Episodios
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Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.
Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.
Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.
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In this seventh episode of the “Buy: The Way…To Purposeful Procurement” podcast series, Art of Procurement’s Philip Ideson and Fine Tune CEO Rich Ham take a deep dive into procurement history with Kate Vitasek, Faculty of Graduate and Executive Education at the University of Tennessee, and architect of the groundbreaking Vested methodology.
With over 15 years of research and eight books dedicated to buyer-supplier strategic partnerships, Kate shares her insight into how procurement has traditionally tended to extract value from suppliers through power plays, as opposed to creating value through collaboration and alignment around mutually ‘Vested’ interests. She traces the historical roots of this dysfunction back to the 1980s with the rise of the Kraljic Matrix and Michael Porter's competitive strategies, both of which further embedded power-based negotiations into procurement's DNA.
Drawing inspiration from the Vested approach, Kate:
Advocates for moving away from transaction-based buyer-seller relationships to outcome-based strategic partnerships where both parties have a genuine vested interest in one another’s mutual success, and Explains this dynamic by sharing examples of organizations that have transformed their supplier relationships by transforming how they measure success, structure contracts, and distribute value across their supplier network.This episode challenges procurement to recognize when they're spinning their wheels with outdated supplier management tactics and encourages them to reimagine what's possible when buyers and suppliers align their interests toward genuine value creation and purpose-driven procurement.
Links:
Kate Vitasek on LinkedIn Rich Ham on LinkedIn Learn more at FineTuneUs.com -
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“Procurement isn’t just a cost center; it’s a true value driver. So when they’re recruiting, CPOs and heads of procurement are looking for someone who's current and who is bringing ideas to the table. They’re not just hiring buyers anymore.” - Derek Lutz, Founder and CEO, Lean Six Search
As economic and geopolitical instability sends ripples of doubt across global supply chains, the question of which procurement skills will remain valuable, as well as which ones are becoming obsolete, has never been more relevant.
In this episode, host Philip Ideson talks about the evolving challenges of procurement talent acquisition and retention with Deerek Lutz, Founder and CEO of Lean Six Search. Derek has filled roles in over 50 countries (and has himself travelled to 173), and he offers a truly global perspective on procurement talent trends.
Derek shares his perspective on the shifting nature of procurement leadership, as well as what makes candidates stand out in today’s job market.
His insights include commentary on:
The most resilient (and recession-proof) procurement jobs that remain in high demand, even in uncertain markets The ways CPOs are looking beyond traditional backgrounds to level-up their teams, including recruiting from adjacent functions like finance, sales, or operations The evolution of procurement’s most valuable skills, and storytelling and commercial innovation have eclipsed technical experienceLinks:
Derek Lutz on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube -
Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.
Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.
Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.
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“Transformation is not just about how it's going to impact procurement, but about how it's going to impact the entire enterprise through the efforts that will be happening within the procurement function.” - Natasha Gurevich, Founder & CEO, Candor Procurement
Going through procurement transformation without the right approach in place and without support from the business is a bit like sailing into a storm… with a blindfolded crew. Your chances of making it to the other side in better shape than you started are slim to none.
In this Art of Procurement podcast episode, co-hosts Philip Ideson and Kelly Barner speak with returning AOP guest Natasha Gurevich. Natasha is a former CPO of Nike and Salesforce, and she is currently the Founder and CEO at Candor Procurement.
This wealth of procurement leadership makes Natasha the perfect mainstage guest at Art of Procurement’s upcoming live, in-person event – Catalyst LA – taking place on May 6, 2025, in Los Angeles, California.
In this episode, Natasha explains why Catalyst LA promises to be one of the most unique and value-generating procurement events she’s ever attended and what attendees can expect to take away from the event.
Natasha also discusses:
The difference between business-as-usual changes and full-scale transformation, and why transformation is such an urgent priority for so many procurement teams this year How CPOs and CFOs look at transformation differently, including ways to bridge that perception gap Why rethinking the current operating model is top of mind for most procurement leaders right now, and what Catalyst LA can do to helpLinks:
Catalyst LA - May 6, 2025 Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube Leading Through Change with Former Fortune 100 CPO Natasha Gurevich Natasha Gurevich on LinkedIn -
Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.
Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.
Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.
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It’s been a long, winding road that has brought procurement to its current state of flawed incentive structures and measurement challenges. Rob Hills, CEO of Hills Advisory Services and former Deloitte partner, has seen it all unfold firsthand.
But recognizing problems and how they were created is only half of the battle.
With over three decades of procurement experience that stretches back all the way to the formative days of strategic sourcing at A.T. Kearney in the mid-1990s, Rob has seen the classic procurement dilemma play out more times than he would have liked. CPOs “plant a victory flag” on savings while CFOs fail to see procurement’s win materialize on the P&L.
