Luke 1: 0:13

I was thinking about going to the um, what's it called, the place where you, you sit, and then they'll give you, like uv rays, uh, sunbed, that's it Sunbed? Yeah, gynecologist, why is that a business that you're going to start up? I mean good diversification, you know You've got. You've got Inspecting and tanning. That's true, could work, could work. Do I sound very spittle?

Luke 1: 0:47

you sound like you're in a booth somewhere fire in the booth.

Luke 1: 0:53

Is that any better? Uh, yeah, yeah, I definitely made a difference I put a spit protector on the, on the mic. I think it looks a bit too. Uh, looks a bit too bait, doesn't it?

Luke 1: 1:07

what with a little spit protector?

Luke 1: 1:10

yeah, that's a bit. It's a bit keen. Let's, let's record this one, see if I sound, if I sound more uh, breathy and all right. Yeah, just spitty than usual did you um?

Luke 1: 1:21

did you see the news?

Luke 1: 1:23

this is gonna be a joke, isn't it?

Luke 1: 1:25

I'm just genuinely. Did you see the news? Um? I'm not talking about pope louis. I'm not talking about the tariffs yeah, I'm talking about the top 50 procurement podcast for 2025.

Luke 1: 1:39

Oh boy I did see that news you did. I did. I did indeed what was special about it we, we were, what were we? 25th or something like that? Yes, which I'm happy with. It's our first time being being nominated for those awards and what I think was was slightly unfair is they did it based on number of episodes, so number of episodes, so number of episodes produced.

Luke 1: 2:09

Well not strictly true. That was factored into it. That was one of the things. Yeah, episode quality was also factored in.

Luke 1: 2:19

That's why we were so far down in 25th.

Luke 1: 2:22

It could be, yeah, and also like frequency of uploads. So not necessarily the number, because there was a couple on there that um don't upload anymore, but they were still recommending them. Um, obviously sips are on there just because they're sips, but pure play procurement, podcast market and we're, uh, we're, on the leaderboard. That's all that matters.

Luke 1: 2:44

Now, yeah, we've received recognition from from this random poll and, uh, onwards and upwards, I'd say I think I think our sort of target for because last year we weren't on it right so we were sort of I mean football reference, but we were kind of languishing in the championship. We got promoted. Normally teams get promoted go straight back down. So now we've we've, we've got to, we've got to the premier league. We're going to try and stay in there next season and not do a loot in town with back-to-back relegations, not get a double relegation.

Luke 1: 3:18

Yeah, fair enough. Well, in two years, if we're no longer procurement podcasting the top 50, something's gone drastically wrong.

Luke 1: 3:26

Well, a lot can happen in two years, can't it? And that made me think of I've heard that, for the first time ever, the Golden Globes are going to have a category for best podcast. Oh really, so I don't see why we couldn't be. You know, we couldn't be nominated for that. If we've got, if we've got a nomination for, for this guy's list, then why can't we get in the golden globes?

Luke 1: 3:57

the issue I have with that, though, is you just get random like people, like a famous already, and they're like oh yeah, I'm just gonna start a podcast because they're famous yeah, and they get like a free, like incredible studio, all the resources that they could ever need.

Luke 1: 4:11

You know, um, like my nan knew that there's a loose woman podcast. What? How does she know that? Do you know? I mean, it's not fair. They just go on the loose woman on their show, just go. Oh, by the way we've got, do you know how hard it was to get my nan to listen to our podcast, and now she wants to listen to Loose Women?

Luke 1: 4:31

Is that your nan who loves me?

Luke 1: 4:32

Oh, here we go.

Luke 1: 4:34

I knew as soon as I said the word nan, I was like this is coming up, isn't it?

Luke 1: 4:38

Yeah? So if this does go out, listeners, if you are hearing this, and this has made the cut. Luke 10 had the privilege of meeting a lot of my family members during a family event, and my nan took a particular shining to Luke 10. Obviously, obviously, yeah, and has since referred to him as a handsome, good-looking young man.

Luke 10: 5:04

Yeah.

Luke 1: 5:07

That may be the best compliment that I've ever received.

Luke 1: 5:12

She is blind, but she gets a good sense for these things, you know well.

Luke 1: 5:16

Well, it's sort of like. It's like people listening to the podcast like they can tell how handsome I am and how strong I am just by hearing my voice. They don't need to see my face how strong you are. I've just got that kind of voice that people know that I'm strong.

Luke 1: 5:34

I can't comment on that. I mean, what I think we should do is get our photos up on the website. I think we should unveil ourselves, face reveal.

Luke 1: 5:44

Maybe I'll pick a photo of you and you pick a photo of me I think I was gonna say I don't know, I don't know what I've sent you, but but yeah, people will finally see that I'm the. I'm the guy on the left and you're the guy on the right, mate.

Luke 1: 6:00

Everyone sees the photos and goes oh, you're the one on the left, but the one on the right doesn't really look like Luke 10 yeah, yeah, I'm the.

Luke 1: 6:07

I'm the chiseled one on the on the left. You're the fat moustache guy on the right.

Luke 1: 6:14

I'm becoming the fat moustache guy on the right.

Luke 1: 6:16

Yeah, it's been a bit of a transition from left to right all you need to do is just shave the beard off, then you've got the moustache yeah, that's that's.

Luke 1: 6:23

That's not very sorry. Hello and welcome to let's talk procurement, the only show you need to master the art of procurement. Let's go, as always. Welcome back to the studio. You're here with me, luke One, and also, and more importantly, the upcoming prodigy, the man with the hot noodle haircut and entourage of women that follow him around 24-7, alongside having refereed over seven professional football games, luke 10 thank you.

Luke 1: 7:11

What do the uh, what the women want from me have I?

Luke 1: 7:14

what the entourage of women?

