Procurement’s value comes from many different sources, but supplier relationships are a nearly inexhaustible source of potential. Over the last few years, procurement has made significant investments - and substantial progress - in their ability to build relationships with key suppliers as well as to improve the supplier experience overall.

In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, Kelly Barner is joined by Florent Connac. Florent is a Project Director for Cyrias, and he has decades of experience in procurement.

Florent takes this opportunity to share his perspective on procurement’s supplier management maturity:

• The skill sets that have contributed to procurement’s supplier relationship improvements
• How divides such as direct/indirect spend and local v. global play into the maturity journey
• Success stories from his experience working with companies and observing their supplier relationship habits

Links: Florent Connac on LinkedIn

Generative AI, and the models that underpin it, are maturing at a rapid pace. Even procurement, a function that has always been a proving ground for emerging digital capabilities, is scrambling to keep up. In this time of growth, procurement has the chance to stretch their use of technology and also to uncover current mindsets about innovation and experimentation.

In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, Pascal Bensoussan, Chief Product Officer at Ivalua, returns to speak with Kelly Barner about the progress that has been made with generative AI and what it has revealed about procurement’s approach to adopting new technologies.

Pascal brings the generative AI conversation up to date and looks forward to what may be next:

• The role that large language models (LLMs) play in the advancement of generative AI
• Current perspectives from the C-suite and their expectations about digital advancement
• The mindset shifts that seamlessly integrated technology should drive - especially between corporate functions

Links: Pascal Bensoussan on LinkedIn

Many procurement conversations are focused on tech, but the work of procurement is innately human - even the digital parts. As procurement systems become bridges to the business, procurement professionals have the opportunity to cross them and forge strategic, more meaningful relationships with entirely new parts of the business.

In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, Kelly Barner is joined by Mathew Schulz. Mathew is the Founder of matchat, an accelerator for career-minded procurement professionals.

Mathew shares his view on the role of humanity and real connections in driving procurement excellence:

• The opportunity associated with the data created by and collected in procurement systems
• How blending art with science is the best way to drive desired business outcomes
• The value of having an engaged professional network, in person and online

Links: Mathew Schulz on LinkedIn

Each year contains unexpected developments and surprises. Some of them are mere flashes of circumstance while others change the trajectory of industries, communities, and individuals for the long term.

The challenge for procurement is knowing what to watch for and then deciding how to prepare.

In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, Kelly Barner is joined by Ari Stone. Ari is the Global SVP for Value Engineering, Solution Consulting, and Services at Ivalua, a role that requires him to understand all the factors that impact procurement’s work.

Ari shares the key trends he is watching as 2024 draws to a close and offers predictions about what we might expect in the new year:

• The storylines procurement can expect to see around generative AI in 2025 and how procurement can seize the associated opportunity
• The critical role that data will play in corporate decision making and how it may change the role of the Chief Procurement Officer
• How workforce trends are affecting procurement’s ability to influence their peers and how a new generation of professionals is remaking the procurement brand in their own image
• The ongoing drama of geopolitics and how it is putting pressure on global supply chains while increasing the need for risk management and transparency

Links: Ari Stone on LinkedIn

Category management is as fundamental part of procurement as strategic sourcing, supplier management, and negotiation. At the same time, there is a chasm between optimism about the potential of category management and examples of where it has been carried out successfully. 

In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, Kelly Barner is joined by Sabrina Hueren. Sabrina is a manager and strategy consultant for Sourcing Champions, a boutique procurement consulting firm based in Amsterdam. Not only does Sabrina love procurement, but she also has a passion for category management!

In this episode, Sabrina speaks about why category management is more relevant for procurement today than ever before:

• The ‘soft’ skills that are required to successfully build and execute against a category strategy, whether procurement is made up of generalists or category experts
• How to make sure your category strategy delivers results rather than gathering dust on a shelf or in a drawer
• Why category management is one of the best ways for procurement to demonstrate their potential for overall business impact far beyond savings

Links: Sabrina Hueren on LinkedIn

Procurement transformation is always a complex, high-stakes effort, but when the organization going through the change is in the public sector, every effort has to be made to minimize disruption - especially when the public may be affected.

