SAP Solution Advisor, Andy Moe reflects on his past experiences in Category Management to share the secrets of great category managers and why having a category strategy is crucial in today’s turbulent economy.

Guest: Andy Moe – Director, Solution Advisory, SAP Spend Management

Host: Sarah Nelson – Senior Solution Advisory, SAP Spend Management

Host: Erik Derenne – Director, Strategic Solution Advisory, SAP Spend Management

Host: Justin Morse – Vice President, Solution Advisory, SAP Americas, Spend Management

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Procurement at large corporations with massive amounts of spend across a variety of categories is not easy.  Especially in these highly unpredictable socio-economic times where disruption seems to be the rule rather than the exception.

What was once simply a function of finding the best prices, procurement is now tasked with balancing price, quality, availability, and delivery times while mitigating risk, maintaining good supplier relationships, favorable payment terms, sustainability regulations, and much more.

So how does procurement take on this herculean task?

Enter the category manager…

Our guest today is Midwest Director of Solution Advisory at SAP Ariba, Andy Moe.  Andy draws on his background in Category Management at a large manufacturing company to explain why having a strategy for category spend is vital to handing market uncertainty and maintaining stability in the supply chain. 

Andy uses the concept of a physical binder, a relic from his past life, as a prop to explain all the critical facets of a good category manager – how to use data to create an action plan to maximize the effectiveness of each category of spend and ultimately defend these decisions to key stakeholders in the organization.

As technology evolves and the job of a category manager becomes increasingly more complex, these activities have moved away from the analog, physical binder and toward digital solutions that combine data and insights with strategic procurement tools.  This allows the best category managers to respond to disruption in real-time and in the best possible way for their company.

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. 

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SAP Solution Advisor, Matt Donegan draws from his past experiences in Supply Chain Operations to spotlight the conflicting priorities of Procurement and Supply Chain and how to balance them successfully.

Guest: Matt Donegan – Senior Solution Advisory, SAP Spend Management

Host: Sarah Nelson – Senior Solution Advisory, SAP Spend Management

Host: Erik Derenne – Director, Strategic Solution Advisory, SAP Spend Management

Host: Justin Morse – Vice President, Solution Advisory, SAP Americas, Spend Management

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For companies that manufacture things, the supply chain is the lifeblood of the organization.  Production lines must run with maximum efficiency to deliver high-quality products to their customers on-time and at a competitive cost.  This means that the materials necessary for the final product must be procured from suppliers that can be trusted to consistently deliver with quality and speed to keep the production lines running.

Procurement departments are often working off a different priority list, where low costs, low risks, better payment terms and more favorable contractual obligations are the main focus areas.

So, how do we align the priorities of procurement with the needs of supply chain operations?

Our guest today is fellow SAP Ariba Solution Advisor, Matt Donegan.  Matt combines his background and education in Supply Chain Operations with his current role in advising customers in Procurement solutions to uncover the conflicting priorities that can create friction and risk in many manufacturing organizations.

Having worked on both sides of the aisle, Matt brings a unique perspective on the tricky balancing act of managing cost, quality and timeliness across the supply chain that combines technology, collaboration and a human element that fosters good relationships and trust with your customers, your stakeholders and your suppliers.

As technological, economic, political and environmental disruptions continue to strain global supply chains, having the right tools, processes and culture to weather the storm will be crucial for survival and will separate tomorrow’s successful companies from yesterday’s afterthoughts.  What story will you write for the future of your company?

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. 

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Stacy Yoeckel, Founder of Modern Data Compass, joins us to talk about the complexity of data in a modern procurement organization and the importance of a good data strategy for our new AI-focused world.

Guest: Stacy Yoeckel – Founder and Chief Data & AI Strategist, Modern Data Compass

Host: Sarah Nelson – Senior Solution Advisory, SAP Finance & Spend

Host: Erik Derenne – Director, Strategic Solution Advisory, SAP Finance & Spend

Host: Justin Morse – Vice President, Solution Advisory, SAP Americas, Finance & Spend

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Data has always been the lifeblood of an organization, and the stakes have never been as high as they are now with generative AI technologies rapidly storming onto the scene to consume massive amounts of your data with the goal of producing intelligent insights to propel your company to new heights.  Unfortunately, without clean data and proper context, AI will only take you so far…

So, what’s the secret to getting the most out of your data to fuel this AI renaissance?

Our guest today is Stacy Yoeckel, founder and chief data and AI strategist at Modern Data Compass.  Stacy helped us understand the differences between Data Analysts, Data Engineers, and Data Scientists and how all three play a vital role in gathering, modeling, and transforming data to be useable and useful to the rest of the organization.

Stacy has spent decades obsessed with data, focused primarily on procurement analytics for several companies across a variety of industries.  This experience combined with her passion for looking at data and finding patterns, led to the launch of Modern Data Compass, where Stacy advises companies on their strategies and readiness roadmap for getting the most out of data, analytics and AI.

