“We’re seeing data around the acceleration of procurement having to ‘do more with less’ and this is compounding year over year, so at some point, procurement’s operating model is going to break.” – Philip Ideson, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Art of Procurement

Procurement teams are facing unprecedented and compounding pressure to “do more with less,” and, because of that, it’s more important than ever for procurement’s operating model to evolve and mature to meet these growing demands.

In this episode, co-hosts Kelly Barner and Philip Ideson explore why procurement operating models have become such a top-of-mind topic in 2025 and what this reveals about process change, talent needs, and digital transformation. They examine how procurement’s organizational approach has changed over the years and the pendulum swings we’ve seen – from decentralized buying to centralized control, then from center-led and now to a kind of “invisible” procurement model.

In this episode, Phil and Kelly also discuss:

• The major trends and changes in procurement operating models and how, at each stage, this has affected procurement’s reputation and role in the business
• How to create more capacity by maturing your operating model and the different stages of operational maturity
• The CPOs role in establishing a strong operating model, including how and when to leverage orchestration platforms and AI

Links:

• Positioning Procurement for Strategic Success in 2025 w/ Samir Khushalani
• Mastering the First 100 Days as a CPO w/ Darshan Deshmukh 
• The Hackett Group's 2025 Key Issues Study: Insights on Procurement Priorities, Technology, and Operating Models w/ Chris Sawchuk

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