Building supply chain capability I s sue 10 • www.cpostrateg y.com
Evolving procurement’s risk language: Sören Petsch explores the shift in language towards procurement risk
A PROCUREMENT EVOLUTION CPOstrategy speaks to Michael Leiken, Senior Director, Spend Management at LendingTree regarding its procurement transformation
Jon Vass EXECUTIVE INSIGHT
Global Industry Lead at Tradeshift, discusses the shifting perspective of procurement technology
SUBSCRIBE
Welcome to issue 10 of CPOstrategy! Our cover star this issue is Michael Leiken, Senior Director, Spend Management at LendingTree, as we explore the procurement transformation of America’s largest online lending marketplace. LendingTree is a growing business that needs a procurement department that can bend and flex with every new acquisition and expansion of its operations and so Leiken was brought in to oversee a a root and branch overhaul that has seen procurement taking on a massively strategic role at the ever-expanding LendingTree. Elsewhere, SÜren Petsch, former VP of Global Procurement at Alliance Data Card Services, examines how procurements risk language is evolving and looks closely at how data is different. We also hear from Jon Vass, Global Industry Lead at Tradeshift, as he takes a deep dive into the shifting perspective of procurement technology and how it aligns and influences the strategic shift in procurement. Finally, with 2020 in full swing, we asked procurement executives all over the world what they consider to
EDITOR IN CHIEF Andrew Woods
EDITOR Dale Benton
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Callum Rivett
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Kevin Davies
CREATIVE LEAD Mitchell Park
VP GLOBAL FINTECH & INSURTECH
be the biggest challenges facing procurement this
Alex Page
year. From market uncertainty to standardisation of
VP TECHNOLOGY
processes, find out in The Big Debate.
Andy Lloyd Craig Daniels
I hope you enjoy the issue!
VP PROCUREMENT Heykel Ouni Greg Churchill
PRESIDENT & CEO Kiron Chavda
PUBLISHED BY
Dale Benton, Editor content@b2e-media.com
3
CONTENTS
Lendingtree
8
KPMG
62 Jon Vass
26
Evolving procurement’s risk language
54 Barratt Developments
36 82 Access
Americas Procurement Congress 2020
114
5 things
94
May 13-14 2020 | Intercontinental London, The O2
DELIVERING ON C-SUITE PRIORITIES
800
attendees
150+
global 500 companies
FIND OUT MORE WORLDPROCUREMENTCONGRESS.COM
6tn
annual combined spending power
62%
‘Head of’ or above
MAKE CONNECTIONS THAT WILL DRIVE YOUR BUSINESS FORWARDS. WHO WILL YOU MEET? Visionaries
Leading the function, mapping long-term goals
Achievers
Tackling the pragmatics of implementation
Influencers
Creating the blueprint for strategic delivery
@procurementleaders #PLWPC
A PROCUREMENT EVOLUTION CPOstrategy speaks to Michael Leiken, Senior Director, Spend Management at LendingTree regarding its procurement evolution WRI T T EN BY PRODUCED BY
8
Andr ew Woods Hey kel Ouni
9
P
rocurement is undergoing nothing short of a revolution right now, as a traditionally
transactional function evolves into a truly strategic resource that provides leadership and business owners with insights and guidance, gleaned from its holistic purview of the work being performed across all areas of the enterprise. A prime representation of this can be found at LendingTree, America’s largest online lending marketplace. LendingTree has grown tremendously over the past several years and needs a procurement team that is able to flex and support increasing demand resulting from the expansion of its operations. . When Michael Leiken started at the company in 2016, as Director of Procurement (since re-branded as Spend Management), there was literally no procurement function. Nearly four years on, under Leiken’s guidance, the company has benefited from an intentional and systematic overhaul that has seen the Spend Management team become a trusted business partner, delivering significant value to its customers. There was little to no comprehension of the procurement function at LendingTree when Leiken joined, seeing as it was a new endeavor and most 10
LENDINGTREE
employees lacked prior experience working with procurement or sourcing teams. Understandably, Procurement was initially thought to have a very narrow scope (to negotiate pricing), a transactional purpose (process contracts), and be optional. Transformation of any kind requires disruption, and it could be said that the decision to hire Leiken was the integral disruption leading the way for what has followed since. “I joined the company in April ’16, to design and build a procurement function from the ground-up,” he explains from his North Carolina office. “I was brought in by, and reported directly to, the CFO. This began as a one-person show.” Leiken opened his eyes and ears and went straight to work—meeting with business owners to learn about their roles, the overall LendingTree business model, current tools used, the various processes followed and seeking to understand pain points. In a relatively short period of time, he was able to identify areas that could be tweaked and drafted an initial design for his new function. Any significant change to a company’s operations and processes faces hurdles and number one on that list is M I C H A E L L E I K E N , SENI O R DI RE CTOR, SPEND MANAGEMENT AT LENDINGTREE
change management. Successfully driving change requires collaboration with w w w . c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
11
Tap into the power of consumer credit education. Transform your business with TransUnion.ÂŽ
Gain a meaningful advantage in the consumer marketplace with TransUnion – attract more prospects, engage customers like never before, drive loyalty, and earn a greater share of wallet. To learn more, call us at (844) 899-5653 or email: salestui@transunion.com
