8-10 September 2026
Kuala Lumpur
TBA
Overview
Take procurement beyond cost savings with “Strategic Procurement & Contract Optimisation”, a practical and high-impact programme for professionals who want to strengthen procurement’s strategic role and deliver measurable business value. Held from 8–10 September 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, this event explores how procurement teams can build stronger strategies, uncover hidden value, improve supplier performance, negotiate more confidently and optimise contracts to reduce business risk. Led by internationally recognised procurement expert and author Ian Thompson, participants will gain practical tools, global case studies and hands-on strategies to navigate fast-changing markets, manage supply chain complexity and drive long-term procurement success.
KEY BENEFITS
- DRIVING greater strategic value from procurement beyond cost savings.
- BUILDING stronger procurement and category strategies for changing markets.
- UNCOVERING hidden cost savings through smarter supplier price analysis.
- NEGOTIATING more confidently to secure better commercial outcomes.
- OPTIMISING contracts to protect value and minimise business risk.
- IMPROVING vendor performance, compliance and long-term results.
- APPLYING practical tools through global case studies and hands-on exercises.
WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND
This is not just another procurement course — it is a practical, high-impact programme for professionals who want to elevate procurement’s role, gain stronger business influence and deliver measurable strategic value. Led by internationally recognised procurement expert and author Ian Thompson, you will walk away with powerful tools, global case studies and hands-on strategies to improve supplier performance, sharpen negotiations, reduce risk and optimise contracts with confidence.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
These courses are suitable for everyone in procurement, supply chain and/or vendor relationship management roles. It is applicable to all industry sectors, particularly those seeking the next level of strategic delivery for their organisation.
Roles include, but are not limited to:
- Chief Procurement Officer
- Vice President Procurement
- Head of Sourcing / Supply Chain
- Procurement Director / Manager
- Category Manager
- Supplier Relationship Manager
Rave Reviews:
“Experienced facilitator with great communication skill that makes the session interesting, lively, interactive and easy to understand. Encouraged the participants to share experience and ideas.”
- Salina Saaduddin - Senior Manager, Group Procurement, Sime Darby Plantation Berhad
“The trainer has very good knowledge and experience. Kexxel provided good support & coordination.”
- Ahmad Rahayuddin Abdul Rawi - Strategic Vendor Management Lead, UEM Edgenta Berhad
“Very good trainer. He knows how to convey information well even though it is an online class.”
- Zainab AlZadjadi - Procurement & Contracts Administrator, Oman Air
“Excellent trainer. Listens well to questions & has a good way of explaining the topics."
- Al Zahra Nasser Al Adwani - Procurement & Contracts Administrator, Oman Air
COURSE FACILITATOR
Ian Thompson
Internationally-recognised procurement trainer and consultant | Author of The Procurement Models Handbook (3rd Edition, Routledge, 2019) & The Category Management Handbook (Routledge, 2018)
About
Ian Thompson is a highly experienced procurement and supply chain trainer with over 20 years’ experience as a senior commercial practitioner. He is one of the founding directors of Cordie Ltd, an award-winning sales and procurement training and consulting company. Prior to setting up Cordie, Ian was engaged in a series of consulting and practitioner roles, including multi-national financial services corporates such as AXA and Barclays.
Achievements
Ian has considerable experience in global delivery to middle and senior level procurement executives throughout the world, including UK, Europe, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, South Africa, Argentina and the US. He has worked with major corporates and government organisations in numerous sectors throughout the world bringing commercial insight and added-value through the application of category management and strategic sourcing techniques.
Ian is the author of several internationally recognised procurement textbooks, including The Procurement Models Handbook, 3rd Edition (Routledge, 2019) and The Category Management Handbook, 1st Edition (Routledge, 2018). He has been an active member of The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) exam assessment team for a decade and has made a significant contribution to the development of the CIPS Diploma qualifications.
