Art of Procurement

Today's podcast is part of a special two-week series, our second annual sponsored StartUp and Growth Series, where we aim to shine a light on the early stage and growth companies who are changing the way that leading procurement teams are driving outcomes that truly align with corporate objectives. We will ask an entrepreneur from seven different companies questions about what gap in the market their solution addresses, how they differentiate their technology and what their tools look like in action. It's a great way for you to get to know those who are leading the way. In today's episode, I speak with Jody Rowe, CEO of Promitheia.

Today's podcast is part of a special two-week series, our second annual sponsored StartUp and Growth Series, where we aim to shine a light on the early stage and growth companies who are changing the way that leading procurement teams are driving outcomes that truly align with corporate objectives. We will ask an entrepreneur from seven different companies questions about what gap in the market their solution addresses, how they differentiate their technology and what their tools look like in action. It's a great way for you to get to know those who are leading the way. In today's episode, I speak with Adriano Garibotto, co-founder of Creactives

Today's podcast is part of a special two-week series, our second annual sponsored StartUp and Growth Series, where we aim to shine a light on the early stage and growth companies who are changing the way that leading procurement teams are driving outcomes that truly align with corporate objectives. We will ask an entrepreneur from seven different companies questions about what gap in the market their solution addresses, how they differentiate their technology and what their tools look like in action. It's a great way for you to get to know those who are leading the way. In today's episode, I speak with Gregg Antenen, Executive Managing Director of Vistio. Unlike the other providers in our series Vistio is not directly focused on procurement, but is a tool that procurement can help our stakeholder use in the call center category.

Today's podcast is part of a special two-week series, our second annual sponsored StartUp and Growth Series, where we aim to shine a light on the early stage and growth companies who are changing the way that leading procurement teams are driving outcomes that truly align with corporate objectives. We will ask an entrepreneur from seven different companies questions about what gap in the market their solution addresses, how they differentiate their technology and what their tools look like in action. It's a great way for you to get to know those who are leading the way. In today's episode, I speak with Stephanie Lapierre, Founder and CEO of Tealbook.

Today's podcast is part of a special two-week series, our second annual sponsored StartUp and Growth Series, where we aim to shine a light on the early stage and growth companies who are changing the way that leading procurement teams are driving outcomes that truly align with corporate objectives. We will ask an entrepreneur from seven different companies questions about what gap in the market their solution addresses, how they differentiate their technology and what their tools look like in action. It's a great way for you to get to know those who are leading the way. In today's episode, I speak with Anders Lillevik, Founder of Focal Point.

Today's podcast is part of a special two-week series, our second annual sponsored StartUp and Growth Series, where we aim to shine a light on the early stage and growth companies who are changing the way that leading procurement teams are driving outcomes that truly align with corporate objectives. We will ask an entrepreneur from seven different companies questions about what gap in the market their solution addresses, how they differentiate their technology and what their tools look like in action. It's a great way for you to get to know those who are leading the way. In today's episode, I speak with Costas Xyloyiannis, CEO of HICX.

Good negotiation skills are fundamental to procurement. They allow us to maximize value while simultaneously building resilient, low-cost supply chains. But now that procurement is moving towards collaborative partnerships with our suppliers, many are concerned that reducing direct competitive pressure will inadvertently allow higher pricing. Cost transparency allows procurement to balance collaboration and negotiation. By focusing on the primary material and service cost drivers of what is being negotiated, and using trends and should cost modeling, it is possible - and effective - to have fact-based pricing discussions with suppliers. Procurement can keep their prices in line with supplier costs and preserve the relationship by acknowledging the need to allow them overhead/gross margin and building both into the model. In this podcast, based on an AOP Live session, Rod Sherkin, Founder and President of ProPurchaser and a former CPO, answers live audience questions about: Whether procurement needs to take their relative size and buying power into consideration when using should cost modeling to manage a spend category If there is an approximate or ballpark overhead margin percentage procurement can use when building a first-pass should cost model How to introduce should cost models with incumbent suppliers where they have not been applied in the past

If you are relatively new to the field of procurement, there is a good chance you've never experienced an auction first-hand. With all of procurement's focus on moving towards value and away from cost-only decision making, that's understandable. Unfortunately, however, auctions are a valid tool in procurement's vast toolbox, and in many cases we may be dismissing them - and their potential in a negotiation - without sufficient evaluation of the opportunity. Jacob Gorm Larsen is the Head of Digital Procurement for Maersk and the author of the newly published book, "A Practical Guide to E-Auctions for Procurement: How to Maximize Impact with e-Sourcing and e-Negotiation." From his perspective, an auction is simply "an online, market-driven negotiation, based on total value and with commitment." That's certainly not something procurement should take off the table when the conditions are right. In this conversation, Jacob and Host Philip Ideson discuss: The history of auctions as part of the longer timeline of procurement technology development How and when to use auctions to create maximum value for the business How to improve communications with suppliers so that both parties achieve their goals and to promote the creation of a lasting relationship The ways procurement organizations can structure themselves to ensure they get maximum ROI from their investments in technology

Traditionally, procurement has been focused on driving corporate profitability by putting pressure on suppliers, rationalizing specifications, and managing demand. While these strategies have delivered some benefits to the business, their diminishing returns came at the cost of procurement's internal reputation. As procurement's focus turns to top-line growth, they will have to change more than just their strategies and tactics before they can be successful. This podcast is the last in a 4-part series focused on how procurement can contribute to efforts to restore corporate growth. In this episode, Host Philip Ideson shares why a focus on growth is so important to the future of the procurement profession before concluding the podcast series by sharing some of his key takeaways from the first three episodes. In this episode, Philip wraps up the series by considering points such as: Why procurement doesn't need to fix how we are perceived, so much as we need to address the attitudes, styles, and behaviors that have led to that perception How procurement can pivot to a focus on corporate growth, and what we need to understand about our organization before knowing which actions to take The opportunity associated with a partnership between procurement and sales, and which corporate KPIs this will allow procurement to contribute to

The pandemic has caused a rethink of many past assumptions, from just in time inventory to offshored supply chains. Moving forward, leaders need to avoid jumping from one extreme to the other. Traditionally accepted priorities such as efficiency and cost containment suddenly must be assessed against the risk involved. Success will increasingly depend on how well organizations strike the optimal balance among such priorities. This podcast is the third in a 4-part series focused on how procurement can contribute to efforts to restore corporate growth. In this episode we welcome Alex Saric, Ivalua's Chief Marketing Executive. For over 15 years he has evangelized spend management, shaping its evolution and working closely with hundreds of customers to support their digital transformation journeys. In this episode we will look into: What risk factors are most critical and how can procurement best manage them? What strategies can best minimize the tradeoffs between risk and growth? What can procurement / supply chain leaders learn from investors by taking a portfolio view of supply chain risk?