Previous Events
The Global Sourcing Association is delighted to announce the 2023 GSA UK Awards winners! The winners were announced on Tuesday 4th July at the GSA UK Awards Ceremony at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Global Sourcing Association CEO, Kerry Hallard said: “I’m incredibly proud of our industry. It was fabulous to see just how much the industry continues to progress at speed. The consistent themes that came from the GSA Awards submissions were all very much on partnership, collaboration, co-creation and trust with teams working together to deliver real tangible benefits back to the business. Congratulations to all those shortlisted and of course, to the winners!” |
Supplier Diversity Day consisted of a morning looking at the progress corporates have made and the challenges and opportunities they face through supplier diversity. Open to corporates to develop best practice and open to diverse suppliers to learn more. The afternoon focused on diverse suppliers, how to win RFPs and how to increase inclusivity and remove exclusivity. Open to diverse suppliers to learn from corporates and open to corporates to learn from the diverse suppliers. |
The Festival of Sourcing took a deep dive into all things modern sourcing covering topics that are affecting the industry. This includes Sustainability, Environment and The Journey to Net Zero, & Impact Sourcing. Industry experts shared their views but panel discussions were also to get different perspectives on modern sourcing such as the legal and analyst and advisor panels. |
Businesses today are opting for procurement outsourcing to improve efficiency, generate cost savings, reduce risk, and improve supplier relationships. View our event here where we took a look at best practice as well as the opportunities and challenges faced when outsourcing your procurement function from real case studies. |
GSA Standard Terms LaunchThe GSA's intention in commissioning Standard Terms was to generate a generic supply contract which could be considered to represent a relatively balanced position as between the competing interests of customer and supplier in a procurement relationship, thereby creating a contract which sourcing industry participants could use with the confidence that the provisions are a reasonable middle ground. |
Agile SourcingAgile sourcing requires a shift in mindset, maturity and openness and isn’t an overnight fix, but utilisation can deliver a great return on investment and optimise cycle times. This event demystified agile sourcing and break it down to its simplest form – a highly collaborative set of accelerators in the sourcing process. In order to implement an agile sourcing strategy, companies should focus on developing the skills of their sourcing team, investing in technology that supports collaboration and real-time communication, and establishing clear processes and guidelines. First and foremost, it’s important to understand the key fundamentals of agile sourcing and then to pick the right projects to take down this path. |
Buying and Contracting for New TechThere is a huge demand from our buyside community to understand how contracting for new technologies is turning on its head and traditional approaches are no longer fit for purpose. The GSA responded by bringing together an expert line up of speakers to present their views and engage in a provocative debate on what the professionals in our space need to be thinking about. |
Impact Sourcing: The Art of the PossibleIf there’s one thing you should be looking at within your ESG strategy this year, it should be impact sourcing. The global technology and business services industry is very well placed to lead the charge in this area and make great strides towards eradicating poverty – a key UN Sustainable Development Goal. Whether you are a buyer, a service provider or an advisor, you need to take responsibility here and with immediate effect – and we share how in this webinar. |
Global Technology & Business Services Council Global Industry Predictions
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Partner Event: Philippines’ Virtual International Innovation Summit (IIS)Last week, CEO of the GSA, Kerry Hallard joined with her colleagues from the Global Technology & Business Services Council (GT&BSC) to speak at the Philippines’ Virtual International Innovation Summit (IIS), hosted by the IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) and organised in collaboration with Everest Group. The panel addressed the global talent crisis, the great resignation, rising attrition rates and potential solutions to these issues we are currently facing as an industry. |
ESG Adoption
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Pricing & AttritionAccording to Everest Group, 43% of service providers are actively seeking to increase prices on existing contracts. 12% have received an increase whilst 11% have been declined an increase. Globally there has been an average of a 6% increase in price requested by service providers. Chaired by Kerry Hallard, CEO of the GSA, this webinar was dedicated to looking at the subject of pricing and we heard from speakers Ricky Sundrani, Vice President at Everest Group and Mark Crichard, Partner at RPC. |
GSA Strategic Sourcing Symposium: Sourcing Predictions and 2022 Manifesto LaunchThe GSA manifesto sets out the best practice it aims to develop and deliver over the next 12 months, as we plan for what will be our 35th anniversary; our biggest year yet! Expect discussions on talent, wellbeing and attrition, changes to contracting, all things ESG, open talent and ethics in technology sourcing, among others. Hear the GSA council present its round up on the year gone by, its predictions for the year ahead and its manifesto for its programme of work to support the industry moving forward. |
GSA Strategic Sourcing Symposium: Emerging TalentOur industry is on a positive trajectory for growth, but we are in danger of not being able to fulfil the work that our customers are seeking, with the huge scarcity of talent we are currently facing. Overselling and underdelivering will create a negative reputation, not just for individual companies, but our industry as a whole. We need to attract more talent into our industry and start delivering the work that our customers need... |
