Episodes
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“I think there's this dichotomy of two things that we always have to keep in mind in procurement. We don't want to create friction. We want frictionless procurement. At the same time, we want to be seen as the people who have ideas, who could come up with something that could be innovative and have influence in the business.” - Constantine Limberakis, CEO and Owner of Liberis Consulting LLC
In a session at AOP Mastermind Live 2024, Kelly Barner sat down with Constantine Limberakis, CEO and Owner of Liberis Consulting LLC, to discuss the macroeconomic concerns and trends that procurement will certainly need to keep an eye on in the coming year.
During the session, Constantine combined his Masters Degree in public and international affairs and more than 20 years in procurement to give his perspective on:
How procurement needs to navigate this new inflationary environment with a different mindset The ways technology offers procurement an opportunity to create influence across the business and support a workforce pivot How de-globilization lets procurement shine, even in the face of changing regulations, as they plan for the futureLinks:
Constantine Limberakis on LinkedIn Watch on demand: Mastermind LIVE 2024 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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"Procurement organizations that are able to master knowledge around their workflows and categories, and bring that intelligence on demand into their processes and tech, are going to really be able to get that 5x, 10x, 20x kind of performance advantage. It’s a game-changer.” - Pierre Mitchell, Chief Research Officer and Managing Director, Spend Matters
Procurement technology is a fast moving target, and well-known industry analyst Pierre Mitchell is one of a handful of highly experienced people who can provide a nuanced perspective on the evolving landscape of procure tech, both looking back at what’s been accomplished while simultaneously predicting the trends that will drive us into 2025 and beyond.
In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Pierre, who is the Chief Research Officer and Managing Director at Spend Matters, about the critical factors impacting the procure tech market, how to avoid data paralysis, the road ahead for procurement and generative AI, and how procurement leaders can wade through a crowded, fragmented, (and still growing!) procure tech landscape.
They also discuss:
The most important procure tech trends to pay attention to in 2025 What procurement leaders should look for in an intake and orchestration platform The likely outcomes, key developments, and challenges for the procure tech market in 2025Links:
Pierre Mitchell 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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“For procurement, now is the time to raise your hand and sit at the table where your company is deciding on AI use cases, because that is going to transform your trajectory in the industry and the company.” - Mary Purk, Co-Author of "Growing Up: Navigating Generative AI’s Early Years – AI Adoption Report" by AI at Wharton
It’s been two years since ChatGPT democratized AI technology access and became the most rapidly downloaded consumer application in history. Since then we’ve seen a steep acceleration of AI-driven innovation, opportunity, and concern.
Just like every other area of the business, procurement has their own unique story about the way AI continues to change the way they function and create value.
In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Mary Purk, co-author of the recently published AI adoption report “Growing Up: Navigating Generative AI’s Early Years” by AI at Wharton and GBK Collective. The report provides data on AI adoption trends within businesses and across functions and the impact that AI is having and will have in the future.
Mary and Philip discuss:
How far procurement has come since ChatGPT’s release in 2022 and where they’re headed in 2025 and beyond Why procurement managers are better positioned than any other role in the business to drive AI transformation in the next 12-18 months The pros and cons of make versus buy when weighing your organization’s approach AI-driven procurement technology The perception of AI’s impact, and what that says about opportunity within procurement to demonstrate their success and secure their futureLinks:
Report: “Growing Up: Navigating Generative AI’s Early Years – AI Adoption Report” by AI at Wharton and GBK Collective Mary Purk on LinkedIn Microsoft AI Learning Hub Hard Fork podcast on Spotify Microsoft Podcasts Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick 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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“If you want to be a customer of choice, it's not going to come down to the contract, it's going to come down to the relationship, even at the individual level.” - Oliver Jones, Director (Procurement) for H&Z Management Consultancy
Procurement may be a highly tech-driven function – and growing ever more so by the day – but at its core, the quality of procurement’s relationships with internal stakeholders and suppliers ultimately determine their success or failure for the business.
