On September 3rd of last year, Jeanette Jones, Owner and Founder of Cottrill Research, suggested (out of the blue!) that she and I co-author a book. There was never any question of whether or not I would do it. I’ve always wanted to write a book. I enjoy doing research and I have been fascinated with procurement ever since I ‘fell into’ the profession in 2003. Jeanette’s suggestion that we write a book to help procurement professionals create their own supply market intelligence combined all three.

Since then, I have been spending all of my non-existent free time writing, researching, and editing our book. Supply Market Intelligence for Procurement Professionals: Research, Process, and Resources will be published by J. Ross this fall. The book details how to develop and maintain a supply market intelligence program and provides listings of resources that are available for both direct (for resale) and indirect (not for resale) markets and categories.

The process of writing a book has been challenging and amazing. I have become accustomed to working independently at Buyers Meeting Point, but working on a large joint project has been hugely rewarding. I couldn’t ask for a better co-author in Jeanette, and appreciate that she had the vision to approach me in the first place. I also received amazing advice from Joe Payne and Bill Dorn (Source One), Kate Vitasek (Vested Outsourcing), and Jon Hansen (Procurement Insights, PI Window on the World) with whom I will write my next book.

Although our book will not be published until October, the manuscript is due to J. Ross on Monday, June 30th. As a result, I’ll be a little scarce for the next ten days. Actually, ‘scarce’ doesn’t do it justice. I’m not planning to think about anything else (or sleep) until then. I have excused myself from all guest blogging, taken a break from my weekly Blog Talk Radio updates, and told my family to expect take-out. Lots and lots of take-out.

The reason for this is not that I am a procrastinator. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jeanette and I have been working incredibly hard on our own and each other’s content since the first of the year. I dream in Times New Roman 11pt. double-space. This last push is more of a dedication to quality and applicability. We believe that procurement is capable of far more than we are currently given the opportunity to do. Supply market intelligence is the key to improving procurement’s performance and expanding our role while serving as evidence of our relevance to the organization as a whole.

I’ll be fully back online on July 1st, ready to cover more books, events, blogs, and news for the procurement community. As more details about the book become available, we will be sure to share them. In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed that when the sun rises on June 30th we are ready to go. Ten days and counting – see you all on the other side!

Carpe diem!