GSA Strategic Sourcing Symposium: Responsible Automation and The Future of WorkOur industry is currently facing a global talent crisis. Automation must be seen as a key solution, freeing up skilled people to be repurposed across organisations. But which roles are being automated out and what new roles do organisations need to reskill for? Not only do we need to move on this today if we are to be able to deliver to the required programs of change, but we need to do it properly and ensure workers are being reskilled to address the needs for the future of work... |
GSA Strategic Sourcing Symposium: ESGESG is a business imperative and supporting ESG isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s good for business too. But many companies are early stage in their own programmes let alone know how to evaluate the ESG ratings of their supply chains. Companies are seeing ESG as a massive growth area, with PwC recently announcing that it would spend $12 billion over five years to create 100,000 new jobs aimed at helping its clients grapple with climate and diversity reporting. This huge acceleration of ESG focus addresses key issues such as climate change, human rights abuses and responsible resource... |
GSA Strategic Sourcing Symposium: Open Talent Presidential Debate - Is the Service Provider going to Win the War on Talent?We firmly believe that Open Talent is the biggest game changer for our industry since the advent of offshoring over 20 years ago. Our industry is facing a major supply and demand issue, with there being a talent shortage across much of the world. Businesses large and small are struggling to find the skills they require. Along with that, we’re in the epicentre of the great resignation, with the cost of attrition, replacement and reskilling being a huge burden for many organisations.... |
GSA Strategic Sourcing Symposium: Analyst Panel
This year has seen unprecedented change, which has been mostly positive for our industry. The GSA pulled together analysts from across the global technology and business services industry to get their views of the shape of the industry and the opportunities and challenges for the year ahead...
Lunch & Learn: Ethics in AI and Socially Responsible Intelligent AutomationMost of us don't realise how much AI is used in our everyday lives, making decisions that impact us every day. Companies have increased their focus to drive automation and data-driven decision-making across their organisations. As AI develops, instances of unfair outcomes have come to light. The procurement professional has a critical role in safeguarding their company and their company’s customers when procuring these technologies. |
Sustainable Procurement Pledge (SPP) - Lunch & LearnIn this session, Kerry Hallard, CEO at the GSA, speaks to Thomas Udesen, CPO at Bayer and Co-Founder of the SPP, as he introduces the Sustainable Procurement Pledge. Thomas will share why it’s important to sign the pledge and how doing so can change the future. |
SourcingTech - Internet of Things
There is a lot of noise surrounding Internet of Things (IoT) and its impact on everything we do, but what is IoT, how does it work and what opportunities does it bring?According to IDC, there will be 55.7 billion connected devices worldwide by 2025, 75% of which will be connected to an IoT platform. IoT is disrupting across many industries. We took a look at...
Entrepreneurs' Club - How to Market your Brand to Enterprise Buyers
As an SME, it’s difficult to be seen by big brands, but we’ll take a look at what they’re looking for, how to position a business to attract the larger players, how to ensure your marketing is focused enough for visibility and how to present yourself as a business everyone needs to partner with.
Open Talent Forum - How Will Platform Based Models Influence the Sourcing Industry?
In this session, Barry Matthews, Founder at Re-source and GSA Council Member, speaks to Prakash Gupta from Turing, a platform-based model which is home to the top 1% of 700,000+ software developers in their Intelligent Talent Cloud.
GSA & GSOS: Intelligent Automation Exchange LaunchThe GSA has heard time and time again from our enterprise buyers that they want to partner with smaller, innovative businesses but they don’t know how to find them. So, we listened! The GSA is excited to announce its partnership with GSOS (Global Sourcing Optimization Services), a US-based boutique advisory firm focused on assisting unique start-up/early-stage companies involved in bringing digital innovation through intelligent automation to enterprises worldwide. |
Open Talent Forum - Service Providers Embracing Open TalentIn this session, we spoke to George Gallant from Wipro who shared how Topcoder works, what the differentiator is, how it’s been integrated within Wipro, how clients are adopting it, what the benefits and challenges have been, and we’ll also take a look at how the service is likely to develop as human cloud models gain increasing momentum and marketplaces become ‘enterprise ready’. |
Open Talent Forum - Enterprise Readiness and Compliance
We are in the midst of the talent equivalent to climate change, suffering a huge demand increase and supply shortage of digital talent. By 2025 there will be a requirement for 160 million more roles than we currently have - this shortage was only 9 million in 2019. Due to the increase in automation, digital and forced remote working, the number of roles we now require is huge. Surprisingly, the number of people going into the tech industry is decreasing, with 40% less students taking a technology-based subject at GCSE level. There is set to be more demand for services than ever before, but we haven’t got the people to deliver these services. Enterprises will be forced to think about different ways of accessing talent and the human cloud could be the answer.