Today’s consumer is more empowered than ever. Is your organization prepared to compete? Today’s consumer expects on-demand access to financial products and tools. They expect precise personalization. Indeed, consumers are more informed, connected, active and self-driven than ever before. In an increasingly digital world, this trend is likely here to stay. Meanwhile, businesses are seeking new ways to acquire and grow consumer relationships, especially in digital channels. The challenges are numerous: How do businesses meet today’s consumer where they are? How do they become a trusted partner to help consumers get to where they want to be? Where do businesses even start? TransUnion’s team saw this trend – the convergence between digital activation and consumer empowerment – coming. TransUnion was quick to realize the power of leveraging credit education content as an acquisition and engagement tool for businesses. TransUnion has been partnering with businesses to help them leverage data, design & analytics to create great consumer experiences. Engaging, educating and empowering consumers online has been, and will continue to be, a win-win for businesses and their customers. Now, more than ever before, forward-looking businesses have the opportunity to gain a meaningful and lasting competitive advantage. That means acquiring valuable consumers other businesses may
have overlooked with powerful, personalized financial information. It also means retaining more consumers by providing real, valuable and actionable credit education. And finally, it means businesses can achieve a greater share of wallet among existing consumer customers by presenting them with the right offers at the right time. Today’s consumer presents more challenges than ever before. But today’s environment also presents greater opportunity than ever before. Forward-thinking, consumer-focused, well-equipped businesses will meaningfully add to their bottom line today and position themselves for success long into the future. TransUnion is a global information and insights company that makes trust possible in the modern economy. We do this by ensuring each consumer is reliably and safely represented in the marketplace. As a result, businesses and consumers can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good.® A leading presence in more than 30 countries across five continents, TransUnion provides solutions that help create economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for hundreds of millions of people.
w w w.th e intransunion.com/business te r fa ce . n e t 13
and support from all involved stakehold-
they’re accustomed to managing.” Leiken
ers affected by the change. Garnering
explains. “That’s why it’s essential to look
buy-in from internal customers, who are
at things from the perspective of others
now being asked to adapt to new ways
and accept the fact that human nature
of working, is always a tricky obstacle
makes people want to know what’s in
to overcome. LendingTree’s culture and
it for them. So, how was I going to get
core principles are embodied by an
their support?”
entrepreneurial spirit. Employees are
Procurement’s greatest ally at
encouraged and empowered to be ambi-
LendingTree was the CFO, who involved
tious and creative, challenge ideas, take
the team (essentially Leiken) in every
charge, and make things happen. This
project that crossed his desk and appro-
further complicated the task at-hand.
priate email thread that reached his
“It’s common for people to resist change
Inbox. The CFO’s support really drove
and fear giving up control of things
the early engagement from the business.
Zylo is the leading SaaS Management Platform for enterprise businesses. Zylo empowers your organization to discover all applications, manage SaaS licenses, and increase cost savings.
LEARN MO R E AT ZY LO.COM
YEAR FOUNDED
1996
CORPORATE HQ
Charlotte, NC, USA “In my different stops along the way, in different companies and industries, I’ve always developed great relationships. I’m proud to say that once somebody becomes a customer, even if they don’t want to be my buddy, they recognize and appreciate the work product and value I’m delivering to them and the company. It starts with one opportunity, and once you do something for them that far exceeds their expectations— either saving the day when they’re in a tough spot or helping them accomplish their goals and deliver a “win” for their team— that’s what truly converts them into being believers. From that point forward, they come back as a repeat customer and share their experience with others, becoming an ambassador of sorts for you and the team.” It’s easy to take for granted the notion of having a blank slate. However, navigating a greenfield opportunity, such as the establishment of procurement at LendingTree, requires a vision and framework that fits the culture, supports achieving company goals and adds value to all involved. Yet, it must remain flexible and agile to account for the many bumps in the road. “You always have to be ready and willing to change, as long as it’s focused on accomplishing the specific objective(s) and is aligned with the big-picture goal, then it’s fine. Be w w w . c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
15
“Procurement needed to adapt quickly and evolve to effectively support the business as the company continued to scale” — MICHAEL LEIKEN, SENIOR DIRECTOR, S P E N D M A N AG E M E N T AT L E N D I N G T R E E
realistic; it’s not easy and will not unfold
Over the past few years, LendingTree
how you originally planned, but you can’t
has experienced significant growth. Nine
let that get in your way. Although it can
acquisitions have seen the company
feel like trying to race uphill on roller-
grow from three offices in two cities
blades, making headway and seeing
and approximately 250 employees to
progress is exciting and provides further
11 offices in seven cities and more than
motivation to continue the effort.
