Congratulations to Bradley Strachan who recently completed his procurement apprenticeship with 80:20. Bradley reflects on his last few months as an apprentice, discusses industry trends in procurement, and describes the most interesting purchase he has made for a client.
How has your apprenticeship been going over the last few months?
Working from home for the past nine months has had its challenges, but with the use of software such as Microsoft Teams, I have been able to continue to learn and keep in regular contact with my colleagues and my training provider.
What industry trends or challenges are you seeing in procurement?
One industry trend is that clients are actively looking to reduce their Approved Vendors List to make their tail-spend more manageable. This can be a real challenge for some clients, however, 80:20 has been assisting clients across all industries to reduce costs and increase efficiency in their procurement processes.
What is the most interesting or unique purchase you completed?
I think the most interesting purchase I’ve had to make is a five-to-seven-person hot tub for one of our clients. One of the great things about working in procurement is that every day is different, and you never know what you may have to source.
What has been the highlight of your time with 80:20 over the last few months?
My highlight from the last few months is that I have now completed my apprenticeship having submitted my final unit a couple of weeks ago.
Do you have any goals that you would like to achieve going forward?
Having completed my apprenticeship, I’m looking forward to the next steps to further my career in procurement with 80:20. I aim to take on new responsibilities and put myself forward for any internal or external training that becomes available to further my professional development.