Luke 1: 7:16

yeah they're actually just a bunch of upset grandmas yeah, yeah, upset nans after uh, and you'll hear the reference for that at the end of this. Well, slightly end slash middle of this ep.

Luke 1: 7:31

Yes, unless we end up bolting this on to every episode, in which case you'll hear this over and over again.

Luke 1: 7:38

Nah, I don't think we should do that. I think we should make this a Nan special, only Nans.

Luke 1: 7:43

yeah, that could be the name of the episode new channel so for the listeners. We got a fan mail. Have you had a chance to read it?

Luke 1: 7:57

I have, I have, but I think I had a couple beers. I had a couple beers when I read it, so remind me again. I want to hear how good it was.

Luke 1: 8:03

I have to this is really frustrating, though, because I've just just got a covered ground about how, uh how, my nan called you a handsome, you know, good looking young man, and now now I've got a fan mail to read, which you fully read. That, I think, is indirectly, uh, praising you oh, what a shame.

Luke 1: 8:23

So stinky of a stinker of a start. Um, so the person who messaged in hasn't left a name at all, so maybe we'll just come up with a fake name for them. I'm thinking tanya, should we go tanya? You mean lanya, lanya? Oh yeah, that's the start of L, doesn't it? Is that right, yeah?

Luke 1: 8:43

yeah, I'd have to do.

Luke 1: 8:44

Lanya or Jay.

Luke 1: 8:46

Nah Lanya.

Luke 1: 8:49

So Lanya Jay has been in touch and has said hi there, I'm currently doing my level 4 SIPS and I've recently passed my L4 M1 exam Yay, congratulations. I'm clapping but you can't hear because I've got a noise cancelling thing on. So congratulations, lanya. I feel guilty listening to music when my exams are coming up, so it's been an absolute pleasure listening to your podcast and I find them very useful as I'm fairly new to the procurement world Brackets eight months. I have two multiple choice exams next week. Wish me luck. We do indeed wish you luck, blanya. I've been inspired to try the assessment route, the assignment route, after I complete my level 4. That's where it all goes wrong for me, and I know today's topic is actually going into the assignment or your latest assignment, so it's kind of fitting. But have you mistakenly led a listener down down the assignment route here?

Luke 1: 9:51

I I potentially have, which is brilliant timing for this episode to come out, because I shall, I shall aim to, uh, to unconvince them because, because a little insight into this assignment. I didn't particularly enjoy it. Let's put it that way.

Luke 1: 10:14

Okay, so well. Yeah, as we say, lanya, congratulations for passing L4M1. Thank you for choosing to listen to us instead of music when your exams are coming up. That's great news for us. Obviously, we love having listeners. And let us know how you're feeling about procurement in general. Obviously, eight months in is relatively new in your career. So in your procurement career, I should say and yeah, we'd love to hear how you're finding it. I'm guessing, by the fact you've already done an exam, you could be a little rising star here. You're someone who you know is going to go on and smash it. So, yeah, let us know, we'd love to hear updates.

Luke 1: 10:55

If their name is Luke, we could get him in the academy, couldn't we?

Luke 1: 10:59

well, I was thinking yeah, if you're Luke in procurement, there is room for you on a podcast that we are starting called Three Lukes, one Sip. Let's still talk procurement or let's talk more procurement.

Luke 1: 11:12

Let's carry on talking. Procurement.

Luke 1: 11:14

Yeah, let's talk more procurement. And yeah, that's a spinoff, so we'll see how many spinoffs we can get. Yeah, so obviously best of luck for your exams and thank you for writing in. Let us know your name next time and, as always, fan mail that we get is available to see on our website. Our website is wwwletstalkprocurementcouk. That's wwwletstalkprocurementcouk. Now, to be clear, I could have paid for com, but I didn't. I could have paid for buy, but I didn't, because couk was cheaper that's a saving.

Luke 1: 12:03

Have you logged it as a saving?

Luke 1: 12:05

I have. Yeah, there's no budget for this podcast, though, so it doesn't really count whatever it's a cost avoidant yeah, um, have you got anything to add to fan mail, listeners messages, general waffle catch up waffle catch up.

Luke 1: 12:31

Yes, um, we should. You say that every time, hoping I'll say, no, we should, so we should, uh, we should, let everyone know how they can send us fan mail and just love us and tell us how great we are. There's a text, us function in the description of every episode and all you need to do is click the link, type your message and that will come straight to our dms. Alternatively, if you would like to dm us in the traditional route not the ultra traditional route of sending letters to our house, but the traditional route of instagram, it is let's underscore talk, underscore procurement on insta. That's the only social media we have, because someone not saying who, uh, kind of messed up the twitter.

Luke 1: 13:12

We also have an email address, don't we? We have two luke's, one sip at gmailcom. That's number two luke's plural, the number one cip at gmailcom. Alternatively, you can give us a five star review on your platform of choice. It is possible to give us a rating with a different number of stars. However, you know, most things don't go up to six, so you might as well just give us five. And my last point on the bulletin, um was something that I'm going to save for the next bulletin for the end of the episode.

Luke 1: 13:55

Next bulletin, next episode, which will probably be an episode before this one because of what we're talking about. So so you may have already heard what I was about to say. And, uh, what are we talking about today? I you may have already heard what I was about to say and what are we talking about today?

Luke 1: 14:08

I know we touched on it earlier, but let's just remind ourselves we are going through the next module, the next assignment in my assignment route to achieving msip status and we've decided to record this one. So I submitted on sunday and it's now friday so where's that come from?

Luke 1: 14:36

what are you on about? You're troubling me here. What's going on?

Luke 1: 14:51

so I submitted. On what? How do you want me to say it? Sunday day, yes, please, okay. So I submitted on Sunday and now it's Friday and we thought it would be good to get my immediate thoughts on the assignment, didn't we?

