcing and Spend Management Solutions), outlined the advantages of spend and category management and shared some of her experiences on less-focussed categories- such as office supplies, to achieve significant cost savings.
Mr. Surendra Deodhar (Head – Supply Chain Management Reliance Life Sciences) in his session on Logistics and Distribution in Pharma Supply Chain, detailed the enormous challenges beginning outside the manufacturing facility, India’s airports, railway stations and in transit, while handling life-saving and fragile goods.
A panel discussion followed next on two contemporary topics (a) Vision Supply/ Procurement management 2020 and (b) What skills does today’s procurement/ Materials Management professional need to deliver real value? The discussion was moderated by Prof. Dr. V. H. Iyer (Dean- MDC, WeSchool).