1,100 employees. As companies grow,
“None of this is about ego, it’s about
through further acquisitions and the
making things better. And when it comes
scaling of operations, so does the need
to transformative efforts like this, I’m
for a robust procurement strategy and
sure changing gears midstream is pretty
high-performing team to execute upon
common.”
that strategy.
16
LENDINGTREE
According to Ryan Quinn, LendingTree’s
real comprehension of what a procure-
SVP and Co-General Counsel, “Our team
ment function meant. In addition to
works closely with Spend Management,
educating folks and promoting aware-
and shares many parallels. I joined the
ness of their “new” support resource,
company in 2017 and can’t begin to
establishing credibility—both with lead-
imagine how things would function if
ership and customers—was an impor-
their team and the procurement process
tant early goal. “As I learned the busi-
weren’t already engrained in how we
ness and researched historical data, I
operate.”
was able to identify key areas of spend.
Leiken was on his own for that first year
Although we have strong relationships
at LendingTree. When he started, there
with all credit bureaus, the relationship
weren’t any tools, processes, policies or
with TransUnion was not only critical, but w w w . c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
17
shifting towards more strategic. It was an
before entering into negotiations. Also,
opportune time to recognize what would
while they always look for mutually bene-
be most impactful for LendingTree and
ficial outcomes, they aren’t afraid to
work with TransUnion to jointly develop
stand their ground and push back during
longer-term goals.
a tough negotiation. Put simply, our
“Building the right internal team
business is in a much better position with
was critical, but so was establishing
Spend Management on our side of the
a good rapport with corporate part-
bargaining table.”
ners like TransUnion,” says Leiken.
Leiken had a roadmap for the future
Indeed, LendingTree had – and contin-
of procurement at LendingTree, based
ues to enjoy – a great relationship with
upon his initial vision. First and foremost,
TransUnion. “I was fortunate to have
Leiken knew the importance of under-
worked with them (TransUnion) early on
standing LendingTree’s spend profile.
in my role – it was huge. They have a
“Part of the vision was to develop strate-
nimble, knowledgeable team, much like
gies around categories of spend and to
ours. They worked closely with me and
prioritize our time and efforts—in order to
our Product team to evaluate ways to advance our business, and they’ve been terrific to work with from a day-to-day perspective. Having a like-minded partner in place helped me hit the ground running and build momentum.” “I’ve worked with the Spend Management team on several successful deals and I partner with them closely to manage our strategic relationship with TransUnion,” said Charles Battle, LendingTree’s Senior Director of Product Management. “What I appreciate most about Michael and his team is the way they commit to fully understanding the business value of any given partnership 18
LENDINGTREE
“Procurement leaders should embrace both innovation and disruption to drive successful transformation. You can’t be fearful or ignorant about what is involved in the process. Be aware of it, plan for it and focus on how you’ll position and use the innovation” — MICHAEL LEIKEN, SENIOR DIRECTOR, S P E N D M A N AG E M E N T AT L E N D I N G T R E E
maximize our contribution. To do this, I needed to know the nature of these relationships, so I could start working backwards through the contracts and then engage the respective business owners and supplier contacts. I was walking blindly into all of this. It was 100% reactive. Spend analytics was one of my top priorities. We don’t have a formal ERP, so there weren’t any historical purchase requisitions and purchase orders that could be leveraged as part of the process. Fortunately, our Accounts Payable team was very helpful in providing data until we implemented a spend analytics solution” LendingTree evaluated several products and ultimately partnered with Suplari for its spend analytics system. In order to have proper utility for Leiken’s team and then extend the value to business owners, the system had to be highly intuitive, easy to use and generate a positive overall user experience. “Despite having robust functionality, it was important to feel and seem light. Those factors, along with an exciting future product plan, contributed to our decision to partner with Suplari. I’m all about working with startups, and early w w w . c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
19
stage companies, and testing new technology,” he enthuses. “Suplari’s system has a great look and feel, delivers artificial intelligence (AI)-powered insights and they’ve continued to expand their capabilities.” In November 2018, with the procurement transformation well under way, the Spend Management team partnered with Scout RFP and rolled out its sourcing platform. This took the team from disparate systems and manual tasks into a streamlined tool. Scout serves as the intake funnel for all requests from the business. Requests are then reviewed and managed through an end-to-end process, involving review and approval from relevant stakeholders, through contract redlines. RFx events are issued via Scout and the team books its savings within each project. With all of this data now in one place, Leiken can leverage the reporting features to better understand the nature of what his team is managing, as well as easily sharing information with other internal stakeholders. “Scout has helped our team become much more efficient, enabling us to allocate more time to value-add activities.” The Spend Management team also identified an opportunity and led the effort to better manage its travel spend. 20
