Real Procurement Transformation – Powerful, Sustaining received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Alan Hustwick.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
The name of the book is “Real Procurement Transformation – Powerful, Sustaining” and was published in late October 2021.
What’s the book’s first line?
The first sentence in Chapter 1 is, “This book is about change”. I have skipped the intro in the Preface / Introduction as this crisply describes what a reader will discover as they read the book. Specifically it describes change in procurement practice and what is required to become a top performing procurement team (and leader).
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
Real Procurement Transformation explains what is required to provide and embed real and strategic procurement transformation, as well as the how-to through a defined methodology and structure, supported by practical advice, illustrations and my business experience.
It will take hard work, change, adoption of new and different processes, and adoption of new technology. It will require a different mindset, but the outcome will be extremely rewarding. It will lift procurement to a top-performing and highly respected team, job satisfaction will increase, and traditional procurement practice will be replaced by a simplified framework.
Aside from the procurement profession, the book will also be of benefit to senior business leaders, as it provides a proven and systematic approach to transform procurement performance and grow enterprise shareholder value.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
There were three primary reasons for writing the book. The first was my passion for Procurement and the significant enterprise value that can be delivered to a business if it is done well. What I share works and has contributed to a major business turnaround and survival. The second is my personal desire to share my experience with others, particularly to watch people grow in their roles and further develop their careers. And thirdly was the opportunity provided by COVID and lockdowns to document my experience in a structured and engaging way.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
The main reason to read this book is quite simply there is no other book on the market that describes the “how to” and deliver successful procurement transformation with significant and sustained financial benefits. It is compact, has many illustrations to simplify the work and introduces new and modern approaches to procurement consistent with the challenges of the 21st century. It shifts the paradigm.
When did you first decide to become an author?
Becoming an author was never a priority or specific desire of mine but when COVID first hit the world and lockdown periods were extensive, I reflected on that and took the opportunity to provide a legacy of my experience. So, I documented my definition of excellence in procurement and support the knowledge transfer process to help professionals develop their careers in this field through my first book, “Procurement – Redefined, Impactful, Compelling”
What I promote now is my second book, which complements the first but is quite specific in its application, namely how to transform a procurement function to support a major business improvement scenario where immediate and significant financial / commercial benefits are required to sustain a turnaround program.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I am now semi-retired so I enjoying playing golf, travel (when permitted), enjoying fine wines and Italian life and culture (we have a property there).
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
Both books took me 6 weeks to write (the editing process took 4 – 5 months). The writing time may appear short simply because I knew the subject, I had significant business experience in the field and wanted to keep the books short and impactful to make them readable.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
The best part is the freedom to write on any subject supported by fantastic editors who can really help you make the books impactful and connect with your readership. The hardest? To be honest I cannot think of anything, perhaps how to reach out to a global audience particularly when you are a novice in the field.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
The first would be to value, respect and listen to the editorial advice (they are the experts) and secondly to engage a marketing consultant to help you reach out to the global market place.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
I would, but the opportunity has not arisen and I would have to consider such factors as costs, changes to style as well as the benefits (financial, marketing). I am open minded on the subject but to be honest this is not a priority and I am very comfortable with the independent approach give the fact the process is much shorter and easier.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
A genuine desire to coach, teach, share expert knowledge all with the outcome of watching people grow in the roles and achieve higher goals as part of their professional development. Money is a motivating factor but writing this and my first book, this was not an objective, they written to teach and share a legacy.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
There are a lot! I like Bill Bryson, I like Jeffrey Archer, I like Sir Alex Ferguson, I like Ben Macintyre. Too many to mention, I probably favour non fiction to fiction.
Which book do you wish you could have written?
I like Ben Macintyre’s book, “The Spy and the Traitor”, it is a real page turner, true and opens the door of a secret world.