In the sixth episode of “Buy: The Way…To Purposeful Procurement,” co-hosts Rich Ham and Philip Ideson speak with Rob about this measurement gap, how it has evolved over time, and why procurement’s measurement and incentive systems have remained largely unchanged over the years, despite their obvious flaws.
Rob also offers a unique historical perspective of the disconnect between negotiation and execution, especially as procurement grapples with balancing increasing workloads and larger portfolios of spend with shrinking resources.
Rob, Phil, and Rich also explore potential innovative thinking about incentives, metrics, and process design that could finally address the longstanding challenges in demonstrating procurement’s full purpose, value, and impact for the business.
Links:
Rob Hills on LinkedIn Rich Ham on LinkedIn Learn more at FineTuneUs.com -
“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 AILinks:
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 Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube -
Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.
Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.
Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.
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“We are seeing a labor-for-technology swap as organizations become much more dependent and scalable, and what's driving that scale and that productivity is technology.” – Christopher Sawchuk, Principal and Global Procurement Advisory Practice Leader at The Hackett Group
Procurement is no stranger to change. Over the last decade or more, procurement has seen significant shifts in priorities, in their role in the business, in how they are measured, and even in their daily processes and workflows. This change has brought countless new opportunities for impact, but it has also brought disruption, uncertainty, and challenges.
In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with long-time procurement colleague and regular AOP guest Christopher Sawchuck, Principal and Global Procurement Advisory Practice Leader at The Hackett Group.
Chris shares key findings from The Hackett Group’s 2025 Key Issues Report, which reveals how procurement leaders are responding to today’s most pressing challenges, like balancing increased workloads with lean teams and a growing demand for technology investment.
In this episode, Phil and Chris discuss:
The evolution of procurement in the 21st Century, from basic supply assurance to cost management and now to broader value value creation and the demands this puts on CPOs to redesign their operating models The critical gap between increasing workload and decrease in staffing and how procurement is leveraging technology to keep their heads above water The ways AI and automation will transform procurement within the next 3-5 years, driving both efficiency and effectiveness gainsLinks:
Christopher Sawchuk on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube -
Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.
Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.
Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.
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In this episode of “Buy: The Way… To Purposeful Procurement,” Rich Ham, Philip Ideson, and Kelly Barner reflect on what we heard from Oliver Hurrey and Brian Kyle in episodes 3 and 4 and explore how these procurement leaders find purpose and passion in their work, no matter how big or small the project is.
Rich, Philip, and Kelly discuss what “purposeful procurement” truly means in 2025, challenging the notion that practitioners can only find purpose when they’re working for highly-mission driven organizations. With the right mindset, purpose and the potential for positive impact are within reach for any procurement professional working in any category.
Living and working with purpose also requires trust – trust among stakeholders and colleagues, trust with your suppliers, and in many cases, trust from the end consumer. When procurement faces challenges like flawed incentive structures and outdated standardization, it ultimately makes it harder for procurement to drive meaningful impact at scale.
Reflecting on these opportunities and challenges along procurement’s path to greater purpose, Rich, Philip, and Kelly also look ahead to upcoming discussions where they’ll take a deeper dive into how procurement arrived at its current state and some of the potential solutions that could help procurement reach its potential as a driver of purposeful change.Links:
Rich Ham on LinkedIn Learn more at FineTuneUs.com -
“For anybody getting into the CPO role, whether internal or external, you ultimately have to start with your own assessment of the organization and quickly come up with what your priorities are.” – Darshan Deshmukh, President at ProcureAbility
The role of Chief Procurement Officer has changed significantly over the last decade, with the focus shifting primarily from cost savings to value generation. In this Art of Procurement podcast episode, Philip Ideson talks with Darshan Deshmukh, President at ProcureAbility, about why CPOs need to strike the right balance between their ability to influence and their technical expertise.
Darshan has extensive experience working with procurement leaders across multiple industries, and in this episode, he lays out a structured approach newly-minted CPOs can take in their first 100 days to set themselves and their teams up for success.
Understanding business priorities, creating strong stakeholder relationships, and aligning procurement’s initiatives and processes with organizational goals should all be top priorities.
Philip and Darshan explore:
How the CPO role has evolved over time, including strategic priorities and reporting and incentive structures How CPOs can drive positive change by balancing speed with purpose-driven change management, all while preserving critical stakeholder relationships The features of a practical process and organizational framework that CPOs can establish in their first 100 days
Links:
Darshan Deshmukh on LinkedIn Overcoming Procurement’s Fear of AI Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube -
Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.
Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.
Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.