Luke 1: 15:16

Well, yeah, let's get a quick recap on where you are at the moment. Obviously, I think it's, is it three essays you've done now.

Luke 1: 15:23

I've done three and spoiler alert. I have passed three.

Luke 1: 15:29

Obviously, we wouldn't be here right now if you hadn't Although we probably would actually.

Luke 1: 15:34

Yeah, I think. If you fail, you just rewrite them along the same time as doing the other one.

Luke 1: 15:40

Yeah, so this one we're talking about today is assignment number four of six or four of seven.

Luke 1: 15:46

So there's six modules. This is the fourth one, but it's the fourth and fifth module combined, so I have to do five essays, and this is the fourth one.

Luke 1: 15:57

Well, this sounds really easy, to be honest. I can understand why.

Luke 10: 16:02

John or.

Luke 1: 16:02

Larnia is throwing out the exams and going over to assignments.

Luke 1: 16:09

To be fair, I do think that I am happy with my decision to go with assignments over exams. We did talk about it in the first. Maybe once we get to the last one, it would be good to to revisit the assumptions that I made in the first episode about module one and see if they still see, if I still think that. Um, I think one of the greatest things for me even though I said let's do it next episode, I'm going to say something now is that, in theory, you know how much is complete to do an assignment. Like you know, I have to write three thousand six thousand ten thousand words and then I'm done relatively, whereas with an exam, you know what if I don't remember that in the exam, or what if I? You know I could, I could try and memorize this. I could try memorize that there's always more that you can do to get ready for an exam, right?

Luke 1: 17:08

Well, that's it. Yeah, but also you're learning more, you're covering more topics, right?

Luke 1: 17:16

Yeah, probably true, probably true, Although you don't apply it to your organisation. So it's sort of like learning for the sake of passing the exam, whereas I'd say this is learning for the sake of applying it to your organization I disagree with that, my friend.

Luke 1: 17:34

Well, okay, I certainly agree with that, because you do. You don't apply it in the multiple choice ones. That's why they give you like fake companies and stuff like that, and in the essays it's, it's a mixture. So some of them they do say, you know, just a bit of fun, you know. No, let's say a bit of fun. They just say you know, refer to your organization or in your organization, and if they don't refer to it, they're expecting you to do it anyway. But but, yeah, point, point point taken, you do. You do have to do it a lot more in in the essays. So, essay number four yeah, for parts four and five, modules four and five yeah, of six. Yeah, obviously can't be getting well, could be getting closer now, aren't we? So you're creeping in on this. Uh, you know, championship, the title, the MSIPS mastery that you're after, yeah, what kind of strategic high level, really interesting topic did you have?

Luke 1: 18:37

I had. Module four was category management and see, I've changed my accent there for you. Module five was contract management. So those two were combined and I'll start. I'll start firing straight away. I kind of feel like the only reason that they were, they were kind of combined in a in a joint assessment, was because they both have the word c, management, in there. Um, maybe it was my, maybe this is an insight into me about to fail, but I found it really hard to link category management and contract management together. So it was, yeah, it was. It was difficult. I found this by far, I found this one the hardest.

Luke 1: 19:27

Um, yeah, they give you a little crib sheet to kind of to go and start off on each of the assignments. Uh, assignment one and two were very much. Here are the, here are the points we want you to address and here are sub points that you could talk about for each of the points, and it was sort of like answering a lot of smaller questions and linking them all together and applying that to your company. Yeah, whereas assignment three was less like that. You had to kind of work out how you, how you do it yourself. You know it will give you a high level point to address and then you would have to kind of work out where to go under that. And this one was even more like that, like it's sort of it, I think. As a couple of people on my cohort said, it felt like they just removed the training wheels. Like imagine you don't even know you've got training wheels on and they just take them off.

Luke 1: 20:24

Now you've got to ride the bike oh, and a couple of people on your course said the same thing.

Luke 1: 20:30

Yeah, yeah, that's plagiarized from from their wording wow so, so I think we all found it. We all found it more difficult. One other thing to cover um, the previous three were all 3,000 word assignments which I was kind of cutting stuff out not to go over the word limit. You get a 10% variance either side. I was cutting stuff out not to go over, whereas this one I was adding stuff in to try and get myself up to the word count and in the end I think mine was about 5,800 words with the word count requirement of 6,000, so I just doubled your word count, because it's the two modules combined, I'm guessing yeah, yeah, um, but as I say, I didn't really, I I think category management you could.

Luke 1: 21:26

You could get a three thousand, four thousand word assignment out of that, whereas contract management is sort of. It's really difficult to to, to write a lot about that. Like, in fact, when we did the um, the two-day study session, a day and a half was spent on category management, a couple of hours are spent on contract management and then an hour was spent on the assignment.

Luke 1: 21:51

So so there, even from sips's teaching, I mean, maybe it was just what the tutor chose to focus on, but there was a heavy bias towards category management which made, which made sense when I came to write it that yeah yeah, I found it a lot easier to write about category management and those kind of models that that fit with that than I did to write about contract management see, I find that interesting, because correct me if I'm wrong, but you don't do much category management right?

Luke 1: 22:29

you haven't have you done it previously uh, I have worked in.

Luke 1: 22:33

When I first started my uh, my procurement career and I was, you know, before, before I'd taken off, before I'd taken off as a world famous podcaster, I was working in public sector in England and well, in the UK and the I believe it's something like government organizations I don't know if they're required, but they're recommended to be in a category management kind of structure. So so I did know what it was. I felt bad for the people that had never experienced a category management structure. I think that would have really hampered, hampered the the assignment. However, the company I work for now doesn't work in a category management structure.

Luke 1: 23:19

All of the. Obviously, this, this whole kind of program, is about applying it back to your organization, and the way that the questions or the points were worded was sort of like tell us how category management would benefit your organization. So I basically had to write the whole assignment and then at the end and the recommendations go I don't really think category management's right for my company and here's why, which we'll see, we'll see if we'll see if they accept that. Um, but yeah, it was kind of weird about writing you know, here's all the benefits of category management and here is what it can do, yeah, and then going actually you know what? Fuck that off, we don't really, we don't want to do category management.