Entrepreneurs Club - How to Respond to an RFPThe GSA is mindful of how important smaller players are in bringing agility, flexibility and innovation to its members’ organisations. There are plenty of blockers that don’t make partnering easy for either side. For the smaller players, it is difficult to initially find opportunities and then get a foot in the door, for a multitude of reasons, to include corporate due diligence processes and unrealistically high revenue levels required. |
SourcingTech - Virtual RealityThis session looked at the art of the possible with Virtual Reality, which is set to be a game changer for business, and how the creation of a completely immersive environment can create massive opportunity. Our speakers shared their journey's in implementing virtual reality and what they think the future of this new tech looks like. |
Women in Sourcing - Supporting the MenopauseThis panel discussed how companies can create a positive culture in the workplace to ensure women can be vocal about the menopause, can raise awareness of the symptoms and impacts of the menopause and detailed what resources are out there to support employees going through the menopause. |
GSA Pop-up Discussion - Contact Centre as a Service
The panel of speakers discussed the rebirth of the contact centre industry, the opportunities, challenges and blockers faced when adopting Contact Centre as a Service and share their top tips on how to implement and test the technology.
SourcingTech Series - Does Artificial Intelligence have Artificial Expectations?In this webinar our expert speakers debunk AI myths and misconceptions, look at the right way to develop an AI strategy for your business, explain the challenges and threats faced along the AI journey and give some user case examples of AI in practice. |
Competencies, Capabilities and Upskilling Talent
Sourcing skills are in very high demand and the war on talent continues. Do you and your team have the competencies and capabilities to deliver upmost value, whilst driving innovations and being involved in an ever-broader sourcing eco-system?
The Festival of Sourcing - Strategic Automation
Companies need to stop wasting millions of their automation pounds on proof of concept and adhoc approaches to automation. Research shows that those bold enough to put automation front and centre are winning in their field. Learn from industry evangelists and practitioners alike.
The Festival of Sourcing - Service Provider 3.0
After 25 years, global delivery models are overdue a refresh. We were slowly moving to Service Provider 2.0, but now are leapfrogging straight to Service Provider 3.0 as the industry juggles numerous disruptors hitting it at once.
The Festival of Sourcing - Contracting Hot Topics - IR35, TUPE and ESG
This webinar covers current legal hot topics of the sourcing industry, including how IR35 and the Uber Ruling will affect the gig economy, the recent dramatic changes to TUPE, and contracting for Environmental Social and Governance (ESG).
The Festival of Sourcing - Best Practice for EXIT
March 2021 the GSA launched the revised Best Practice Guide for Exit, as unbelievably, too many sourcing arrangements are entered without an exit clearly defined. This session will set out the importance of a good exit for both parties, as well as how to’s.
The Festival of Sourcing - Great Gig CX
Open talent is a game changer for global technology and business services, but what does this really mean to the future of customer service delivery and what delivery model will preside into the future?
The Festival of Sourcing - Driving Innovation Through Tech
According to McKinsey & Company, 84% of executives believe innovation is critical to their business. Innovation is critical to growth, particularly as the speed of business cycles continues to increase. Most companies understand the importance of innovation but fall short when it comes to execution, with only 6% of executives being satisfied with the outcomes of their innovation strategies. Innovation requires the right strategy, investment, leadership, and stomach for risk. Innovation is critical, don’t get left behind by your competitors.
The Festival of Sourcing - Contracting Principles
Standard contracts are archaic; contracting models are overdue a refresh.
A contract should mean win/win for all parties; they should be fit for purpose for engaging SMEs and encourage driving innovation within business. But do they in reality? How much time and money is wasted in over covering of backs? How much value creation is lost?
The Festival of Sourcing - Tech for Good
Technology must be a catalyst for great social change. Technology was a vital tool for business survival throughout the pandemic and today every business must see itself as a technology business. As such, we need to be more intentional about the use of tech in tackling the world's pressing social and environmental challenges.
The Festival of Sourcing - Analyst Panel
What does new tech coming down the line for 2021 and beyond look like? What tech should businesses be aware of and what should be on board level agendas going forward?
Click here to see more about this event.The Festival of Sourcing - Women in Sourcing
Has the move to remote working had a detrimental effect on Women’s mental health? Have we undone years of progression towards gender equality? Our powerhouse panel of phenomenal females share their stories of challenges throughout their career and share how they are bringing more women into the tech world.
