Guest: Gordon Donovan – Global VP of Research, SAP – Procurement & External Workforce

Host: Erik Derenne – Director, Center of Excellence, SAP North America, Finance & Spend

Host: Justin Morse – Vice President, Center of Excellence, SAP North America, Finance & Spend

Once thought of as simply a cost management function, procurement today is tasked with juggling a plethora of competing priorities…quality, sustainability, diversity, security, compliance, and AI just to name a few.  So how does a CPO determine which of the latest procurement trends deserve the most attention?

Or guest today is Gordon Donovan, the Global VP of Research for Procurement and External Workforce at SAP. In this role, Gordon tracks the latest trends happening in procurement and carries out extensive research on these trends to form insights that allows SAP to plan their strategy accordingly.

A 30-year veteran to the procurement function, Gordon has let procurement teams in health, rail, finance and the public sector in the UK as well as in Asia.  A recognized thought leader, speaker and writer in procurement, Gordon brings extensive experience leading transformations and establishing functions to deliver enterprise-wide value and ensure world class procurement outcomes.  

Gordon digs into the latest research from Art of Procurement and Economist Impact studies to give us his insights on the top 4 procurement priorities and explains why technology plays such a crucial role in helping procurement professionals cope with the increasing complexities companies are required to manage.

So, let’s dive in, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe. I am your host Erik Derenne, and you’re listening to The Future of Procurement Podcast. 

Follow SAP: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sap/

Follow SAP Ariba: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ariba/

Follow Gordon: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordon-donovan-6305b13/

Follow Erik: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-derenne/

Follow Justin: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinmorse/  

Please like, share, and subscribe!Send feedback and questions to [email protected]

The post Episode 018: Insights into Procurement Priorities with Gordon Donovan first appeared on The Future of Procurement.

Guest: Japen Hollist – Head of Sustainability go-to-market, SAP North America

Host: Erik Derenne – Director, Center of Excellence, SAP North America, Finance & Spend

***This is the second part of a two-part conversation***

ESG and Sustainability are topics at the forefront of business these days with C-suite executives setting guidance and maneuvering organizations to comply with ever-changing global regulations while also meeting the expectations of their customers and shareholders.

Or guest today is Japen Hollist, the Head of Sustainability go-to-market for North America at SAP, where he and his team is tasked with supporting and enabling the field to help customers understand and utilize SAP’s portfolio of sustainability solutions.  A graduate from the Harvard University Extension School, Japen received his master’s degree in Sustainability.

Prior to SAP, Japen served as a Procurement Officer at a Fortune 500 insurance company where he also served on their CSR Committee and helped guide the company to a ranking on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and an ISO 14001 certification.  

Japen shares a number of compelling anecdotes of his experiences in procurement and sustainability and offers his perspective on the trends he’s seeing in corporate procurement today and how an adherence to ESG and sustainability principles can lead to significant competitive advantages.

So, let’s dive in, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe. I am your host Erik Derenne, and you’re listening to The Future of Procurement Podcast. 

Follow SAP: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sap/

Follow SAP Ariba: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ariba/

Follow Japen: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/japenhollist/

Follow Erik: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-derenne/

Please like, share, and subscribe!Send feedback and questions to [email protected]

The post Episode 017: Exploring ESG and Sustainability Trends in Procurement with Japen Hollist – Part 2 first appeared on The Future of Procurement.

Guest: Japen Hollist – Head of Sustainability go-to-market, SAP North America

Host: Erik Derenne – Director, Center of Excellence, SAP North America, Finance & Spend

***This is the first part of a two-part conversation***

ESG and Sustainability are topics at the forefront of business these days with C-suite executives setting guidance and maneuvering organizations to comply with ever-changing global regulations while also meeting the expectations of their customers and shareholders.

Or guest today is Japen Hollist, the Head of Sustainability go-to-market for North America at SAP, where he and his team is tasked with supporting and enabling the field to help customers understand and utilize SAP’s portfolio of sustainability solutions.  A graduate from the Harvard University Extension School, Japen received his master’s degree in Sustainability.