Luke 1: 24:12

It doesn't really work for us. Yeah, Exactly. Yeah, it's all great, yeah, you know all the benefits of it and then just nah, but not for us. Yeah, yeah, yeah that's not great, is it?

Luke 1: 24:25

But then I would have said the contract management side of things, you probably do have more experience than other people at this level of their career. Potentially, I think it's dependent on your company right? It almost makes it a bit easier, although it's weird to say if your company right, it's almost. It's almost makes it a bit easier, although it's weird to say if your company is kind of not perfect in in something. So say, for example, category management I. I think my company has got a few recommendations that it could, that it could give me to write about, so I was able to put in a few recommendations about we could do this and we could do that, whereas if my company was like 10 out of 10 doing everything that was, you know, best practice contract management to the maximum, I suppose in theory you could probably lie and say actually we don't. You know, in my company we don't do this, which we should, but it definitely you know reading the kind of the things about here's best practice contract management xyz.

Luke 1: 25:31

Yeah, if we do all of them, it's more difficult to write about what we can do to improve right I always think like if, if you've got good practices in place, it's probably about how do you get people to adhere to it more, how do you check your progress against it and stuff like that's kind of like a good, a good suggested improvement, right To get better at monitoring it and all that crap. Obviously, you would never lie on it, because the SIPs code of conduct says that you're honest and integral, yeah.

Luke 1: 26:01

Yeah, I said you could lie.

Luke 1: 26:05

I didn't say I did lie no, yeah, I wouldn't have you down as a liar no, no, I've only told one lie in my whole life, and that's that.

Luke 1: 26:14

I've only told one lie in my whole life. Think about it, that one's a thinker good lie to pick there.

Luke 1: 26:23

So there was a couple of um. So the way it's structured sorry, I know we're jumping about a bit, but the way the kind of critical crib sheet which basically tells you how to write, how to write it the way it's structured is it has a certain number of say like first level, first level topics, um, and then underneath that it's got subtopics that give you a bit more information. One of the first level topics for this was basically saying give us some tools and techniques to map direct and indirect spend. So because there's six of them and this is a 6 000 word assignment, I was trying to write about 900 to a thousand words for each of those first level bullet points. Obviously you've got to add into the word count your exec, summary, intro, conclusions, recommendations. But but yeah, if you, if you kind of aim for a thousand words for each of those six bullet points, then you probably wouldn't be far off.

Luke 1: 27:29

And I found that one in particular really hard to. I think I only wrote about 600 words on that in the end. But I think it's sort of stuff like that which has kind of like made it more difficult. It didn't particularly feel. It didn't feel like there was a lot of content out there for me to use to write. You know how. You know how do you say all right, direct is going into the end product and indirect isn't. Okay, I've addressed it. What else do you want me to say?

Luke 1: 28:00

I know what you mean, but I wouldn't necessarily say that each topic is equally weighted, unless unless they literally call out that they're equally weighted in terms of input.

Luke 1: 28:12

Well, so, oh, go on, sorry you finish.

Luke 1: 28:15

I was saying well, even if, even if I'm going to say it's out of 50 marks and you've got five points and each one's worth 10 marks, but you've got a word limit of a thousand, that doesn't mean you need 200 words for each one, because you might be able to cover one point in 100 and then the next in 300, and you know they might not. They're obviously not looking for perfect balance in your word count.

Luke 1: 28:36

I'd say yeah, so so it doesn't. It doesn't break it down that specifically. That's just my assumption of yeah of it, so I suppose in theory you could do that. It did say, um, on one of the guidance documents somewhere that you should try and write an equal amount for each of those bullet points. Okay, and if not? If not, then you should address why you, why you can't do that. I did that for the second assignment and then one of the bits of feedback I got was you haven't written the same amount for each bullet point. So it was kind of like maybe that just called attention to it, because I did that for the third assignment. I didn't call it out and nothing got said about it. So yeah, yeah, maybe just don't. I don't know.

Luke 1: 29:20

I can't imagine that the examiner, when they open it, goes. Let me just do a quick word count of each of the institutions, of each. Yeah, oh, by the way, for you listeners, we've got a right tree lined up. Do need to book in the recording day, but one of my tutors has volunteered their time, their time, and that that lady, joe um, has a wealth of experience in sips, uh, sips teaching sips, sips marking the way sips work. So, um, it'd be good to get get insight from her on things like that and kind of understand what her, what you know where she's coming from. So, yeah, stay tuned for that.

Luke 1: 29:59

That's going to be a great, great episode lovely shouting out a future or maybe previous episode. Yes, so yeah, as I was saying, I I found it difficult to to come up with enough words for for certain points like, for example, there's there's one of the level one points that says differentiate between contract administration and contract management in the context of category management. So, yeah, so what I did was just listed what's contract admin, what's contract management, and then somehow I had to. You know, I think I said to you, in fact didn't. I said I feel like I'm just writing about stuff and then putting a singular, singular sentence at the end saying something about something, some random sentence category management in it, trying to relate it back to contract management.

Luke 1: 30:55

Um, it's funny that you say that because I think in in general like thinking of my like written exams and essays, you would probably say some sort of theory that relates to the question and then you normally just have one or two sentences afterwards that literally just relate it to a working example or an industry. So you just kind of you know, you put a sentence that says, oh, in my industry we would category manage by I don't know IT product as an example, and then you elaborate on it a little bit, but yeah, you would never go in like too deep into it. So where it refers to, you know, in category management, that probably is one or two sentences, yeah, yeah.