In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Oliver Jones, Director (Procurement) for H&Z Management Consultancy, about why the “relationship” part of supplier relationship management (SRM) is vital for procurement’s ability to deliver value to the business. He also shares his perspective on how procurement can overcome some of the more common obstacles to creating strong relationships, but why, in the end, it’s well worth the effort – for procurement, for suppliers, and for the business in general.
They also discuss:
How multiple metrics of procurement’s success – like risk management, ESG, or value beyond savings – are all tied back to (and dependant on) supplier relationship management Why the ‘center-led’ operating model is the optimal framework to enable successful supplier relationship management Best practices for dividing procurement’s focus and prioritization among tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3 suppliersLinks:
Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Oliver Jones 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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“Every procurement journey is unique, and now we have the tools and technologies that allow us to be a lot more flexible in how we build procurement operating models so that we can truly adapt to exactly what the business needs.” – Philip Ideson, Founder and Managing Director, Art of Procurement
In the hustle and bustle of end-of-year reporting, wrap ups, and planning for the year to come, it’s important for procurement to take a pause – even a very brief one – and think about how they should be reacting to some of the ‘bigger picture’ forces impacting the function and the business in general.
In this episode, Philip Ideson and Kelly Barner take a look back at the recent Mastermind LIVE 2024, one of AOP’s most popular digital events of the year, where we considered some of the most important, even challenging, issues facing procurement today. They debrief each of the 6 sessions and tease out the most important insights, surprising and unexpected moments, and tactical call outs that procurement should keep in mind as they plan for 2025 and beyond.
Kelly and Philip add their own perspectives to the session topics, including:
How procurement is positioning themselves for success in 2025 and how procurement operating models should evolve to clear the way for success What kinds of changes – both good and bad – we can expect to procurement roles in the coming months or years, and which jobs are least likely to survive AI How procurement can build a tech roadmap that maximizes stakeholder adoption and user satisfaction And much much more!Links:
Watch Mastermind LIVE 2024 on demand Philip Ideson on LinkedIn Kelly Barner 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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“There are not many functions, if any, other than procurement that sit in a position to both positively and negatively have such an impact on organizations, on strategy, on direction.” - Gordon Donovan
In an era of increasing uncertainty and existential angst over AI, Gordon Donovan has a refreshingly optimistic view of procurement’s future. In fact, he says, procurement might just very well save the world.
While this may be a hyperbolic statement, it’s not that far off the mark, as Gordon explains to Philip Ideson in this episode of Art of Procurement.
As Gordon sees it, procurement is one of the only functions that holds the power – or privilege – to directly impact almost every corner of the business, well beyond cost. As such, how procurement approaches things like relationship building, crisis management, volatility, risk assessment, digital disruption, and strategic planning will play a huge role in determining just how successful they are in ‘saving the world.’
In this episode, Philip and Gordon also discuss:
Redefining procurement as a risk function, critical to business continuity and supply chain visibility Procurement’s role in driving global supply chain trends in reshoring, nearshoring, and “friend-shoring” How establishing genuine trust with suppliers leads to bottom-line results for the business
Links:
Gordon Donovan 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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“No matter how strong or how solid your foundations might be, the environment in which we operate is changing at such a pace that if we do not evolve with it, we will become obsolete.” - Sebastien Bals, EVP, Chief Procurement Officer at Merck Group
As technology – AI in particular – continues to transform the way we work and live, the future of procurement hangs in the balance.
In this episode, Philip Ideson and Sebastien Bals, EVP and Chief Procurement Officer at Merck Group, talk about the “two roads” facing procurement: one, defined by opportunity, innovation, and transformation, and the other marked by disruption, outdated roles and practices, and far more uncertainty.
They confront the larger, existential questions that keep many procurement leaders up at night, while recognizing that procurement’s willingness to adapt and adjust could be the very skills that keep them from traveling down the path to extinction.