Prior to SAP, Japen served as a Procurement Officer at a Fortune 500 insurance company where he also served on their CSR Committee and helped guide the company to a ranking on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and an ISO 14001 certification.  

Japen shares a number of compelling anecdotes of his experiences in procurement and sustainability and offers his perspective on the trends he’s seeing in corporate procurement today and how an adherence to ESG and sustainability principles can lead to significant competitive advantages.

So, let’s dive in, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe. I am your host Erik Derenne, and you’re listening to The Future of Procurement Podcast. 

Follow SAP: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sap/

Follow SAP Ariba: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ariba/

Follow Japen: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/japenhollist/

Follow Erik: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-derenne/

Please like, share, and subscribe!Send feedback and questions to [email protected]

The post Episode 016: Exploring ESG and Sustainability Trends in Procurement with Japen Hollist – Part 1 first appeared on The Future of Procurement.

Co-Host: Amanda Slevar – Director, Center of Excellence, SAP North America, Finance & Spend Management

Co-Host: Lindsey Freedman – Director, Center of Excellence, SAP North America, Finance & Spend Management

Special Guest: Maritza Morris – VP, Business Development – Monument Consulting

In this episode of Flex and The City, hosts Amanda and Lindsey welcome Maritza Morris, VP of Business Development at Monument Consulting. Maritza shares her journey into the flexible workforce industry, from landing her first job with Insight Global to finding her dream role at Monument. She dives into what makes Monument Consulting a leader in contingent workforce solutions, MSP services, and advisory support, helping companies navigate the complexities of external talent management and services procurement.

The conversation covers key industry insights, including what an MSP is, when to engage advisory services, and how Monument supports total talent management through SAP Fieldglass and SuccessFactors. 

Tune in for an insightful discussion on the evolving workforce landscape and how companies can better manage contingent labor programs!

So, let’s dive in, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe. We are your co-hosts Amanda Slevar and Lindsey Freedman you’re listening to The Flex and the City segment on The Future of Procurement Podcast. 

Follow SAP: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sap/

Follow SAP Ariba: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ariba/

Follow SAP Fieldglass: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sapfieldglass/

Follow Monument Consulting: https://www.linkedin.com/company/monument-consulting/

Follow Amanda: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandarottphr/

Follow Lindsey: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseykfreedman/

Follow Maritza:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maritza-morris-mc/

Please like, share, and subscribe!
Send feedback and questions to [email protected]

The post Episode 015: Flex and the City with Maritza Morris from Monument Consulting first appeared on The Future of Procurement.

Guest: EJ Kosec – General Manager, Convergent Labs

Host: Justin Morse – Vice President, Center of Excellence, SAP North America, Finance & Spend

In a world where disparate technology landscapes and high employee turnover is commonplace, how are people supposed to know where to go and which processes to follow to request goods and services required for them to do their jobs?  Further, how can these same users get crucial visibility into the status of these requests so they can plan accordingly?

Our guest today is EJ Kosec, General Manager at Convergent Labs.  EJ has a passion for procurement and innovation, having spent over a decade at SAP with a focus on procurement and business network solutions.  While at SAP, EJ co-founded a remanufacturing platform called Encore to increase the exposure of the circular economy market.  Encore was funded and incubated within SAP.io before graduating to the SAP Business Network in only 7 months!

Today, EJ applies his procurement innovations to helping companies overcome the hurdles of intake and orchestration in those disparate technology landscapes.  Using emerging new technologies and AI capabilities, EJ explains how companies are better able to guide users to request the goods and services they need while providing feedback and visibility into the status of their requests while simultaneously orchestrating complex procurement processes in the background that may touch many different systems.  

Add in a touch of AI agents to drive automation and you’ve got a recipe for what the future of procurement can look like.

So, let’s dive in, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe. I am your host Erik Derenne, and you’re listening to The Future of Procurement Podcast. 

