Welcome to the ISM2020 Presentation Submission Site

Share your Revolutionary Ideas!

You are a visionary, an idea generator and most importantly, an implementer. Your professional peers want to hear your story.

With the pace of evolution in the profession on full throttle, creating an environment that offers varying perspectives helps foster ideas… sometimes revolutionary ones. The ones needed to move the profession forward. Your ideas and experience could help make the difference.

We invite you to participate in a Call-for-Presentations (CFP) for the ISM Annual Conference being held in Boston, MA April 26-29, 2020.

The submission process is simple. Please complete the fields below with the required information and hit “submit”.
In the month of September our CLC Board will review the presentations. The acceptance (and rejection) letters will be sent out in early October.

ISM2020 Tracks!

Making an Impact in the Next 100 Days	One hundred days is an invisible benchmark placed on us either by our superiors or even our own hand. It’s a line in the sand to measure progress and affect change. This track is focused on providing tools, insights and strategies essential for those assuming a new role within your company or at a new stage in your career. Start making your impact immediately!
Getting Real with Digital Transformation	The Fourth Industrial Revolution, digital transformation, is here. As procurement professionals we are all living the change it is fostering. But are you controlling the transformation or is it controlling you? This track focuses on the real stories, foundational education and trends to be aware of so you can plan how you manage your go-forward strategy for making technology the enabling tool for future success.
Becoming a Value Chain Superhero	Procurement professionals are no longer just leaping cost increases with a single bound. Their superhero strengths are growing to align with the needs of the business to drive value and transform the nature of how procurement functions within the organization. This track focuses on best practices and case studies for direct spend categories that provide the roadmap for driving value beyond cost savings. You will learn about influencing stakeholders, advanced category management and supply management practices, and walk away with tools to help promote the superhero within..
Dealing Directly with Indirect	With nearly 45% of source-able spend being indirect, organizations are trying to get their arms around what may be hiding in the dark corners of their business environment. Procurement professionals are shining a light on indirect and taking this beast head on. This track focuses on best practices and case studies for indirect categories that provide the roadmap for looking at the potential for managing indirect and driving value beyond cost savings. You will learn about influencing stakeholders, advanced category management and supply management practices, and walk away with tools to tame the beast and impact both the top and bottom lines.
Tackling the Talent Challenge	For the first time in history, there are four generations in the workplace. Coincide the needs of a multi-generational workforce with the impact of digitization and a tight labor market, and leaders have the perfect formula for insomnia. Talent is the backbone of every organization, but how can you solve for so many needs and challenges? This track explores topics from attracting and developing new talent, to retaining your top talent in a highly competitive market.
Today’s Win-Win Negotiator	With the shift from driving down costs toward developing a value chain, the rules of negotiation have changed. From working with start-up organizations with innovative technology, to tried and true partners where you need to revolutionize your working relationship, it all starts in how you negotiate the terms of the agreement. This track focuses on covering the basics of developing a negotiation strategy and sessions on how procurement can deliver beyond price. You will walkthrough, understand and practice being today’s win-win negotiator.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. When does the CFP open?
   • The CFP opens on August 1, 2019.
2. When does the CFP close?
   • The CFP closes on August 23, 2019.
3. When will I need to present?
   • The ISM Annual Conference takes place April 26-29, 2020. Accepted speakers could be assigned to present on one or more of the days within these dates. Finer details will be finalized with each approved speaker.
4. How is my presentation evaluated?
   • Our volunteer Conference Leadership Committee (CLC) is made up of 21 members. Members of the CLC are practitioners and leaders in the field of supply management. They will review completed submissions and evaluate based on the description as it aligns with the tracks, the interest level of the audience, and presentation format.
5. What do approved speakers receive?
   • Approved speakers receive a complimentary full registration to the ISM Annual Conference 2020 which includes provided meals included with the registration. ISM certified members can also receive re-certification credit for presenting. No additional travel expenses are provided.
6. What are some sample topics ISM is looking for in each track?
   • You are not limited to the below topics but here are a few topics we are seeking to cover within each track:


Making an Impact in the Next 100 Days:
• Professional evolution from current to future role (how do I get there from here)
• Technology – implementing a new transformation technology
• People – restructuring, ethical/toxic/cultural, transform a team, grow a team
• Process and Tools – rolling out category management, training, competency model, rotational program
• Personal transformation – taking on new role, working differently with your former peers who are now your subordinates, influencing others, managing up (learning what needs to be managed up)
• Executing mergers and acquisitions
• Building blocks – you land in an organization and you have a leadership role, assess situation and launch your plan



Getting Real with Digital Transformation:
• Digital ERP Systems – M&A in the tech space resulting in a narrow field
• Collaboration
• Analytics (spend analysis) vs predictive forecasting; demand
• AI – Artificial Intelligence (data rich but insufficient in using)
• Market Intelligence -IDC, Gartner, ClearEdge, Telwares, etc.
• Project Intake/pipeline management
• eSourcing/Auctions: Bid Analysis, etc.
• Benchmarking – External sources of data
• Contract/Supplier Risk Management, KPI tracking
• Procure to Pay – Compliance
• RPA/Robotics – Invoice processing, data entry



Becoming a Value Chain Superhero:
• Influencing (strategic over tactical)
• Value Generation
• Functional partnership
• SRO (optimizing supplier relationships) who does it in the organization?
• SRM – innovation, bridging business
• Sharing success stories
• Category Management
• Logistics



Dealing Directly with Indirect:
• Influencing (strategical over tactical)
• Value Generation
• Functional Partnership
• SRO - (optimizing supplier relationships) who does it in the organization?
• SRM - innovation, bridging business
• Sharing success stories
• Category Management
• Travel, Marketing, MRO, HR, Legal



Tackling the Talent Challenge:
• Talent competition
• Career progression – transitioning from individual contributor to manager, manager to exec
• Is procurement the end or a stepping-stone?
• Attraction and retention
• Diversity
• Rotational programs – all parts of career
• Liquid workforce – project specific hires – Gig-economy-contingent workforce
• Job descriptions – making procurement sexy again
• Shift in roles – next gen skills
• Company/Employee centric travel program



Today’s Win-Win Negotiator:
• Negotiating internally / Buy-in
• Leveraging internal stakeholders in negotiations
• SAAS agreements (if I’m buying; driving performance improvement)
• Supplier negotiations with [enter a focused sector] vendors
• Sustainable processes
• Building a Negotiation Strategy