Before you can go out there and run a tender and select a provider for all of your digital transformation and procuretech requirements, you need to have an overview of what's out there, and what differentiates the different providers and types of software, right?

So, that's why I invited Joël Collin-Demers on the show to give us a Source-to-Contract 101 lesson so as you can get a broad knowledge of what type of solutions are on offer.

Joël is a Source-to-Pay (S2P) expert and consultant from Montréal, Canada and has extensive knowledge gained in this field from his time in large organisations.

2:39

"An expert is someone who has seen all of the mistakes you can do in a narrow field" - Joël explains how his experience in consulting makes him a prime candidate to advise clients on their digital procurement requirements.

3:31

Why enterprise level ERP systems such as SAP and Oracle are not necessarily the best systems for procurement teams to pull the data they need.

7:26

Joël explains the difference between P2P and S2C (because I hate acronyms!) in terms of what different pieces of software can do.

10:23

Why traditional ERP systems are great for doing operational purchasing requirements but are less smart at performing strategic procurement tasks.

11:20

How procuretech solutions can be applied both as a complementary function to a legacy ERP system, as well as a stand-alone solution in smaller businesses, and what potential pitfalls need to be considered.

13:53

How different solutions may be required depending on the size of the business, and how this can impact the technical requirements necessary for implementation.

16:23

Is it better for immature procurement organisations to approach this differently and take baby steps first, before going down a complete enterprise level solution?

19:29

We talk about the people factor, and how this is essential in ensuring a successful transformation.

20:33

Optimising resources to be able to take staff from operational or tactical roles into performing more strategic functions, the challenges around doing this, and the importance of having IT alignment when undertaking a digital transformation.

22:39

Joël explains what the next steps should be once there is IT alignment and budget has been signed off, through to the point where you actually select a vendor and move into contracting.

26:16

Why it's vital to do one specific piece of due diligence that many companies simply miss out of their sourcing process, and why it's not as hard as many buyers perceive it to be.

Joel's LinkedIn profile

Pure Procurement website