LENDINGTREE
“ It’s great that technology can enable communication, but you can’t lose sight of the fact that collaboration can’t be stuck in systems; people need to connect with people” — MICHAEL LEIKEN, SENIOR DIRECTOR, S P E N D M A N AG E M E N T AT L E N D I N G T R E E
Although a travel policy exists, there hasn’t been much focus on ways to reduce costs, add visibility, and enhance the traveler’s experience from booking through reimbursement. Considering LendingTree’s growth and expanding footprint, its travel spend had also grown quite a bit. “We spent roughly $2 million in travel the prior year,” Leiken says, “and so we thought we should do something about it. We were just spending it, with zero rigor. So, we aligned with leadership, went through a formal process, and launched a new travel program using TripActions’ platform.” The tools and platforms available to the Spend Management team at LendingTree were further bolstered by Zylo’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Management Platform. Similar to spend analytics solutions, Zylo analyzes all of your spend data to identify SaaS applications you own. “The end game with Zylo is to manage your SaaS investments in an optimal manner,” Leiken explains. “It’s pretty amazing. It gives you the full visibility into your SaaS spend, associated contracts, license counts, utilization, etc. I’m excited to work with the Zylo team to complete our initial analysis and identify ways to save money. Plus, we’ll use this moving forward to further assist our customers when somebody wants something. We can say, let’s start with what we have right now.” As procurement at LendingTree continues to evolve and new objectives are defined, addressing tail spend is on the list for 2020. Tail spend accounts for a relatively small percentage of a company’s overall spend, but can account for a disproportionately large percentage of its total transactional volume. “I think Fairmarkit’s product w w w . c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
21
is pretty cool. Of course, it’s focused on
able to complete 60 or so projects from
tail spend; everybody has tail spend, and
April through to December. In July 2017,
many don’t really pay a lot of attention
I made my first hire and we completed
to it, which is a shame. Fairmarkit lever-
around 130 projects. Six months later,
ages the community concept, and the
another team member joined and the
notion of getting to bids faster, because
team completed more than 400 projects
it’ll automatically populate suppliers and
in 2018! Clearly, the introduction of tech-
already hosts the provider’s information.
nology to manage our work was neces-
You can check a box if you want them
sary. And this past year, we managed
to receive the bid. One of the things
555 requests via Scout. In total, the
I’m pretty big on is extending the value
Spend Management team has booked
and letting our business try to maintain
more than $18M in savings. Each of us
ownership and do more on their own.
always has 25-plus projects we’re manag-
We’re working through how a product of
ing. But I promise you we’re going to
this nature will impact existing processes.
ensure we have high quality contracts.
Hopefully we’ll be able to figure things out and be in a position to go-live in Q3 or Q4 of this year. “You always have to work to stay relevant. This aspect of the job is never done. It’s nice to be able to recognize that things are good today, but you always have to review and refresh and push to improve. These changes can sound like a scary, monumental shift, but it doesn’t mean that you have to be complicated in achieving it. When it comes to transformation, the simpler you can make it, the better. “It’s pretty interesting to look back at where things started and where we are today. In 2016, I was a solo act and was 22
LENDINGTREE
Michael Leiken Senior Director, Spend Management Lending Tree Michael Leiken is the Head of Spend Management at LendingTree. He is a strategic sourcing professional with demonstrated success in leadership, negotiation and supply chain management. With a proven ability to partner with stakeholders, foster strong relationships and drive change, Michael motivates his team to excel and achieve maximum value for customers while minimizing risk and streamlining processes. Prior to LendingTree, Michael spent seven years at Visa. He has experience negotiating and managing initiatives in the Quick Service, Print/ Media, Payments and FinTech industries. His responsibilities have spanned North America, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Michael obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami (FL). He earned his Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M.) and Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) certifications from the Institute for Supply Management. He also holds certificates from Harvard Law School and the Jack Welch Management Institute. Michael resides in Charlotte, NC with his wife and two children. w w w . c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
23
24
LENDINGTREE
We’re not going to rubber stamp something and roll over for the supplier or just process paperwork. We’re here to drive and maximize value from LendingTree’s investments with suppliers, which is not just about pricing. Although I enjoy negotiating and pride myself on my expertise, much more goes into doing a (quality) deal. I am very passionate about, and love, what I do. Somehow, I got lucky; it’s what I’ve done my entire career. One of the most important things I learned early on is it has to be all about your customer. You have to focus on how you make them successful, because it’s a win if they’re successful.”