When the state of Ohio decided to transform their procurement organization, they started by laying a foundation that combined vision, communication plans, and change management. 

In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, Philip Ideson is joined by Andrew Cochran, the State eProcurement Manager at the Ohio Department of Administrative Services. Andrew has worked for the state since 2013 and is involved in everything from system design to change management and rollout to continuous improvement activities.

Andrew takes this opportunity to explain how his team set themselves up for success before, during, and after their transformation:

• Defining and then staying true to Ohio’s statewide guiding vision for procurement 
• The importance of investing in a stakeholder roadmap and consistent communication plan
• Ensuring that procurement is prepared to support public policy and adjust with it over the long term

Links: Andrew Cochran on LinkedIn

Language has the power to unite a community. Not only does it create a feeling of belonging, using the same terminology as others makes the speaker’s meaning clear, despite challenging circumstances. On the other hand, language can also alienate, frustrate, and just plain annoy people who are not familiar with the acronyms and terminology used by others.

In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, Kelly Barner is joined by Vishal Patel, Vice President Product Marketing at Ivalua, and Philip Ideson, Managing Director at Art of Procurement. They take on the issues and challenges of language head on - and with a healthy sense of humor.

Join us as Kelly, Vishal, and Philip talk about:

• Which business buzzwords they would use to describe themselves and their organizations
• The trending phrases they would ‘vote off the island’ if given the opportunity
• How communication can - and should - be a top priority for anyone working in or with procurement

Links:

Vishal Patel on LinkedIn

Philip Ideson on LinkedIn

No digital solution can deliver an ROI without a successful implementation, and yet procurement often finds themselves taking a key role in critical implementations without necessarily having the skills or experience to do so. 

On the other hand, few efforts provide procurement with a greater opportunity to build relationships across the organization, improve efficiency and workflows, and strengthen their own understanding of how the business works.

In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, Kelly Barner is joined by Katy Fonteyn, Head of Global Marketing and Partnerships for OJC Consulting. She has deep experience in managing technical implementations as well as many of the human elements that are encountered along the way.

Katy takes this opportunity to discuss the practices and preparation that will help procurement lead successful implementations:

• What an RFP may reveal about procurement long before the selection and implementation begin
• How procurement can serve as an effective ‘face’ for the project, communicating with stakeholders and turning their feedback into actionable information
• Ways procurement should invest in their own preparedness for implementation, especially given the change management-heavy nature of the effort

 Links: Katy Fonteyn

For almost two decades, The Hackett Group has been asking procurement leaders about their priorities for the current year, how they plan to invest in skills and technology, and what new and trending topics have seized their attention. Since procurement is a constantly evolving professional discipline, some areas of the study show only minor adjustments year to year while others - like AI - enter the results with disruptively innovative force.

In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, Philip Ideson is joined by Chris Sawchuk, Principal and Global Procurement Advisory Practice Leader at The Hackett Group, and Vishal Patel, Vice President Product Marketing at Ivalua. They discuss some of the high level findings of the most recent study data and how it tracks what they are seeing transpire as we move through the year.

Chris and Vishal discuss their individual experience and perspectives on:

• The milestones and potential risk areas associated with generative AI
• The ongoing struggle to create or free up more time for procurement to spend on strategic tasks
• What they expect to see emerge as major trends in 2025

Links:

Chris Sawchuk on LinkedIn

Vishal Patel on LinkedIn

Despite the interest and attention being heaped upon digital platforms, leadership teams still have to emphasize the importance of developing their team’s soft skills. Whether that means improved two-way communication abilities or a willingness to trust one’s instinct when it matters most, strengths and abilities have to go far beyond technical areas.

In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, Kelly Barner is joined by Carmen Carulli. Carmen is the former Country Purchasing Director and current Sales Director at L’Oreal as well as the author of Leadership dell'essere, or Leadership of Being, a book about the soft skills all future leaders will need.

Carmen paused from her jam-packed schedule to share her philosophy on life and leadership:

• What we really mean when we talk about ‘soft skills’
• How expectations for leadership have changed in a highly digital world
• Why she chooses to make time for mentoring, and what her mentees have taught her

Links:

Carmen Carulli on LinkedIn