They also discuss:
Overcoming procurement’s inferiority complex and demonstrating value in new digital contexts How procurement can keep and leverage that long-coveted “seat at the table” they now enjoy Securing procurement’s future in an increasingly digitized, AI-powered worldLinks:
Sebastian Bals 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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“The visionary leaders can see the opportunities but also recognize that, while traditional skills in procurement still remain very, very important, they need to evolve to realize the true value of technology.” - Andrew Daley, Managing Director, Digital Procurement & Supply Chain, Edbury Daley
The skills and operating models procurement prioritizes are key to their success whether they are facing a single, large-scale transformation or if they are on a steady, continuous digitization journey.
Philip Ideson recently spoke with Andrew Daley, Managing Director, Digital Procurement & Supply Chain at Edbury Daley, in-person at SAP Spend Connect Live in Las Vegas.
Along with discussing insights from a recent research report on procurement technology skills, they explore the importance of centers of excellence, upskilling, and automation. Andrew also shares his views on:
Why digital literacy, change management, and strategic thinking skills are critical for both practitioners and procurement leaders Strategies for attracting and developing top talent in procurement How AI and automation will impact traditional procurement roles, and the skills that will become more valuable in the processLinks:
Andrew Daley 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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“You have to build a business case and be mindful and purposeful about your continuous improvement and your education around the art of what is possible.” Joël Collin-Demers, Consulting Principal at Pure Procurement
The rapid expansion in the procurement technology landscape in recent years has left many procurement leaders feeling overwhelmed by choice and complexity and second-guessing themselves about how to successfully take advantage of all the opportunities that technology provides.In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Joël Collin-Demers, Consulting Principal at Pure Procurement, about why continuous improvement, rather than transformation, might be the key to successful procurement digitization.
Joël explains how the tendency to view transformation as a means to a clearly defined endpoint often leads to overwhelmed teams and unrealized value. Instead of a one-off digital transformation overhaul, he advocates for a measured, strategic approach that starts with understanding business processes and builds technology capabilities incrementally over a sustained period of time.In this episode, Joel and Philip explore:
Practical steps on how to embark on a digitization journey and develop an effective procurement technology roadmap, no matter where you’re starting from How to navigate trends and changes in the procure tech market, including full-suite versus single-point solutions How to leverage the relationship between procurement and IT to overcome constraints to digitizationLinks:
Joël Collin-Demers 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 the final part of this four-part special series, we compare and contrast the actual policy positions of Democratic Candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican Candidate Former President Donald J. Trump.
With less than two weeks until election day, procurement and supply chain professionals must have plans in place for the eventuality of either candidate being voted into office, focusing on the areas where they agree as much as where they differ.
Listen in as Kelly Barner describes where the two major party candidates actually differ (and where they have a lot in common) based on their own campaign websites, policy platforms, and statements from publicly available interviews:
The differences we can expect when supply chain policy is focused on critical industries versus an emphasis on keeping production domestic Looking at a diverse range of energy sources as well as the overall cost and supply of available energy Corporate tax rates that may go up or down And one thing both candidates agree upon: ChinaLinks:
Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement -
In part three of this four-part special series, we will cover the policies and plans of Republican Candidate former President Donald Trump.
Former President Donald Trump is 78 Years old, and a former businessman/real estate developer as well as the former host of The Apprentice. He became the nominee on July 18, 2024 when he accepted the nomination at the Republican National Convention
Listen in as Kelly Barner explores his policy positions and platform:
Detailed positions on global trade and China The lack of detail regarding his position on emissions and the environment Strong statements about both the cost and availability of energy, and the importance of emphasizing domestic production over imports from other parts of the worldLinks:
Donald J. Trump for President website Transcript of the September 10, 2024 Presidential Debate on ABC Transcript of the June 27, 2024 Presidential Debate on CNN Republican Party 2024 Platform Document Donald Trump Republican National Convention Speech Transcript Transcript of Donald Trump’s interview with Time Magazine Video of Bloomberg interview from October 15, 2024 Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement - Show more