Has Worked With
Book(s) Published
Agenda
Strategic Procurement & Contract Optimisation
DAY 1: PROCUREMENT STRATEGY & COST OPTIMISATION
This first day explores the challenges facing procurement in a dynamic and fast-changing world. Against the backdrop of increasing customer demands and geo-political volatility, there is an ever-greater need for procurement to raise its game, becoming more strategic and delivering on a wider portfolio of benefits. Day 1 considers how supply chain risks and costs can be optimised and long-term sustainable procurement strategies developed.
Session 1
- Global trends in procurement
- Understanding supply chain complexity
- Balancing value, ESG and risk within supply chains
- Added-value from strategic procurement
- Building resilience and mastering the changing geo-political landscape
Case study: Toyota Motor Corporation
Exercise: Horizon-scanning
Session 2
- Determining the cost drivers behind supplier pricing
- Practical hints for cost enquiries
- Overcoming supplier tricks that hide the real costs
- Conducting effective cost breakdown analysis
- Total cost of ownership modelling
Case study: Cathay Pacific
Exercise: TCO modelling
Session 3
- Best practice category management techniques
- How to build a sustainable category strategy
- Delivering on risk mitigation and ESG, alongside cost reduction
- Evolution of category plans in a changing world
- Influencing stakeholders to ensure buy-in
Case study: Novartis Pharmaceuticals AG
Exercise: Category strategy development phases
Session 4
- Components of a best-in-class procurement strategy
- Influences for the make-vs-buy decision
- Right-shoring decisions
- When and how to create the next generation strategy
- Choosing between competitive and collaborative strategies
Case study: Apple vs Samsung
Exercise: Outsourcing decision-making
DAY 2: SUPPLIER STRATEGY, RISK & NEGOTIATION
This training day reviews how critical and strategic suppliers can be identified and specific collaborative arrangements negotiated, given the varying power dynamics that exist. Negotiation skills are developed and put into practice with the use of experiential training exercises.
Session 5
- Recognising the importance of operational criticality among suppliers
- Power and dependency profiling
- Strategic supplier segmentation
- Supply chain risk assessment
- Building supplier strategies for competitive advantage
Case study: KPMG
Exercise: Power/dependency profiling
Session 6
- Understanding the negotiation position of the parties
- Planning the bargaining mix
- Identifying tradeables and straw issues
- Separating, prioritising and scheduling issues
- Techniques for driving movement and securing value
Case study: Lotus Supermarkets
Session 7
- Case study analysis
- Team-based preparation
- Negotiation implementation
- Observation and feedback
Exercise: Practical negotiation simulation
Session 8
- Supplier relationship management strategies
- Essential pre-requisites of win-win partnering relationships
- Continuous improvement strategies
Case study: Caterpillar Inc
DAY 3: CONTRACT OPTIMISATION & PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
Day 3 considers the strategic role fulfilled by contracts and how these can be customised to the risks and strategic importance of the supplier. Price modelling and the use of specific contractual clauses are also included. The day concludes with a review of how vendor performance can be managed and sustained throughout the contract duration.
Session 9
- Strategic contracting
- Profiling the required contractual obligations
- Commercial modelling and price optimisation
- Building performance incentivisation into strategic contracts
Case study: Mercedes Benz
Exercise: Price models
Session 10
- Evaluating contractual documentation
- Identifying when to customise a contract
- Key contractual clauses and when to employ them
- Strategic risk mitigation using contracts
Exercise: Contract risk assessment and prioritisation
Session 11
- How, when and why contracts change over time
- Identifying the drivers of change and proactively mitigating against them
- How to run an effective variation process
- Negotiating contract amendments in a vacuum of competitive leverage
Case study: Public infrastructure projects
Exercise: Contract negotiation scenarios
Session 12
- Onboarding new vendors and developing a performance ‘regime’
- Contract management routines
- Running a performance monitoring and review meeting
- Reporting on performance feedback and escalating issues
Exercise: Operational contract monitoring and review