The Festival of Sourcing - Employee Engagement
We’ll be sharing the results of the GSA 2020 Wellness Survey and how Teleperformance has strived to keep employees engaged throughout the move to remote working to receive the Great Place to Work award last year. Lisa Dolan, Director of Employee Engagement and Teleperformance team members tell their stories on mental health, engagement and being your authentic self.
The Festival of Sourcing - The Launch of the Council for Supplier Diversity UK
There is currently no best practice in the UK for Supplier Diversity. We are launching the Council for Supplier Diversity UK (SDUK), a group of professionals wanting to make change in the supplier diversity space and create best practice for the industry.
The Festival of Sourcing - Mental Health in the Workplace
A mental health crisis is upon us. Mental Health should be a consideration across all sectors and become a priority in business agendas. There’s so much more to be done when it comes to building psychologically safe cultures where people can remain in work and thrive despite experiencing mental ill health.
The Festival of Sourcing Launch - Kick Off Panel Discussion
The GSA's launch of the world’s first Festival of Sourcing, where the GSA Council members set out the GSA’s programme of work for the year ahead and discuss all the topics impacting our industry today.
The Fundamentals of BREXIT in the Sourcing Industry
Chaired by the CEO of the GSA, Kerry Hallard; Paul Gardner, James Cockroft and Shivendra Singh shared their experiences to date of Brexit and the challenges they see ahead.
Sourcing Predictions
As we come to the end of the most tumultuous year, we must reflect on how well the industry has performed. Trust between customers and their service partners increased throughout the pandemic as companies worked tirelessly to ensure optimum service delivery – often against all odds. As a result, the industry grew in positive reputation and also in size and greater growth is predicted for the years ahead as business and technology services will be front and centre of companies’ and Governments’ restart strategies.
Click here to see more about this event.5GThe latest in the GSA SourcingTech series is all about 5G in the current climate. Our expert speakers provide a definition of 5G and how it differs from other new emerging technologies, the benefits and opportunities that 5G brings to business, the role of spectrum in 5G networks and how to bring this new technology into your Strategic Sourcing Function. |
The Importance of Sales Trilogy in Partnership with durhamlane - Spend Time Where you can be Most Successful - It's up to you!The last in the durhamlane trilogy of webinars to highlight the importance of selling, especially in the ever changing, increasingly virtual world we now live in. This webinar led by Richard Lane and Luke Robinson reveals how you can properly qualify the deals in your pipeline. |
Artificial IntelligencePart of the SourcingTech Series all about Artificial Intelligence. A collaboration of speakers focused on demystifying the use of AI and how to implement this technology. |
The Importance of Sales Trilogy in Partnership with durhamlane - How to Run an Effective Meeting
Part Two of the durhamlane trilogy of webinars to highlight the importance of selling, especially in the ever changing, increasingly virtual world we now live in. This webinar led by Luke Robinson focuses on the importance of preparation and mastering technology. |
The Importance of Sales Trilogy in Partnership with durhamlane - Selling on Value in a Virtual EnvironmentThe GSA have worked in partnership with durhamlane to create a trilogy of webinars to highlight the importance of selling, especially in the ever changing, increasingly virtual world we now live in. |
The Executive Guide to Blockchain
The latest in the SourcingTech series, The Executive Guide to Blockchain Webinar introduced blockchain for use in the sourcing industry in a jargon free format, demystifying this new technology and providing insight from our industry experts.
Contracting Workstream
The GSA has resurrected its Contracting Workstream following the huge demand it has seen for contracting changes as organisations embark on their restart strategies as the Covid-19 dust settles. This workstream is being led by Tom Bridgford and Philip Allery, Chair and Vice-Chair.
Handling COVID-19 Today and for the Future- a focus on Partnering, Tech, Talent and Wellness
So yes, we are all in a tail spin, but we will come out of this. Here at the GSAwe are here to assist our membership and broader community navigate the immediate pressures of this crisis, but also want to help our members keep an eye on the future to be in the best possible shape moving forward.
Managing Collaborative Relationships in a Crisis
COVID-19 and the resulting global lock down has put a huge strain on service delivery around the world. Call centres in India, the UK’s biggest delivery destination, almost closed overnight, with limited contingency planning for a wholesale, global close down.
Upskill Critical Sourcing Talent with the GSA
The GSA Strategic Sourcing Professional Development Webinar unveiled the GSA’s approach to personal development in a virtual environment, hosted by GSA CEO Kerry Hallard and GSA’s Associate Director of Professional Development Chris Halward.