Taking Procurement to the Next Level

At HWI, we’re continuously building a culture where every employee is empowered and driven to achieve results.

For Plant and Corporate Procurement, this means having the entire team designated by the Next Level Purchasing Association (NLPA) as Senior Professionals in Supply Management^® (SPSM^®) by the end of the year. Across all our locations, including 19 plants, six HWI employees are already SPSM Certified and 29 more are in the process of achieving certification.

The globally-recognized SPSM Certification Program is comprised of a series of interactive online courses, which enable purchasing professionals to master invaluable skills categorized into six key facets of purchasing: fundamentals, analysis & spreadsheets, contract law, negotiation, best practices, and sourcing. These supply management skills help organizations lower costs, support operations, and reduce risk while helping employees achieve their career potential.

“Participating in the training and achieving SPSM designation demonstrates our commitment to continuous improvement,” says Jason Borgesi, senior director of Global Procurement at HWI. “Our customers can see that we strive to make ourselves and our purchasing processes better.”

Borgesi recently led a session on procurement transformation at the 2016 NLPA Conference in Pittsburgh. During his presentation, he pointed out that procurement’s role in the company is to add value by contributing to the corporate goals.

In an article published on MyPurchasingCenter.com, Borgesi is quoted as saying “…buyers used to react to requisitioners. Now, buyers are more accountable for their facilities and make decisions that are best for the company.”

So, what happens when our HWI Procurement team approaches their jobs with intensity, passion, and dedication? They move the business — and their careers — forward, to the next level.