Luke 1: 31:41

So those are my kind of thoughts on it, and I think that if there's any assignment that I've written so far that's likely to fail, it's going to be this one. So I can't remember exactly when the results come out. I'm assuming six weeks plus Minimum.

Luke 1: 32:03

It takes about two years to bloody. Give a result, don't it?

Luke 1: 32:07

feels like it. Yeah, uh, when is that?

Luke 1: 32:10

end of june and it's now start of may, so yeah, I mean by the time we get it in our queue and out the door yeah, I think.

Luke 1: 32:19

I think we should bolt the results onto the end of this. It'll be funny seeing me uh, seeing me fail.

Luke 1: 32:24

So I'd rather make a whole episode of that. To be honest, if that's the day that you know it all goes wrong, because we're gonna, we're then probably gonna have to have episodes about, you know, maybe counseling, like I'll give you some kind of therapy for, for dealing with the trauma um, yeah yeah, I don't know, are you?

Luke 1: 32:42

you might be too young, do you know? Rocky, rocky, bow Wow, yes, you know that kind of. You've been knocked down, but we're going to get you back up and then we're going to go for a run it's not about.

Luke 1: 32:55

It's not about if you get knocked down. It's about if you get knocked down and you can be asked to get back up again. Is that the phrase?

Luke 1: 33:03

if you can be asked to get back up again. Is that the phrase? If you can be on? Yeah, yes, man, nice, cool, yeah, so yeah, we can. You know, I've had those ideas kind of in the bank for a while, but you've surpassed expectations so far, so, um, yeah yeah, this, so this, this one, I don't.

Luke 1: 33:20

I don't know what it was. I mean, I think to be fair I was. What probably didn't help was I was quite tired on the day that I did submit this. I left it to the last day Classic Sunday, may or may not, have gone for a few beers on the Saturday and then was a bit sick of the assignment on Sunday. So I just thought it is what it is. I'm going to submit the assignment and just get it over with. I mean, you know, I think I did put a decent assignment together, like I've not. You know, I wouldn't be shocked if it was a pass. I'm trying to think what I'd be more surprised by a pass or a fail.

Luke 1: 34:10

Probably 50, 50, honestly amazing so, look, let's give the listeners something to obviously they've got a little bit inside there to kind of your feelings on this. What was there any kind of wisdom that you've taken from the essay? You know kind of things that you've written down where you think, oh you know, maybe you can just give some insights to the listeners. So, you know, you mentioned the difference between indirect and direct spend but, like you know, do you want to cover, like I don't know, the difference between contract admin and contract management, or just I don't know, just some high level stuff. Really, I'm sweating it. I can see the sweat just started dripping off. You have you learned this?

Luke 1: 34:50

yeah, I'm thinking what's going to be a good, what's going to be good to talk about. To be fair, I was. While we were talking about it, I realized that we haven't actually done anything. An episode on contract management, sorry, on category management, so maybe we should. Maybe we should talk about it. Um, in that, one of the things I separately, one of the things that I don't know about, enjoyed, but I got annoyed about at first, but then, once I got into it, it was okay. It was I had to come up with innovative measures, um, so that was where is it on my?

Luke 1: 35:34

oh yeah sorry, it did actually ask for innovative measures, didn't it it?

Luke 1: 35:37

asked for innovative measures to improve the supply chain, um. So it kind of gave you a bit of license to kind of think about what might work in your, in your organization, um, and the way that I kind of addressed it was I added a few things about how could we improve the reputation of procurement, how could we make it quicker so we're not blocking as many people, and how can the company generate more revenue. And my, my assumption is that they sips like that sort of stuff because the strategy, uh, the second assignment, the one that was quite strategy heavy, I scored quite well in and I wrote quite a bit in there about we could do this to improve revenue, we could do this to save the company money, um, so yeah, so my assumption on that is maybe maybe they like that sort of stuff, maybe that impresses them and thinks he's got a rounded view of the company and a rounded view of of business in general. So we'll give him good marks, I think.

Luke 1: 36:54

I think for some people now now I'm getting sick of the assignment so I'm going to move on some people, uh might be wondering whether we're friends outside of, outside of work, outside of podcast work, um, and yeah, I would say that, I'd say that we are, we are, we're mates. We might even be best mates, you know, oh, we might even be, uh, best buddies is there a catch to this that's coming out, or is that like a that's?

Luke 1: 37:22

like a random nice moment from you I heard the um best buddies have to pay each other's uh, each other's mortgage. Wait, do you?

Luke 1: 37:33

have. Oh yeah, that works, that works maybe not. Um, yeah, no, you know, I don't introduce everyone to my nan. So yeah, I don't introduce everyone to my nan, so that's a big boundary.

Luke 1: 37:46

But, listeners, you can be introduced to Luke One's nan. We do have a donations page, don't we? What's it called? Buy me a pint, buy me a coffee, buy me a bovril, buy me a coffee. I believe that's also in the description of the podcast. So yeah, have a look. It's probably on our website as well.

Luke 1: 38:12

Have a look on there as well we're not whoring out contact with my nan, by the way that is absolutely not happening.

Luke 1: 38:20

I reckon three quid or three dollars, three dollars maybe for a meet and greet with Nan yeah, how long are we saying? Three dollars is ten minutes with you, nan.

Luke 1: 38:34

I can't believe what I'm hearing now. This is outrageous. How have we gone from assignment to selling to Nan?

Luke 1: 38:41

for three dollars. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, nan, I didn't, I didn't mean that, yeah, you should stay in that. Good books, all right. Well, we'll probably. We'll probably, uh, transition in about five seconds your time to me getting my results um, but that'll be, yeah, about six to eight weeks in our real life time. So you know, maybe maybe I would become a different person by then, maybe I'll have a different voice, maybe I'll have a different name, maybe I'll have a different haircut. In fact, I will have a different haircut, uh, because that's how humans work they tend to grow. Biology podcast starting soon, and so, yeah, hope you enjoy the next part as well and I'll see you in a second.

