The State of the Procurement Profession report, one of the largest studies of the profession, is now in its fourth year. Among the key takeaways is data that suggests cost-related objectives remain dominant, with sustainability initiatives far down the list of priorities, despite discussions and content that suggest more progress has already been made. The silver lining is that the entrepreneurial procurement movement seems to be taking hold, and may usher in a time of accelerated change.

 

In this episode, host Philip Ideson is joined by Dr. Marcell Vollmer, Partner and Director at Boston Consulting Group, and Christoph Bode, Professor at the Business School of the University of Mannheim and Endowed Chair of Procurement. They recently collaborated, with the assistance of ISM, to survey the procurement profession, and have published their findings in the newly released report “State of the Procurement Profession 2021.”

 

The key findings of the research focus on entrepreneurial orientation, digitization, and ESG, as well as considering procurement reporting structures:

• Early indications that the first ‘big wave’ of procurement digitalization may be coming to an end
• Why recent concerns about supply chain risk are changing how companies approach sustainability, and why this shift plays to procurement’s strengths
• The mindset and risk tolerance that are observed in entrepreneurial procurement teams - who also appear to be outperforming their peers