w w w . c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
25
Jon Vass
Global Industry Lead at Tradeshift, discusses shifting perspective of procurement technolo Jon Vass, the Global Industry Lead at Tradeshift, explores the shift in perspectives within procurement supply chain towards technology, and how it has changed the way in which organizations connect, and engage with suppliers WRI T T EN BY
27
D a le B e n t o n
s the ogy
L I S T E N TO T H I S PODCAST ON THE DI G ITAL I N S I GHT ’ S OU TPU T CH AN N E L S B E LOW
28
JON VAS S GL OBA L I NDU S T RY L E A D AT T R A DE SH I F T
What would you say are some of the biggest shifts that have happened in the supply chain and procurement space, thanks to technology? There’s been a huge shift in terms of technology. The functionality that’s taken place hasn’t really changed. If you think about a sourcing event, or receiving an invoice electronically, some of those technologies, the actual functional piece of it looks a lot nicer nowadays and it’s delivered in a much faster, easier to consume way, but what you’re actually doing is fairly similar. 29
E XC LU S I V E I N T E RV I E W W I T H J O N VAS S
The biggest shift is the thought process around technology. Rather than using a technology for doing something tactical, it’s actually being used to connect with your supply base. Organizations, or the forward thinking organizations, are really looking at technologies which reach out to their entire constituency. They understand that procurement is actually a participation of the supply chain. The supply chain is a much bigger, broader place than the four walls in which that particular company, that particular procurement organization live in, and therefore they need to connect with that supply chain holistically, in order to get the best out of it.
How has this technology shift aligned with the shift in procurement? I think that a few CPOs have realized that they would like to have a seat at the Board. Previously, that was very difficult. A CPO was seen as somebody who would simply get things cheaper. So, there has been a big shift from that. If you think about what a CEO is interested in, a CEO is interested in shareholders, long term plans for the business, and the revenue, environmental impact. The CFO is interested in similar financial incentives, how well the company’s performed, share price, etc The CPO, in order for them to align with the business, needs to be interested in the same things as the CEO and the CFO.
w w w . c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
30
“Most organizations are willing to embrace technology, they want to embrace technology. They have a transformation team, or a procurement transformation team, they might have a finance transformation team. The intention is there” — J O H N VA S S , GLOBAL INDUSTRY LEAD AT TRADESHIFT
There’s been a big shift toward actually
embrace technology, they want to
being more aligned with those goals,
embrace technology. They have a
rather than being more aligned with cost
transformation team, or a procurement
saving. If you optimize the cost saving,
transformation team, they might have a
your output is going to be cost saving,
finance transformation team. The inten-
rather than innovation and growth.
tion is there. What I think has happened is,they tried
Are companies afraid to embrace technology or are reluctant because they don’t quite have the knowledge and the requisite skills to successfully embrace that change? Most organizations are willing to 31
it once, and it didn’t work, so they’ve quit. As we know, you have to fail a few times in order to succeed. You only see success, that’s just the tip of the iceberg, and there are many failures behind that. What’s been missing is how does that
E XC LU S I V E I N T E RV I E W W I T H J O N VAS S
actually connect with the supply base?
have provided some efficiencies, but
How do the suppliers and the vendors
the rest of them don’t use it, therefore
interact with that? How do they bring
we process manually. That technology is
value into your organization, how do they
touching 15% of their suppliers, whereas
collaborate with you? That’s certainly the
you want your technology to touch as
big thing that’s happened.
close to 100% as you can. It doesn’t
I think a lot of organizations have
matter whether you’re tech savvy or not,
adopted some more traditional procure-
you’ve probably got a mobile phone.
ment technologies, and their frustrations
Think about some smaller suppliers, they
are always the same, or largely always
might not have SAP or Oracle running
the same, which is great, we’ve got 15%
their backend systems, but they’ve got a
of our supply base connected. They
mobile phone in their pocket.
happen to be some larger suppliers that
If you can be in touch with the supplier w w w . c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
32
in the same way they’re in touch with
zero help, in order to participate in this
Facebook, and LinkedIn, and text
incentive you’re giving them. You’re basi-
message, and email on their phone,
cally saying, “Come into our world, use
then you can connect with them, and get
this technology.” It has to be super easy,
them to contribute and participate in your
running on either a web app, or a phone
incentive.
app, and something intuitive that they don’t need an instruction manual to use. Then technology becomes their friend,
How do you communicate what automation and technology can bring above the human element?
