“I look at building a business case in terms of storytelling, and the story that you have to be able to tell in procurement is around better, faster, and cheaper.” – Pratik Patel, Director - Category Management - Labor/North America Technology Spend, Mastercard
Understanding how to address skeptics, overcome objections, and communicate procurement’s value will ultimately determine how much buy-in (and resources) procurement receives. This holds true whether you are building a business case to establish a new procurement function or lobbying corporate leadership in a well-established team.
In this episode, Philip Ideson talks with Pratik Patel, Director - Category Management - Labor/North America Technology Spend at Mastercard, about how procurement can use everyone’s desire to eliminate waste to build a strong business case for investment and support.
Pratik also discusses:
Links:
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.
“Instead of taking an inward look at your sourcing and procurement models, consider the easiest, simplest experience that you can provide to your internal customers.” – Ryan Bradford
Procurement is in the midst of a transformative period, but at the heart of all this change is one thing that is always relevant: the customer experience.
Procurement has traditionally done itself a disservice by approaching the source-to-pay process with their own goals, needs, or processes in mind. But, by taking a more customer-centric approach and prioritizing their internal stakeholders, they can actually drive more value for the entire organization.
In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with experienced procurement leader and seasoned executive Ryan Bradford about how procurement can refine their approach to customer engagement. In many cases, this creates an opportunity to challenge conventional thinking about how procurement should interact with their customers to achieve the best outcomes.
As Ryan says, it starts by putting the customer experience first.
Ryan also discusses:
Links:
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.
“Procurement is going to make a transformative leap. It may be in a year. It may be in three years. But it’s going to happen. So start experimenting.” – Remko Van Hoek, Full Professor of Practice SCM, Executive Director CSCMP Supply Chain Hall of Fame, hosted by Walton, University of Arkansas - Sam M. Walton College of Business
It’s time to make procurement fun again.
That’s what Remko Van Hoek, Full Professor of Practice SCM, Executive Director CSCMP Supply Chain Hall of Fame, hosted by Walton, University of Arkansas - Sam M. Walton College of Business, told Philip Ideson when they sat down together at DPW Amsterdam 2024.
In this episode, Remko shares insights from the 10X Procurement survey he led in conjunction with DPW, and what it reveals about how AI and digital transformation are injecting opportunity, value, and, yes, even fun back into procurement.
The survey also uncovered a troubling ‘inspiration to action’ gap between procurement’s AI readiness and their ability to successfully execute at the pace required by the rest of the business.
Along with discussing digital transformation pressures, Philip and Remko also explore:
Links:
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.
“We’re in a new world where we’re trying to converge all these different areas, not only to fix problems, but to drive different kinds of capabilities for procurement, ones that are not theoretically possible with the old approach.” – Nick Heinzmann, Head of Research at Zip
Procurement is continuously improving and maturing, but over the past few years, a series of distinct trends has gathered momentum. 2025 is looking more and more like the pivotal year when all of these trends will converge, transforming procurement and their role in the business.
This is a defining moment for procurement, bringing with it a significant opportunity to finally solve some of procurement’s most systemic pain points.
In this episode, Philip Ideson is joined in conversation by Nick Heinzmann, Head of Research at Zip, and Matthew Hardin, Director of Advisory at Zip. Nick and Matt explore why they’ve dubbed 2025 as the “year of convergence” for procurement.
Nick and Matthew discuss:
Links:
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.
“One of the markers of a leading procurement function is when you see suppliers as more than just a source of supply but also as a source of value and innovation.” - Samir Khushalani, Partner at McKinsey & Company
Procurement is in a unique position right now. They have to balance immediate priorities and meet the needs of the business today while also navigating new realities and an uncertain future shaped by generative AI, geopolitical turmoil, shifting macroeconomic pressures, and an increasingly volatile global supply chain.
Procurement must reinvent themselves to find their footing in this rapidly changing environment, but they can’t stop generating value in the here and now.
In this episode, Philip Ideson talks about the nature of all this change and how procurement should respond to it with Samir Khushalani, Partner at McKinsey & Company. Samir explores how perceptions about procurement have changed and the ways their reputation has shifted from “bargain hunter” to strategic business partner.
But, there’s still significant opportunity for procurement to evolve and mature in response to all of the changes afoot.
In this episode, Philip and Samir discuss:
Links:
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.
“The industry is evolving faster than our willingness to accept it.” - John Ward, Portfolio Director, ProcureCon North America, Worldwide Business Research
For 25 years, ProcureCon has served as a cornerstone for procurement education and community-building with their well-known annual conference series.
In this episode, Philip Ideson talks about the evolution of ProcureCon (and procurement in general) with Frank Musero, Divisional Director, Content and Strategy, ProcureCon, B2B and Finance Events at Worldwide Business Research; Michael Dunlap, Portfolio Director, Worldwide Business Research; and John Ward, Portfolio Director, ProcureCon North America, Worldwide Business Research.
They discuss procurement’s evolution from cost center to strategic partner over the last two decades and how ProcureCon events have adapted in order to meet changing practitioner needs and expectations.
In this episode, they discuss:
Links:
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.
“As we stand here at the start of 2025, it's clear that this moment isn't about minor tweaks or incremental gains. It's about embracing fundamental shifts that challenge our long-held assumptions.” - Philip Ideson, Founder and Managing Director of Art of Procurement
As we head into 2025, which also marks the 10th anniversary of Art of Procurement, Founder and Managing Director Philip Ideson pauses for his annual look at the state of procurement. This year, he examines five critical trends that are reshaping procurement and redefining their role in the business, including labor trends, the role of AI and automation, the return to stakeholder-led buying, and growing geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
Drawing from hundreds of conversations with procurement leaders and subject matter experts over the last year, Philip explores how procurement teams can best position themselves at what feels like an existential and transformative inflection point for the profession.
In this episode, Philip explores:
Links:
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.
“I think there is an element of mastering your own destiny, a sense of showing up and being engaged in the conversation about what the change should be and the nature and how you do it.” - Aaron Addicoat, Director at AlixPartners
In a session at Mastermind Live 2024, Kelly Barner spoke with Aaron Addicoat, Director at AlixPartners, to examine the ways procurement can adapt their operating model to achieve business objectives - and do so with the right attitude.
Aaron’s passion for procurement and all it encompasses was apparent as he shared his thoughts on:
Links:
“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:
Links:
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.
"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:
Links:
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.
“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:
Links:
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.
“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:
Links:
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.
“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:
Links:
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.