Luke 1: 39:24

I hope, hope you enjoy it, mate Good luck.

Luke 1: 39:28

I hope I enjoy it too. So Luke One is unavailable today due to illness reasons Due to I don't think illness reasons. Yeah, I don't think. What do they say? When a footballer's got a fake injury, they say he's got an elbow injury.

Luke 10: 39:57

That was a FIFA thing, wasn't it? Yeah, it could be. He's out with a bruised elbow.

Luke 1: 40:02

Yes, so I've got my dad to step in to do the recording and you know I'm nervous for these results, so I wanted a strong figure beside me to protect and Put an arm around your shoulder. Yeah, yeah, when I fail, then you'll be there to take the piss out of me and comfort me Exactly With love and support, as always.

Luke 10: 40:28

But yeah, I have every faith that you're going to pass this. Smash it out of the park. What's your I don't.

Luke 1: 40:34

So I've done what? Three modules now? I've got no four, three. I've done three. I've got 51%, 62% and 55%.

Luke 10: 40:44

And.

Luke 1: 40:44

I think this is probably the worst one, or the one I'm least confident in so far. So what's your prediction?

Luke 10: 40:52

I'd say I've got every faith that you'll pass this with flying colours.

Luke 1: 40:57

Okay, good, well, let's get into it.

Luke 10: 41:02

So how do you want to start this?

Luke 1: 41:04

So we will have already done uh welcome to.

Luke 10: 41:06

Let's go procurement with me. What?

Luke 1: 41:10

what loop number are you going to be?

Luke 10: 41:12

I'm going to be doing this now. I'm going to be, uh, luke, 3.0, 3.0. I've cuddled back from the future the uh, the wasteland that is taken over by procurement professionals, where nothing gets delivered because everyone's procrastinating too much. Yeah, prop blocking.

Luke 1: 41:28

Yes, everyone's a prop blocker. Everyone's making decisions. The world's ended because everyone's prop blocked.

Luke 10: 41:33

Exactly. But I do have a procurement-related joke that I just found for you and I know you like to do the jokes but my joke is an employer says the person who gets this job needs to be responsible. Do you know this one? So the guy puts his hand up and says it sounds like me in my last job in the procurement department. Every time there was a problem, everyone said I was responsible. There we go.

Luke 1: 41:58

All right, good start, we're off to a good start. There we go Right, good start, we're off to a good start. So we would have done a recording to talk about the content of the assignment. I was going to ask you about that as a reminder. This is module four and five, contract management and category management Other way around. But yeah, so the essay was six K words and I haven't started on my 10 K one, my last one yet, but so far this is the one I feel least confident on, so I'm just getting my excuses early.

Luke 10: 42:41

Okay, and this is the one you've done the most writing for yeah so far.

Luke 1: 42:43

Right and the others were. The others were three K Okay, and this is the one you've done the most writing for yeah, so far Right, and the others were the others were 3K. Okay, so it's double obviously. Yeah, good maths Quick maths, quick maths.

Luke 10: 42:53

Okay, so the assignment itself. Can you say too much about what they were asking you to do, how it was set out? Was it in different questions? Was it one question? I was set out.

Luke 1: 43:02

Was it in different questions? Was it one question? I think the listeners would have just heard that detail because we would have recorded it in the previous one. We did one straight after I submitted. Yeah, all my complaints were fresh in the memory. But yeah, I'm just trying to get my excuses in that.

Luke 1: 43:21

I think this is the most likely fail, not to have passed, to fail not to have passed yeah to have passed yet and this one, this one is probably one of the most important as well, because if if I have to resubmit this one, I think it might delay my start for the last module, which would be annoying yes, would be the best, would it?

Luke 10: 43:40

so hopefully you would have passed um. So if you didn't pass, when can you take this again?

Luke 1: 43:45

I don't know that, to be honest. I don't know if you can resubmit it straight away or if there has to be a new question or something. I just think yeah, I think the questions are the same, but I guess you get recommendations about how to how to improve it, right?

Luke 10: 43:59

yeah, I suppose there is. You could increase or look at further. Perhaps isn't there? Okay, so do you want to go straight into the results?

Luke 1: 44:08

or should we do it? Yeah, so I'm handing the screen over. I might have to log in first.

Luke 10: 44:20

I can feel the tension did you have to give your password details over to luke one to do this before.

Luke 1: 44:25

Yes, I've given him access to all my bank accounts as well.

Luke 10: 44:27

There's another maiden name in there.

Luke 1: 44:33

Are those three digits on the back of your card again? Right, right, okay, so there should be a results section somewhere. I'm going to look away now. Right, let's find out.

Luke 10: 44:40

Exam.

Luke 1: 44:43

I think there's an exam, my exam results section Exam and results.

Luke 10: 44:49

Let's click on view all.

Luke 1: 44:53

I'm not looking up the air, Beautiful day outside but I feel quite tense.

Luke 10: 45:01

So we've got ones going back to September last year or November last year, february last year, may last year. It says pending for the top one.

Luke 1: 45:11

I'm in the wrong place. It should say contracting, category management, category management and contract management.

Luke 10: 45:22

Okay, so Did you submit in early May.

Luke 1: 45:28

Yeah, I think it was the 4th or 4th of May?

Luke 10: 45:31

yeah, Okay, so according to this, let's have a look at the heading Status. It says released. So, yeah, do you want me to tell you what you've got?

Luke 1: 45:40

Yeah, build it up into a dramatic.

Luke 10: 45:42

What is the pass mark 50%? Oh, oh, no. So according to this, you've got? Yeah, build it up into a dramatic. What is the pass mark 50%? Oh, oh, no. So according to this, you've got 55%. Do I really? Yeah, look at that.

