More books

As has been hinted at in previous posts, I now have the go-ahead for two new books - The Quick Guide to Purchasing Management, and the Quick Guide to Purchasing Negotiation.  They will probably come out in that order because I have more notes for the former than the latter.  I suspect there will be more interest in the Negotiation book, but I hope I am wrong.
The books will be shorter than Excellence in Public Sector Procurement, but are intended to be in depth studies rather than general introductions.  They will be applicable to both public and private sector Purchasing. 

The timescale for publication relies on me writing them, but I am hopeful that both (or at least one) will see print this year.  That might seem slow, but so am I and so is the print publication cycle. We have not yet decided on whether will be electronic editions, and that probably depends on the Kindle sales we have achieved for other books - which I shall not find out about until March or so.

I might trial some sections of the books hear, so please feel free to comment and improve them ahead of publicaction.

Blockbusters goes into administration

Yesterday I said that all Blockbusters could do was manage the decline of their business model - it appears I was quite accurate.  They have gone into administration - see here. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21047652

Connecting Manufacturing 28 Feb 2013

Here are the flier and the booking form for the event

The Demise of HMV

Nothing could save HMV - the future (for good or ill) is digital downloads.  All HMV, Waterstones and Blockbusters can hope to do is manage the decline down to a niche of collectors who actually like the physical objects. 
If you accept that what we want is the music/film/words, then CDs/DVDs/Books are just the media and shops selling them are doomed.

Actually doomed is the wrong word.  It suggests something that is going to happen, when it already has.

Myself, I used to love shops - but I don't need or use them now apart from to find things to download.  It's part of what killed the Word, you know... my favourite magazine apart from the Economist, which incidentally I now read exclusively in an electronic version.  The paper copy goes into the bin each weekend, because it arrives after I have already read much of the newpaper.

This change may be a good thing or a bad thing, but it is here and no doubt people will continue to talk about it until our generation(s) shuffle off this mortal coil.  But the younger generations will struggle to understand why we are nostalgic.  Why worry about something being replaced by something that gives you what you want quicker (and cheaper, with more choice)?

Interesting article about this from their marketing agency here, which lead me to think about the book How the Mighty Fall by Jim Collins.

In business you need to worry about this sort of thing if you intend to still be in business in say 20 years.  Will we need taxis if we have self-driving cars?  (yes, until the drink driving rules change, but after that?)  Will we need lorry drivers?

I think my core businesses of trainer and consultant are safe for my working life time (30 years at most), but I would not like to bet that they will be in 50 years.  How about your job?

Calderdale Guide to Public Sector Procurement

Calderdale Council Business Growth programme has issued a new guide to public sector procurement for SMES.

This can be found on the web at http://www.businessgrowthcalderdale.co.uk/Toolkit/Topics

Although it is designed for companies in the Calderdale Council region, it is accessible from anywhere and the information is relevant for any UK company.

New date for Engineering Meet the Buyer

We have now arranged the Calderdale Engineering Meet the Buyer for Thursday 28th February 2013 at the Shay in Halifax.  The event will be run in conjunction with Calderdale & Kirklees Manufacturing Alliance (CKMA), and be free for businesses in Calderdale.

More details to follow.

Calderdale Meet the Buyer postponed

The Meet the Buyer event in Calderdale scheduled for 21st November 2012 has been put back until early in 2012 - probably February. That's the bad news. The good news is that the delay is allowing us to bring in some new additional Buyers, including at least one very large company.
Also at the same time we shall be announcing plans for 2 or 3 further events focussing on different industry sectors.