Follow SAP: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sap/

Follow SAP Ariba: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ariba/

Follow EJ: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-kosec/

Follow Justin: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinmorse/  

Follow Erik: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-derenne/

Please like, share, and subscribe!
Send feedback and questions to [email protected]

The post Episode 014: Unlocking Procurement using Intake and Orchestration with ConvergentIS first appeared on The Future of Procurement.

Co-Host: Amanda Slevar – Director, Center of Excellence, SAP North America, Intelligent Spend & Business Network

Co-Host: Lindsey Freedman – Director, Center of Excellence, SAP North America, Intelligent Spend & Business Network

Special Guest: Penny Queller – CEO, The Mom Project

In Episode 5 of Flex and the City, Lindsey and Amanda spotlight the critical role moms play in the workforce with special guest Penny Queller, CEO from The Mom Project. They dive into the organization’s mission to empower working parents, its innovative approach to connecting talent with opportunities, and the evolving vision behind its success. Penny shares insights on addressing challenges faced by working parents, promoting diversity in hiring, and leveraging technology to create impactful career paths. Tune in to learn how The Mom Project is reshaping the future of work for moms and organizations alike.

So, let’s dive in, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe. We are your co-hosts Amanda Slevar and Lindsey Freedman you’re listening to The Flex and the City segment on The Future of Procurement Podcast. 

Follow SAP: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sap/

Follow SAP Ariba: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ariba/

Follow SAP Fieldglass: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sapfieldglass/

Follow The Mom Project: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-mom-project/posts/?feedView=all

Follow Amanda: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandarottphr/

Follow Lindsey: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseykfreedman/

Follow Penny:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pennyqueller/

Please like, share, and subscribe!
Send feedback and questions to [email protected]

The post Episode 013: Flex and the City with Penny Queller from The Mom Project first appeared on The Future of Procurement.

Guest: Justin Morse – Vice President, Center of Excellence, SAP North America, Intelligent Spend & Business Network

Guest: Andy Eagle – Director, Center of Excellence, SAP North America, Intelligent Spend & Business Network

Host: Erik Derenne – Director, Center of Excellence, SAP North America, Intelligent Spend & Business Network

Spend Connect Live is SAPs flagship annual conference dedicated to all things Intelligent Spend Management and Business Network and this year’s event in Las Vegas, Nevada included 3 full days of innovation announcements, demonstrations, exhibitions, roundtables, customer stories and of course…lots of networking.

If you couldn’t make it this year and are wondering what all the excitement was about from this year’s event…or if you were there but just couldn’t find the time to catch all the sessions you hoped for, you’re in luck.  I sat down with two of my esteemed colleagues, Justin Morse and Andy Eagle from the North America Center of Excellence, to discuss the highlights from this year’s Spend Connect Live event and dig into the most important themes and announcements.

What is Intake Management and why is it generating buzz throughout the procurement community?  What was announced about the all-new Spend Control Tower and how does it fit into SAP’s “Triple Crown” of strategic procurement?  And did AI, Generative AI and SAP’s new Joule co-pilot steal the show?  We hit on all these questions and more!!

So, let’s dive in, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe. I am your host Erik Derenne, and you’re listening to The Future of Procurement Podcast.

Follow SAP: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sap/

Follow SAP Ariba: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ariba/

Follow Justin:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinmorse/  

Follow Andy:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyeagle/   

Follow Erik:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-derenne/

Please like, share, and subscribe!
Send feedback and questions to [email protected]

The post Episode 012: Reflecting on Spend Connect Live 2024 – Justin Morse and Andy Eagle first appeared on The Future of Procurement.

Co-Host: Amanda Slevar – Director, Center of Excellence, SAP North America, Intelligent Spend & Business Network

Co-Host: Lindsey Freedman – Director, Center of Excellence, SAP North America, Intelligent Spend & Business Network

Special Guest: Sarah Karstens, HR Business Partner – Talent Acquisition, Hallmark Cards

In this special live episode of Flex and the City, Amanda and Lindsey connect with Hallmark’s Sarah Karstens at the CWS Summit in Dallas to dive into the latest in contingent workforce strategies. Sarah shares her journey into the flexible workforce space, explaining how Hallmark’s external workforce program has evolved, including the value of direct sourcing and their recent transition from a Managed Service Provider (MSP) model to an in-house program. They discuss top trends from the conference, including insights from events like the SAP Fieldglass Speakeasy. The episode also dives into Sarah’s career background and discusses Hallmark’s iconic brand and company culture.