Luke 1: 45:52

That is the right one, yeah. Category management and contract Submitted on the 4th of May 55%.

Luke 10: 45:57

Star Wars Day.

Luke 1: 45:58

I'm happy with that relief. Did you use the force? Or maybe I did. Relief has washed over me excellent, that's fantastic news so all those uh caveats you were getting earlier yeah, all the excuse, I didn't really mean them anyway, I knew I was gonna pass. Yeah, it was never in doubt, was it. I think you might have to send me a access code to see the performance report that's good news.

Luke 10: 46:22

That is definitely the right one, isn't it?

Luke 1: 46:30

I hope so they get 55 on the last one contracting category management in procurement supply pass pass pass. Application evaluation knowledge structure pass on all of them. What do they say is my, is my strengths? Neat and detailed content space it's always a good start.

Luke 10: 46:47

This always sets the sets the tone, doesn't it? I think summary catches a high level overview of the report content. Just strengthening this. You should concisely summarize the key findings and highlight the recommendations that is one thing they say about me to.

Luke 1: 47:00

To be fair, I'm concise. I'm always to the point, okay.

Luke 10: 47:08

Yeah, I guess that's positive, isn't it? You provide a satisfactory introduction which includes relevant information on your organisation and offers a clear description of X company structure, procurement environment and client base.

Luke 1: 47:21

Nice, very good. That's just because I've copied and pasted it from a previous. I don't think I did exactly, but it's mostly the same, obviously enhanced yeah.

Luke 10: 47:29

Okay, yeah, just copied the manuals from the work in your department. Okay.

Luke 1: 47:34

The strategy.

Luke 10: 47:35

Yeah, Section one, detailed, well considered Category management could be introduced in X company. You demonstrate good awareness of stakeholders dynamics through the use of Mendel's matrix. That's your favorite one isn't it, it is I often bring into my day to day life as well. Do you want a different summary on that? Uh, just for the listeners. So then can I remember the model.

Luke 1: 48:02

while this this section references the SIPS category management cycle, the model itself is not included or explained. This is a missed opportunity to frame the discussion Okay. So yeah, that's.

Luke 10: 48:13

Yeah, the SIPS category cycle management cycle.

Luke 1: 48:17

Section is heavily descriptive in places and limited critical evaluation. I thought to be honest.

Luke 10: 48:23

Honest, I'm a bit surprised by that because I think most of me in this assignment is saying category management wouldn't work for my company okay, so you have been critical maybe that's just talking about section one there he goes on to say section two provides a practical, realistic view of how sourcing is carried out in current current employer, including how sectors alignment supports stakeholder engagement and allows flexibility between conventional and strategic approaches.

Luke 1: 48:54

Okay, there's a few specific models referenced Internal challenges. Does it say any? Sometimes in there it will be quite harsh and it will say you didn't do this, you need to do that this is quite a good sentence, so it shows a good grasp of organisational realities and risk to deliveries.

Luke 10: 49:16

That's positive, isn't it? Yeah, happy with that. Section 3 mapping direct indirect expenditure, provides a clear explanation of the differences between direct indirect spend, which demonstrates an understanding. Okay, so you should learn a bit more about comparing tools used to map.

Luke 1: 49:33

Yeah, it's direct indirect expense I thought they would say that to be honest, because it said specifically compare the tools. And I probably just put one sentence in because I had to, but I didn't really go in depth about it because I didn't know how.

Luke 10: 49:45

Okay, so you didn't, yeah. Okay, maybe could have grabbed, got extra marks there, yeah.

Luke 1: 49:53

A wide range of innovation opportunities as well. There's a few of my suggestions that I've put in.

Luke 10: 50:01

Mm-hmm. Then a bit more exploration. Barriers to implementation, such as digital readiness, cultural resistance or cost of investment.

Luke 1: 50:16

Yeah, very true. Us procurement. People like to be quite tight with the funds, don't we?

Luke 10: 50:21

Expense Section 5. Clear distinction between administrative and strategic aspects of contract. Quite tight with the. With the funds don't we expense? Okay, section five clear distinction between administrative and strategic aspects of contract management using helpful table to differentiate tasks. So yeah, from my experience of doing similar, not procurement but other related exams, they do say sometimes, if you know, table makes things easier, doesn't it?

Luke 1: 50:40

yeah use less words as well yeah, although, although on this I was under the you have. You have 10 either side and I was in the 10, but I was under 6k, so section six categories of risk financial reputation, operational and cyber.

Luke 10: 51:01

Links well to the internal operating environments, particularly the public and defense sectors.

Luke 1: 51:07

Okay, so very good as well yeah, I found this quite hard to link the two. I think you can see a difference in this, in what it talks about, in the feedback it says. It says the top few sections about category management and then the bottom sections about contract management which, although they sound like similar terms, actually quite different in what it means. So I don't I did. My whole feeling for this assignment was I didn't really get why they were linked. Um, maybe if I could have thought of a link or found how, how they would be linked better, then I could have got a higher mark.

Luke 10: 51:40

But I'll explain the differences. Perhaps yeah, yeah, uh this matrix and mitigation table are helpful could have gone further and analyze the effectiveness of the current risk controls right areas for improvement.

Luke 1: 51:57

That way, that wasn't the areas for improvement. That was the general feedback that was very fairly positive.

Luke 10: 52:02

And there's obviously, yeah, no, you know where your weaknesses were. I guess, knowing that, is there anything you would have done differently perhaps?

Luke 1: 52:22

so I probably should have done more detailed analysis and linked things, compared things a bit better. I think that's kind of like if you don't know what to write about, if in doubt, then compare it out, or whatever the phrase should be.

Luke 10: 52:34

Yes, yeah good point Okay areas of improvement application.