With the rise of generative AI and an exponentially growing volume of structured and unstructured data, having a strategy for clean, semantically contextual data in no longer a “nice to have” …it is non-negotiable.  The question is, will you take control of your data before it (or the AI using it) takes control of your organization?

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. 

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Sean Sollitto, Co-Founder of Relish, joins us to talk about the importance of trusting Supplier data from bank account validity to sanctions screenings and how technology can reduce risks in the process.

Guest: Sean Sollitto – Co-Founder and VP of Business Development, Relish

Host: Sarah Nelson – Senior Solution Advisory, SAP Finance & Spend

Host: Erik Derenne – Director, Strategic Solution Advisory, SAP Finance & Spend

Host: Justin Morse – Vice President, Solution Advisory, SAP Americas, Finance & Spend

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Risks are lurking around every corner in the enterprise procurement space and nowhere is that more prevalent than when it comes to managing and trusting supplier data. Paying fraudulent bank accounts… Working with sanctioned suppliers… Paying incorrect tariffs… Not knowing these things can result in big fines and major problems for an organization.

So, what’s a procurement department supposed to do?

Our guest today might just have the solution. Sean Sollitto, co-founder and VP of Business Development at Relish, sat down with us to discuss how they’ve developed an AI-driven solution to address this very issue. Relish Data Assure automates the Supplier information process at every step of the Supplier Lifecycle journey. This means not just once during supplier onboarding, but repeatedly, to ensure you can feel confident in who you’re doing business with.

Prior to co-founding the enterprise application firm, Relish, Sean spent years focused on eCommerce and Procurement across operations, architecture and consulting, which has given him a unique ability to understand technological and operational context to identify solutions and drive valuable outcomes.

As the technological landscape gets increasingly more complex and procurement gets tasked with managing an ever-growing amount of data, assurance of data integrity will not just be a nice-to-have, but a priority. Ensure your company has a strategy to gain trust in their supplier data and know exactly who they’re doing business with and who they’re paying.

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.

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Guest: Aaron Horn – Senior Solution Advisory, SAP Finance & Spend

Host: Sarah Nelson – Senior Solution Advisory, SAP Finance & Spend

Host: Erik Derenne – Director, Strategic Solution Advisory, SAP Finance & Spend

Host: Justin Morse – Vice President, Solution Advisory, SAP Americas, Finance & Spend

What happens with the priorities of maintenance engineers in asset intensive industries don’t align with the polices and compliance goals of procurement?  Friction…barriers…transformation roadblocks to name a few.  Our guest today would even go so far as to say he “hated” the procurement processes he was asked to follow.   

But what if there was a better way for these teams to collaborate?

Although he’s a Solution Advisor at SAP today, helping customers drive procurement excellence, in a prior life our guest Aaron Horn worked as a Maintenance Reliability Engineer in the Oil Refining industry.  Aaron draws on this background to give a unique perspective on the challenges of managing the conflicting priorities of maintenance managers and procurement teams and the importance of collaboration and feedback in bridging the gap.

As more companies look to technology to enable business and procurement transformation initiatives, Aaron emphasizes the importance of maintenance professionals being involved in procurement decisions and conversations to better align priorities and embrace continuous improvement to adapt to changing business needs.  The surprising conclusion – fostering empathy might be just as important as the underlying technology and AI.

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. 

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Guest: Mike Jasper – Director of Transformation Product & Client Success, Extropy Advisors

Host: Sarah Nelson – Senior Solution Advisory, SAP Finance & Spend

Host: Erik Derenne – Director, Strategic Solution Advisory, SAP Finance & Spend

Host: Justin Morse – Vice President, Solution Advisory, SAP Americas, Finance & Spend

One of the most common misconceptions of major procurement transformation projects where new technologies are implemented to drive automation and efficiency across the source-to-pay cycle is that a headcount reduction is inevitable.  If a company can process more transactions faster and with fewer Users, then some people will lose their jobs. 

But what if that isn’t the best way to maximize value from these investments?

Our guest today is Mike Jasper, Director of Transformation Product & Client Success for Extropy Advisors.  Having spent over two decades leading organizations through complex change, Mike brings a forward-thinking approach and commitment to align businesses at every level in embracing digital transformation and driving a strategic vision for the future.

Mike reflects on these experiences to showcase how best run companies look at digital transformations as an opportunity to drive value by shifting resources from manual, tactical activities towards more strategic initiatives.  He specifically focuses on the area of Accounts Payable and describes how automating the invoice process (ingestion, coding, matching, exception routing, etc.) can free up AP resources to focus on more complex and value-add priorities such as tax optimization, tariff impacts, DPO terms extension and early payment discount opportunities.

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.

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Guest: Klaus Fischer – Board Advisor, Nitor Partners and ConvergentIS

Host: Erik Derenne – Director, Strategic Solution Advisory, SAP Finance & Spend

Host: Justin Morse – Vice President, Solution Advisory, SAP Americas, Finance & Spend

Host: Sarah Nelson – Senior Solution Advisory, SAP Finance & Spend

Is your organization still operating in silos?  In the lack of transparency and collaboration between the offices of the CFO and CPO preventing the business from achieving the types of value outcomes that executives and shareholders expect?  What roles can technology, data and AI play in driving impactful business transformations?

