CATEGORY MANAGEMENT IN PROCUREMENT & SUPPLY
Maximizing Value by Managing Spend Categories Strategically Across the Organization
Course Schedule
| Date | Venue | Fees (Face-to-Face) |
|---|---|---|
| 14 – 18 Jul 2025 | Dubai, UAE | USD 3495 per delegate |
Course Introduction
Category management is a strategic approach to procurement that groups related goods or services into logical units of spend and manages them as discrete business segments. This method enhances value delivery, improves supplier relationships, and enables cost-effective sourcing decisions aligned with business goals.
This intensive 5-day training course equips procurement professionals with the tools and methodologies required to implement category management. Participants will learn how to analyze spend, assess supplier markets, build category strategies, and drive cross-functional collaboration to maximize value creation and risk reduction.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
• Define and apply the principles of category management in procurement
• Conduct spend and market analysis for effective category planning
• Build and implement category strategies with measurable outcomes
• Manage supplier relationships within category frameworks
• Align procurement goals with broader business objectives and stakeholder needs
Key Benefits of Attending
• Learn how to organize procurement around high-value categories
• Improve cost savings, compliance, and supplier performance
• Master tools like SWOT, Kraljic Matrix, and Total Cost of Ownership
• Develop tailored strategies for specific product or service groups
• Strengthen collaboration between procurement and internal clients
Intended Audience
This program is designed for:
• Procurement and sourcing managers
• Category leads and contract managers
• Supply chain analysts and specialists
• Commercial and finance professionals
• Strategic sourcing consultants
Individual Benefits
Key competencies that will be developed include:
• Spend analysis and opportunity assessment
• Supplier market and risk evaluation
• Strategy formulation and performance tracking
• Cross-functional stakeholder engagement
• Lifecycle thinking and value optimization
Organization Benefits
Upon completing the training course, participants will demonstrate:
• Better alignment of procurement with corporate strategy
• Improved procurement efficiency and supplier leverage
• Increased transparency and control over category spend
• Enhanced ability to reduce risk and total cost of ownership
• More effective category plans driving long-term value
Instructional Methdology
The course follows a blended learning approach combining theory with practice:
• Strategy Briefings – Category planning frameworks and case insights
• Case Studies – Cross-industry examples of successful category strategies
• Workshops – Spend segmentation, supplier positioning, and category playbooks
• Peer Exchange – Real-life challenges in category implementation
• Tools – Templates for strategy maps, scorecards, and negotiation levers
Course Outline
Training Hours: 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Daily Format: 3–4 Learning Modules | Coffee breaks: 09:30 & 11:15 | Lunch Buffet: 01:00 – 02:00
Day 1: Introduction to Category Management
Module 1: Category Management Concepts and Benefits (07:30 – 09:30)
• What is category management?
• Tactical vs strategic sourcing
Module 2: Category Identification and Segmentation (09:45 – 11:15)
• Grouping spend categories logically
• Internal demand and value drivers
Module 3: Spend Analysis and Opportunity Mapping (11:30 – 01:00)
• ABC classification, Pareto analysis
• Data preparation and reporting
Module 4: Workshop – Conduct a Category Spend Review (02:00 – 03:30)
• Analyze spend and identify value levers
Day 2: Market and Supplier Analysis
Module 5: External Market Research (07:30 – 09:30)
• Supply market structure and dynamics
• PESTLE and Porter’s Five Forces
Module 6: Supplier Positioning and Risk (09:45 – 11:15)
• Kraljic Matrix, risk/value quadrants
• Supplier risk analysis techniques
Module 7: Supply Base Rationalization (11:30 – 01:00)
• Consolidation, dual sourcing, local vs global
• Total cost of ownership approach
Module 8: Workshop – Map Suppliers Using Kraljic Matrix (02:00 – 03:30)
• Position current suppliers and discuss implications
Day 3: Strategy Development
Module 9: Building a Category Strategy (07:30 – 09:30)
• Strategic levers, cost models, and timelines
• Category playbooks
Module 10: Stakeholder Engagement and Buy-In (09:45 – 11:15)
• Identifying and managing internal stakeholders
• Communication plans and alignment sessions
Module 11: Supplier Strategy and Performance Measures (11:30 – 01:00)
• KPI setting, SLAs, and scorecards
• Contract and performance monitoring
Module 12: Workshop – Develop a Category Strategy Template (02:00 – 03:30)
• Draft a strategy for a chosen category
Day 4: Implementation and Management
Module 13: Implementation Planning (07:30 – 09:30)
• Roadmaps, timelines, responsibilities
• Tools for execution monitoring
Module 14: Negotiation and Contracting Tactics (09:45 – 11:15)
• Value-based negotiation and collaborative tactics
• Terms, incentives, and compliance
Module 15: Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) (11:30 – 01:00)
• Segmentation, collaboration, and innovation
• Managing performance and risk jointly
Module 16: Workshop – Prepare an Implementation Checklist (02:00 – 03:30)
• Assign tasks and milestones to a rollout plan
Day 5: Continuous Improvement and Innovation
Module 17: Category Performance Monitoring (07:30 – 09:30)
• Scorecards, KPIs, and dashboards
• Monthly and quarterly reviews
Module 18: Innovation and Value Engineering (09:45 – 11:15)
• Leveraging supplier innovation
• Cost avoidance and continuous improvement
Module 19: Integrating Category Management into Procurement Culture (11:30 – 01:00)
• Training, systems, and mindset shift
• Governance and accountability
Module 20: Final Workshop – Present a Category Management Plan (02:00 – 03:30)
• Pitch a complete strategy to stakeholders
Certification
Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion in Category Management in Procurement & Supply, confirming their ability to build and execute category strategies that align procurement with broader organizational goals and deliver measurable value.