and it becomes a much more comforta-
In terms of the way you would explain
ence to using their phone. Everybody is
these technologies, it’s no more difficult
comfortable using Facebook, Instagram,
than a mobile phone. If you think about
and Twitter, LinkedIn. There’s no reason
what a mobile phone does, it’s actually
why B2B technology should be any
amazing when you break it down and we
different.
ble situation, because there’s no differ-
intuitively just start using it. What you’re asking people to do is no more difficult than using a phone. I think, maybe some historic, or traditional technologies, don’t lend themselves to that, and therefore seems complicated. Then you need to have training, in order to better use it, and it seems a little bit scary to some people. I think most modern technologies, if they can start using it, then I think that’s what really, really changes things. It’s not just the buying organization, it’s not just the procurement team that applies to, it applies to everybody in the supply chain. If you think about it, your supplier is going to get zero training, 33
E XC LU S I V E I N T E RV I E W W I T H J O N VAS S
Are people investing in tech for the right reasons or just to compete? People tend to use the term best practice. I think once something becomes best practice, it means that lots of people are doing it, therefore, by default, it’s average. If you are an organization, a forward thinking organization, you don’t want to be average, because you need to start competing in a different way. Organizations need to be doing something different, and that applies to how you buy things, as well as how you sell things, how you innovate, because you’re dealing with your supply chain. That supply chain is going to help you move your organization forward, no matter what you do. w w w . c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
34
“ People tend to use the term best practice. I think once something becomes best practice, it means that lots of people are doing it, therefore, by default, it’s average. If you are an organization, a forward thinking organization, you don’t want to be average, because you need to start competing in a different way” — J O H N VA S S , GLOBAL INDUSTRY LEAD AT TRADESHIFT
35
E XC LU S I V E I N T E RV I E W W I T H J O N VAS S
If you could give one piece of advice to someone and say, this isn’t going to guarantee success, this is going to at least help you navigate along the right path, what would you try and say? Look at who you’re interacting with, both internally and externally, and how those people, whether they be in your organization, or other organizations, are going to contribute towards your future success? How are they going to align with your goals? And, how they’re going to move the department forward, so that it can be seen as a more strategic department within the organization, rather than just a tactical cost saving department. If you do that, then you open up a whole new area, and a new way of thinking. By saying that to somebody, it’s getting them thinking of how they might interact with their supply chain in the future. Then, when they come across the relevant technologies, they will know themselves, whether those technologies enable that or not. They can ask the right questions as well. Look at it holistically, rather than looking at technology as something that enables feature, or function, look at it as an enabler for connecting to your supply base.
w w w . c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
36
LIST EN TO JOHN ADAMS ’ PODCAST ON THE DIGITAL INSIGHT ’S OUTPUT CHANNELS BELOW
37
WRI T T EN BY PRODUCED BY
D al e Bent on Hey kel Ouni
38
JO HN A DA M S, G R O UP PROC U RE M E N T D I R E C TO R AT BA RRATT D E V E LO P M E N TS E XPLO RE S H OW T H E CO M PANY’S CO MPE TI T I V E E D G E CO M ES FRO M S U PPLY C H A I N C A PA B I LI TY
I
n recent years, an increasing number of organisations have begun to recognise supply
chain and procurement as a key facet to their operations. As a result, the very perception of supply chain has changed and is now being positioned as a key competitive advantage and in places where it can’t it represents an opportunity for businesses to unlock opportunity and other greater benefits. To put it simply, gone are the days where supply chain simply represented a means of saving money. “Clearly that’s part of what we do, but there’s much more to it than that,” explains John Adams, Group Procurement Director at Barratt Developments Plc. “The business or 39
B A R R AT T D E V E LO P M E N T S
businesses generally should see it as a strategic operation now. It’s about a much broader span of topics, and the organisations see procurement as an integral part of the efficiency of the business, not as a side act.” Barratt Developments Plc. is the largest house builder in the United Kingdom and is the only major house builder that has successfully achieved and retained the highest customer rating for ten consecutive years. Key to this success is a vision for leading the future of house building that is driven by putting customers at the
YEAR FOUNDED
1958
REGION HQ
London, UK
w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
40
At the heart of building a sustainable future. A single brick has a life expectancy of more than 150 years – a great start on the road to sustainability for Ibstock, the UK’s largest manufacturer of clay and concrete products. But the destination is more important…the Sustainability Roadmap 2025. Our 6-year plan is a business-wide commitment to sustainability with official progress reports and clear targets; • Reducing CO2 levels • Reducing plastics • Reducing water usage
Winners of
• Boosting sustainable products • Making all suppliers fully compliant with our business sustainability policy Energy Efficiency
These are just some of our sustainability targets and we are well on the way to showing that environmental responsibility and business profitability can work together.
