Procurement Licensing: A Solution To A Problem That Doesn't Exist?

Ben Farrell, CEO of CIPS, recently asked whether procurement should become a licensed profession in this post here: https://lnkd.in/p/ekPFq_TQ. It's a fair question and one I get thrown back at me every time I challenge the value of CIPS. So here's my answer. In this video, I break down why comparing procurement to licensed professions like medicine, law, and accountancy doesn't stack up, and why judging procurement talent by qualifications alone is exactly the wrong approach. 00:00 Ben Farrell's CIPS Post 00:29 Why Procurement Isn't Like Medicine or Law 01:21 Anyone Can Approve a Contract, Unregulated 02:31 CIPS Doesn't Define Whether You're Good at the Job 03:21 What Actually Drives Procurement Success 03:42 Integrity as a Core Skill 04:49 CIPS' Commercial Interest in Licensing 05:48 Licensing Would Shrink the Talent Pool 07:36 The Cost Barrier to Qualifications 08:13 No Way to Enforce It Properly 09:41 Existing Safeguards Still Don't Stop Failures 10:22 Where I Land on This Debate 12:07 Licensing Solves the Wrong Problem 12:34 Final Thoughts Where do you land on this? Let me know in the comments. ───────────────────────────────── 🔔 Subscribe for more Procurement Bites: https://bit.ly/TomMillsYouTube 📌 Watch next: 3 Steps to Network Like a Procurement Pro -    • You're Networking at Conferences Wrong (He...   ───────────────────────────────── RESOURCES MENTIONED → 📰 24,000+ procurement professionals read Tom's newsletter: https://procurebites.com/ ───────────────────────────────── LET'S CONNECT Website: https://tommillsprocurement.com/ LinkedIn:   / tom-mills-procurement   Procurement Unplugged: https://procurement-unplugged.beehiiv... ───────────────────────────────── In this video, Tom Mills responds to CIPS CEO Ben Farrell's question about whether procurement should become a licensed profession. He explains why procurement soft skills, not qualifications alone, are what actually drive success in a procurement career, covering stakeholder management, supplier relationships, negotiation, communication, and integrity. It's a look at procurement leadership, career development, and why the CIPS qualification debate matters for anyone working in supply chain and procurement roles today. #Procurement #CIPS #ProcurementCareer #SoftSkills #SupplyChain #ProcurementLeadership