Our guest today is Klaus Fischer, a former long-time leader at SAP and current board advisor for two valued SAP partners – ConvergentIS and Nitor Partners. 

Klaus has been an avid and passionate champion for helping customers transform and achieve positive business results in procurement, supply chain and finance.  Having joined SAP 35 years ago in Waldorf, Germany near his hometown, Klaus has filled many roles from Engineering to Consulting, Solution Advisory to Strategic Sales and most recently as the Head of North American Center of Excellence helping customers drive real value outcomes across all SAP solutions.  Klaus even played a significant role in SAP’s decision to acquire Ariba in 2012 and combine SAP ERP with the Ariba Network and Ariba’s strong cloud-based source-to-pay capabilities.

Today, Klaus continues to be an advocate for helping companies drive impactful business outcomes as a growth and board advisor to two excellent SAP partners that specialize in the finance and procurement solutions at SAP.

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.

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Host: Erik Derenne – Director, Strategic Solution Advisory, SAP Finance & Spend

Host: Justin Morse – Vice President, Solution Advisory, SAP Americas, Finance & Spend

Host: Sarah Nelson – Senior Solution Advisory, SAP Finance & Spend

Justin and Erik celebrate the one-year milestone of The Future of Procurement by reflecting on the first 20 episodes.  Looking back on the growth and learning, some of their favorite and most memorable guests, and recalling some of the interesting things they learned along the way.  Not to be forgotten, they also show special love to the Flex and the City segment that ran several times throughout the year with a unique focus on services procurement and the flexible workforce.

Next, Erik and Justin welcome a new voice to the podcast, Sarah Nelson, a fellow Finance & Spend Solution consultant.  Sarah joins the podcast for year two as a third co-host who brings a fresh voice, great new ideas and a desire to keep the podcast fun and accessible to all listeners.

Sarah shares her procurement origin story with us, gives us a sneak peek at some of the fresh ideas she’s bringing to the podcast, and dives in headfirst with her perspective on what the future of procurement will look like…and it’s not the obvious answer.

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. 

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Guest: Stuart Van Houten – Chief Commercial Officer, Blackline

Guest: Riyaz Samnani – SVP of Presales & Value Engineering, Blackline

Host: Justin Morse – Vice President, Solution Advisory, SAP Americas, Finance & Spend

Have you ever noticed that the functions of procurement and finance are often siloed and disjointed at companies?  That often their goals and initiatives are not always in sync with each other, and that time-consuming, manual processes are required to reconcile spend and finance data at the end of the month, quarter, or year?  As procurement and finance are evolving to become more strategic, how can technology help break down these silos?

Our guests today are Stuart Van Houten, Chief Commercial Officer of Blackline, and Riyaz Samnani, SVP of Presales & Value Engineering at Blackline. 

Stuart is passionate about driving sustainable growth and long-term success and brings over 30 years of experience leading high-growth technology organizations, most recently having led North American sales and business development initiatives at SAP.  Riyaz, brings his enthusiasm for building best run solution demonstrations and value-based business cases to his customers with over a decade leading procurement and finance teams at SAP, Coupa and Basware prior to joining Blackline.

An SAP Partner and a leading AI-enabled financial operations engine, Blackline helps customers accelerate their record-to-report and invoice-to-cash activities which eliminates delays, strengthens controls, and delivers trusted data throughout the organization.  Stuart and Riyaz bring their procurement acumen to their new roles at Blackline to uncover how smart businesses are joining their financial operations and data with procurement data and initiatives to drive the next generation of technological transformation…with AI and data and the center.

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

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Guest: Baptiste Collot – CEO and co-Founder, Trustpair

Host: Justin Morse – Vice President, Solution Advisory, SAP Americas, Finance & Spend

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

If you’ve ever fallen victim to payment fraud in your personal life life, you know that it can be expensive, time-consuming and leaves you feeling very vulnerable. Unfortunately, fraud is not simply limited to the consumer. It also impacts thousands of companies each year to the tune of millions of dollars in losses. So, what can be done to protect your business and prevent fraudulent activity?

Our guest today is Baptiste Collot, CEO and co-Founder of Trustpair, a best-in-class fraud prevention platform. Baptiste began his career working in the treasury department of a multinational company, when he had an epiphany about why they were losing money on vendor payments. All signs pointed to the data journey from vendor onboarding across the entire procure-to-pay chain and through various systems in finance, AP and procurement.

Enter Trustpair, a platform that uses technology to help companies better trust their data by securing the entire procure-to-pay process. Baptiste explains the evolution of fraud in the vendor payment space, why it is such a growing concern, and how solutions from companies like Trustpair and SAP can help prevent fraud at the ultimate source…the data.

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.

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