To see how Ibstock is en route to a greener future, visit ibstockplc.co.uk/sustainability
Most ethical/sustainable manufacturer of the year
very heart of what the company does. In
costs us more not to have components
order to realise this vision, Barratt has
than it does to have cheaper compo-
spent the best part of the last decade
nents,” explains Adams. “The availability
investing in and reorganising its supply
of product is of course very important but
chain in order to redefine how the busi-
there are many other areas such as the
ness works with its customers so that it
sustainability angle which are becom-
can better serve them. For any business,
ing increasingly prevalent and heavily
the supply chain is a complex ecosys-
influencing the supply chain and how it
tem that needs to run like a well-oiled
operates.”
machine and for Barratt Developments,
“I spend a lot of time with some of the
this is no different. “In the role I’m in it
key stakeholders in the business trying to w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
42
“ T H E B U S I N E S S OR BUSINESSES G E N E R A L LY S H O U L D S E E I T A S A S T R AT E G I C O P E R AT I O N NOW. IT’S ABOUT A MUCH B R OA D E R S PA N O F TO P I C S , A N D T H E O R G A N I S AT I O N S S E E PROCUREMENT AS AN I N T E G R A L PA R T O F T H E EFFICIENCY OF THE B U S I N E S S , N OT A S A S I D E AC T ” —
J O H N A D A M S , G RO UP P RO C UR EM E N T DI R E C T OR , BA R R AT T D E V EL O P M EN T S
43
B A R R AT T D E V E LO P M E N T S
help them understand why supply chain
the end of the day, we are not neces-
is important, why things they do influence
sarily the subject matter experts on
what the supply chain can, and cannot do
everything,” he says. “So we need those
for us, and how they can change some
subject matters to be engaged with the
of their behaviour to enable the supply
suppliers so we can get the best answers
chain to be more effective and more effi-
to them.”
cient, which then benefits them.” The goal here for Barratt is to engage
Barratt Developments central procurement team controls around £500mn
all facets of the organisation into the
of annual spend, both direct and indi-
importance of the supply chain, remov-
rect. Direct spend accounts for close
ing the reliance on the notion of a single
to £450mn of that overall spend and
procurement responsibility but a much
Barratt’s success is defined by its aim
more shared one. Adams believes that
to provide its customers with the prod-
everyone should be talking to suppliers,
ucts they want at the right time and of
not just procurement professionals. “At
the right quality in order to receive the w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
44
Complete Residential Solutions from Polypipe
Rainwater
Soil
Waste
Traps
At Polypipe we offer a comprehensive range of building products providing everything you need for residential projects from start to finish. Whether for a small or large scale project, we
Our specialist knowledge allows us to provide
understand the pressures that developers face
carefully tailored solutions to help you meet all
to find the right product solutions, whilst also
of your requirements and our holistic range is
meeting specifications and building regulations.
sustainable, energy efficient and cost effective.
Plastic Plumbing
Underfloor Heating
Contact your local polypipe respresentative today to discuss our complete range of residential solutions Drainage
www.polypipe.com
positive experience of a new build. In
there’s a skill shortage that’s coming and
recent years, the scrutiny on the quality
we have to be ready for that.”
of the products has tightened while the
In order to ready itself for this skills
volume output has rapidly increased in
shortage, Barratt works to either de-skill
recent years and so Barratt works tire-
or remove the requirement for skill onsite
lessly to ensure that it has the supply
wherever possible. This is where the
chain in place in order to feed the
company embraces ‘modern methods of
machine. “Our main focus has been
construction’ in which Barratt’s design
making sure that we have a supply chain
and technical teams work closely with
in place that’s capable of feeding the
the supply chain in order to both trial
machine that we’ve got now and the
and mature technologies and practices
one that we will have in the future,” says
the business wouldn’t traditionally use.
Adams. “We also have to look at new
Barratt will then integrate this into its
ways of producing housing because
day-to-day business as usual production w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
46
47
B A R R AT T D E V E LO P M E N T S
facility and capability. “From a
of order and that they were able
strategic point of view, it is match-
to support us in the upturn.” This
ing supply chain capability with
approach saw Barratt work with
our demand,” says Adams. “And
suppliers during this downturn
then in the long term it’s looking
and then continuing to work with
at new methods of construction,
them during the upturn so that
and developing a supply chain
the suppliers had the capacity to
capable of supporting us over a
meet the demands of Barratt and
long period of time.”
its customers. This required more
One of the largest challenges
focused and sometimes challeng-
in trying to constantly feed a
ing conversations. “It’s been an
machine that is responsible for
interesting journey because in this
more than £500mn in spend is
industry, some of the supply chain
that of coping with demand fluc-
partners are not necessarily as
tuations. Over the last decade,
mature in their thinking in capacity
market upswings and downturns
planning, in root cause analysis,
have been unavoidable and this
and all the things that we need
of course will impact the supply
to be good at, in order to make
chain ecosystem. Trying to trans-
sure that they make the best of
form a supply chain while operat-
the capacity they have available,”
ing in a volatile market is no easy
says Adams. “We’ve spent quite
task and Adams acknowledges
a lot of time trying to develop the
that Barratt has had to ride both
supply chain because I’d much
the highs and the lows in order to
rather work with somebody that
remain successful.