Luke 1: 52:41

Consider making the report more practical by demonstrating your ability to apply relevant tools, models and theories. Okay, it's covered above, wasn't it? Yeah, bring in more external research. Yeah, fair, although I don't know if there was that much external research on contract management specifically. Recommendations should focus more specifically on category management and how they provide added value initiatives. Well, my recommendation summary was basically we shouldn't do category management, so okay, there's clear recommendation there.

Luke 10: 53:17

Then did you explain why?

Luke 1: 53:19

could you feel? I think so. I haven't reread it for a while, but I can see why that's. I think that's why I felt, felt it was difficult because I didn't think that the way category management is like a way of structuring your procurement team. So I said that that way structuring the procurement team wouldn't really work for my company. So I think that's why I found this assignment quite difficult.

Luke 10: 53:42

Okay.

Luke 1: 53:44

Evaluation, they said, summarise key findings from the models and highlight how you'll apply this information to drive future decisions. Yeah, that's similar to what they said above, isn't it?

Luke 10: 53:57

Mm-hmm. Your report is well informed, heavily on explanation in places, more critical evaluation of current practices versus in process proposed improvements with strength for the analysis. Okay, we've already touched that and you said earlier knowledge and approach.

Luke 1: 54:16

Their recommendations were to show broader awareness of category management tools and models and include a wider range of quotes and references from both internal and external research. One of the things they did say in a previous thing was that I could have done some primary research like survey or questionnaire or something um. But then they want me to do that for my final net, my next module, my final one. So I was a bit.

Luke 1: 54:47

I was a bit hesitant to like spam everyone with surveys and say what you think about this, that. But I suppose you know, maybe it could just be a sample, something as simple as just like asking one person and you could call it an interview yeah, good idea.

Luke 10: 55:03

Um, obviously, as you say, you'll be taking it into the next.

Luke 1: 55:06

Yeah, sorry won't you additionally use quantitative data from these sources to provide deeper insights? Their thoughts on structure and presentation? Give each figure a figure number. That's kind of basic. I should have done that, shouldn't I?

Luke 10: 55:23

brief and a brief title. Add the word space, I guess, couldn't you?

Luke 1: 55:27

Yeah.

Luke 10: 55:27

Then again, at the start it did compliment you on how you set it out.

Luke 1: 55:32

On my contents page. Yeah, my auto-formatted Microsoft when you just click, make this a contents list. Yes, that was good.

Luke 10: 55:42

Yeah, the second point is obviously a school boy error, school school kid error number. All pages include your sip number on each page. Come on, look, that's uh procurement sips 101.

Luke 1: 55:55

That's what they taught us in the first lesson how to number your pages. Don't talk about sips. Um, We've got two rules in SIPs guys Number each page and don't talk about it. It'd probably be the opposite for SIPs. I guess I'd want you to talk about it and get them some extra cash. Use a reference numbering system to identify the source in text which relates to the full reference at the end of the task.

Luke 10: 56:24

I don't really understand what that means, okay, so yeah, this is where you're referencing um information you've read I think isn't it and then you use a, you kind of oh so if I've just if I've just said it's from something, yeah, it's from mendelo's essay, which was 12 pages long.

Luke 1: 56:40

I haven't said which page or which paragraph specifically I'm taking that information from uh, yeah, I guess that's taking it.

Luke 10: 56:48

Yeah, I think they're just saying where you're citing stuff, you should quote your sources. So yeah, but there is a. You can do that via word, can't you?

Luke 1: 56:57

yeah, yeah. And then last one was use a wider range of tables and diagrams to present your analysis. Yeah, fair enough Reasonably fair.

Luke 10: 57:10

Good stuff, taken to the big one you're doing next, yep. But yeah, overall it's very positive, isn't it? And it's obviously great to get that pass.

Luke 1: 57:19

Well, it's a pass, that's what matters. Pass is a pass, isn't it? So what have I had so far? Then? I've had a 51% was the first one, then 62%, then two 55%. So, yeah, reasonably consistent.

Luke 10: 57:37

Yeah, okay. So what's the? To get into the merit, do you have to be over 60, I guess I assume so Across a number of courses, don't you? Okay? So if you did particularly well in the next one, potentially you could sneak into the merit section, couldn't you?

Luke 1: 57:51

Yeah, although I guess when it comes to the end of it, it's just whether you've passed or not.

Luke 10: 57:58

I think you just have MSips, yes or no? Yeah, exactly, at the end of the day, that's all that matters. No one's going to ask if you've got a marital distinction, are they?

Luke 1: 58:05

Yeah, yeah for sure. But I mean, I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank my family, thank my friends, thank all those who have been there to support me and all those who have not supported me, all those who have wanted to see me fail. You've motivated me to get this done so far. And, as Gareth Southgate would say, one more did he say that? He did say that, didn't he? I think that was when we were in the final of the Euros which we then lost.

Luke 10: 58:37

So maybe I shouldn't, maybe I shouldn't say that yeah, I think, as you probably said off air earlier, I think your father's a key influence here and he's obviously Key role model, exactly your driving determination, which I think should be highly commended. But very good, well done. We're on target, then. So looking ahead, big one's ahead.

Luke 1: 59:02

Big one is ahead, head down, big push. I've got to submit my proposal soon Well, by the 29th, and today's the 27th. Have you started? I've got a couple of lines on there. I've got an idea of what I want to do, but that will be coming out in a future episode.

Luke 10: 59:23

Okay.

Luke 1: 59:25

So, yeah, thanks for stepping in and replacing the. Replacing the other, luke. What did we say? You were Luke T3PO.

Luke 10: 59:32

Luke 3.0. Nice, yeah, most updated version chat gdt the version that's evolving.

Luke 1: 59:40

Yeah yeah, luke 3, luke 3 PT Like it? Nice All right.

Luke 10: 59:46

I'm available for um weddings christians and bar mitzvahs.

Luke 1: 59:51

Thanks very much, all right, I'll leave you to say see you later then. Thank you.