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“For anybody in procurement that’s ever uttered the phrase ‘seat at the table,’ it’s not always a comfy seat. This is one of those moments where, if we want to be a part of the leadership discussion on the directional momentum of the company, we have to find the way, find the person, and find the time to have this conversation about supplier diversity.” - Kelly Barner, Co-founder and Head of Operations at Art of Procurement
Is this the end of supplier diversity as we’ve known it? As the political and economic landscape continues to evolve, many supplier diversity programs are facing unprecedented scrutiny and rollbacks, forcing procurement to confront sensitive organizational shifts and rapid changes in corporate priorities and communications.
While no one can be sure exactly what the future looks like for supplier diversity, it’s clear that procurement teams and business leaders have reached a critical inflection point.
In this special episode, Art of Procurement co-founders Philip Ideson and Kelly Barner have what will likely be the first of many conversations about how procurement can approach these changes thoughtfully, maintain focus on their core values, and lead the business through important conversations during this period of intense transition.
In this episode, Philip and Kelly discuss:
The current state of supplier diversity and its disappearing act across organizations How understanding the original “why” behind supplier diversity programs is crucial for determining how to proceed Practical advice on how procurement can have productive internal conversations with leadership while also maintaining strong supplier relationships
Links:
Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube Diversity Goals are Disappearing from Companies’ Annual Reports -
Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.
Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.
Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.
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The stakes are always high for procurement, but at mission-driven non-profits like the American Cancer Society, procurement is working to – quite literally – help save lives.
In this powerful fourth episode of “Buy: The Way…To Purposeful Procurement,” co-hosts Philip Ideson, Founder of Art of Procurement, and Rich Ham, CEO of Fine Tune, speak with Brian Kyle, Vice President of Supply Chain and Accounts Payable at the American Cancer Society, to explore what enterprise procurement can learn from mission-first organizations like ACS.
Brian shares the kind of transformative mindset shift that happens when you transition to a nonprofit environment where every donor dollar is stretched as far as it can possibly go to directly impact the cause – in this case, the fight against cancer.
He also explains how mission-driven environments create a kind of gravitational pull across the entire organization – suppliers included – where everyone is laser focused on the same set of goals and success metrics. Brian breaks down how this coalescence around a shared mission to help save millions of lives creates unprecedented levels of collaboration and collaborative decision making, engagement, trust, relationship building, and value beyond savings.
The procurement team at ACS represents the essence of purposeful procurement and offers a tangible example of practices and perspectives that even private businesses can adopt to elevate their impact and find purpose in their work.
Links:
Brian Kyle on LinkedIn Rich Ham on LinkedIn Learn more at FineTuneUs.com -
“When we start thinking about and putting the end customer at the center of everything we do, it changes our perception of what’s important and therefore what we measure in the outputs from our contracts.” Gordon Donovan, Vice President Research - Procurement & External Workforce, SAP
Services spend makes up a large, strategic part of the value procurement provides to the business. But, it’s also an area that’s ripe for improvement.
Building off of services spend management research we started in 2023 with SAP, we recently updated the survey data, gathering timely new perspectives on how procurement can drive greater value through services spend by collaborating with the business and optimizing processes.
In this episode, Kelly Barner talks with Gordon Donovan, Vice President Research - Procurement & External Workforce at SAP, about the key findings and recommendations from this updated research into services spend management.
Gordon shares his perspective on how procurement’s rising confidence levels and scope of responsibilities within the business require teams to challenge the status quo when it comes to services spend management and move beyond cost metrics to more strategic considerations.
Gordon and Kelly discuss:
The importance of aligning services spend contracts with end-customer needs Why it matters what technology procurement is using to manage services spend How companies can differentiate their strategic approach based on service types to improve performance metrics The critical gaps in services spend management performance measurementLinks:
Gordon Donovan on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube 2023 Benchmarking Services Procurement: A Global Study -
Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.
Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.
Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.
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“It’s still on us, as procurement professionals, to invest the right amount of time in building relationships and building our narrative.” - Ashish Dhongde, Associate Director Procurement Beauty and Wellbeing North America, Unilever
Unilever has built a notoriously well-integrated procurement program, and they are widely recognized for the strong partnership between procurement and the rest of the business.
In this episode, Philip Ideson explores what procurement excellence looks like in practice with Ashish Dhongde, Associate Director of Procurement, Beauty and Wellbeing North America at Unilever.
Drawing on Unilever’s success, Ashish explains how procurement can transcend traditional boundaries of cost savings to become an integral part of business decision making, innovation, and revenue growth.
How procurement can build trust and credibility with stakeholders by ‘speaking the language of the business’ Balancing long-term supplier relationships with the immediate need for supply chain resilience Having constructive conversations with stakeholders about risk without being seen as a roadblock
Ashish also discusses:Links:
Ashish Dhongde on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube - Mostrar más
