CIPSTamkeenStarts Aug 2, 2026

Category Management

Module

Duration: 25hrs
Level: 05
Language: english
Reference: L5M6

Course Overview

Category management turns procurement from a transactional function into a strategic discipline. This elective covers the development of category strategies for direct and indirect spend, the tools and techniques to manage expenditure, and the strategic impact of running procurement by category rather than by purchase order.

What you'll learn

Differentiate strategic sourcing from conventional purchasing across a real category
Build a category strategy using market analysis, demand management, and supplier segmentation
Apply Kraljic and other portfolio matrices to position categories by risk and spend
Measure the strategic impact of category management on cost, risk, and supplier innovation

Syllabus & course details

Elective module · 6 credits · Objective Response (OR) exam · 1.5-hour duration. The specialist elective for procurement managers running a category. You'll cover the differences between transactional and strategic sourcing, models for adopting category management, demand and spend analysis tools, the techniques to manage expenditure across the category lifecycle, and the strategic impact a properly-run category management process has on the broader organisation.