So, let’s dive in, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe. We are your co-hosts Amanda Slevar and Lindsey Freedman you’re listening to The Flex and the City segment on The Future of Procurement Podcast. 

Follow SAP: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sap/

Follow SAP Ariba: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ariba/

Follow SAP Fieldglass: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sapfieldglass/

Follow Amanda: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandarottphr/

Follow Lindsey: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseykfreedman/

Follow Sarah:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-karstens-griffith/

Please like, share, and subscribe!
Send feedback and questions to [email protected]

The post Episode 011: Flex and the City with Sarah Karstens from Hallmark Cards first appeared on The Future of Procurement.

Guest: Sammy Lakshmanan – Principal, ESG, PwC

Host: Erik Derenne – Director, Center of Excellence, SAP North America, Intelligent Spend & Business Network

New ESG regulations seem to be popping up every day – locally, nationally and even globally.  How are businesses supposed to keep up while still delivering value to their customers?  How does this impact the procurement and supply chain processes within an organization as well as collaborations with their suppliers, customers, logistics carriers, and others?

Our guest today is Sammy Lakshmanan, Principal for ESG at PwC.  Sammy has spent over 20 years helping companies shape and implement their Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) and sustainability strategy.  He’s also co-chair of the Open Footprint Forum to support companies to share their Greenhouse Gas and sustainability data.

Sammy shares many valuable insights on what some of the latest ESG regulations mean for procurement and supply chain as well as strategies for how technology can help provide the necessary traceability required to be compliant and transparent about where goods are sourced, produced, manufactured, and shipped to and from.  Sammy also explains how companies that embrace this change can also drive significant value through optimizing their supply chain, providing product genealogy transparency to their customers, and enhancing their overall brand reputation in the market.

So, let’s dive in, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe. I am your host Erik Derenne, and you’re listening to The Future of Procurement Podcast. 

Follow SAP: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sap/

Follow SAP Ariba: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ariba/

Follow Sammy: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammy-lakshmanan-2308b322/

Follow Erik: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-derenne/

Please like, share, and subscribe!
Send feedback and questions to [email protected]

The post Episode 010: Navigating ESG Compliance with PwC – Sammy Lakshmanan first appeared on The Future of Procurement.

Guest: Joern Keller – Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer, SAP Business Network

Host: Justin Morse – Vice President, Center of Excellence, SAP North America, Intelligent Spend & Business Network

In today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving world of innovation and disruption, how are organizations able to ensure process collaboration both within and beyond their four walls?  How can they ensure visibility and transparency of information across their customers, suppliers, logistics carriers, asset managers, and financial institutions?  What about keeping up with the local rules and regulations for ESG and e-Invoicing across the globe?

Our guest today, Joern Keller, is Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer for SAP Business Network.  Joern explains how SAP is solving for these very complex requirements through a convergence of many business processes using a collaborative business network in the cloud.  He describes how it is possible to coordinate activities from procurement, supply chain orchestration, logistics coordination, asset maintenance, and finance to provide resiliency as well as compliance to your organization.

Joern also shares many recent and future upcoming capabilities that SAP is bringing to the Business Network to drive even better value and more opportunities to all stakeholders in these business processes, such as helping Suppliers better promote themselves, their products and their certifications to existing and potential customers.

So, let’s dive in, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe. I am your host Erik Derenne, and you’re listening to The Future of Procurement Podcast. 

Follow SAP: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sap/

Follow SAP Ariba: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ariba/

Follow Joern: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joernkeller/

Follow Justin: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinmorse/  

Follow Erik: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-derenne/

Please like, share, and subscribe!
Send feedback and questions to [email protected]

The post Episode 009: Reshaping Procurement with Business Networks – Joern Keller first appeared on The Future of Procurement.