I know is willing to work with us
“Market upturns and down-
than bring somebody in that I
turns both present challenges,
don’t know, and start a brand new
just different ones!” he says.
relationship.”
“Through the downturn we very
Refocusing supplier relation-
much had to focus a demand on
ships is never an easy endeav-
fewer suppliers so that we keep
our. On paper it makes sense
those suppliers in a good state
and is easy to break down, but w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
48
the reality of the situation is never that simple. For Adams, the key to successfully navigating this was to break down what he describes as ‘very adversarial’ old working practices that are common within the industry. “It’s about trust. If you haven’t got that between yourself and your supplier, you’re not going to get very far,” says Adams. “The first thing to do is to change people’s view of what our supply chain is, what it does for the business and how important it is. Once you achieve that, then you have a much easier engagement model.” Barratt has a tiered approach with regards to its supplier engagement model that sees the executive engagement level shift accordingly based on the strategic nature of the supplier relationship. “As you go down the tier of the supply chain, the relationship engagement will fall to either myself to have the leading relationship or my team leading the relationship explains Adams. “We ensure that we have a relationship with a senior management team of all of our suppliers, so that we can get the right level of engagement with them.” Through this approach, Barratt is able to work to identify any issues between it and the supplier that will prevent either party from being efficient and 49
B A RR AT T D E V E LO PM E N TS
John Adams
Group Procurement Director Barratt Development Plc.
Experienced Director Of Procurement with a demonstrated history of working in the construction, manufacturing, Automotive, Nuclear and Telecommunication industries. Responsible for sourcing strategy, supplier management and supplier development of all goods and services for Barratt Developments, the largest housing developer in the UK.
get to the root cause of those issues by making changes where necessary. Part of this dynamic is built upon that trust and understanding and so in order to achieve this Barratt hosts a number of supply chain conferences that brings all of its suppliers together to explain what is going on, what the vision for the future is and what expectations Barratt has for its supplier base. “They understand our objectives and how they fit into that,” says Adams. “We then have somebody in our team who is specifically engaged to look at supply chain development. They 50
have tools for cause analysis that can
chain now for over a decade and in that
help the suppliers.”
time, thanks to shifting market dynam-
“But, what’s important is that we don’t
ics, it has been clear that the road is
just go to the supplier with the tools and
never truly a straight line. In order to
say: fix this. We provide a methodology
successfully navigate this and any jour-
and a suggestion as to how they can
ney, organisations need collaboration.
understand the problem and solve it.”
This is where Barratt’s supplier relation-
For Adams, this all forms part of the
ship model really stands tall above others
broader commitment that Barratt has to
as a true competitive edge. “Not every
its supply chain and make sure that the
egg is going to be a bird, so you have to
company has a set of suppliers that can
be prepared for investing in something
deliver what it needs to the right quality
that may not provide a business benefit
and at the right price. Barratt has been
in the end,” says Adams. “You will have
investing in and reshaping its supply
failures and you can take learning from
51
B A R R AT T D E V E LO P M E N T S
“ O U R M A I N F O C U S H AS B E E N M A K I N G S U R E T H AT W E H AV E A S U P P LY C H A I N I N P L AC E T H AT ’ S C A PA B L E O F F E E D I N G T H E M AC H I N E T H AT W E ’ V E G OT N OW A N D T H E O N E T H AT W E W I L L H AV E I N T H E F U T U R E ” —
J O H N A D A M S , G RO UP P RO C UR E M E N T D IR E C T O R , BAR R AT T D E V E L O P M E N T S
them. What’s important here is sitting with suppliers and working it all out. What went wrong? Why did it go wrong? What was the process? And so on.” “I think it’s incredibly important to be able to go through that with your suppliers in a structured way, regardless to the success of the project or not, and be honest so that every single person understands the highs and the lows so that you actually learn from the whole experience. That’s what our approach allows us to do.” After 10 years of change, Barratt is already having discussions about the next 10 years. The future is very much here and now for Adams and Barratt and so this supplier engagement model becomes a state of constant conversation and investment. As Adams noted, it’s about having to constantly feed the machine of today and of tomorrow. The w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
52
53
B A R R AT T D E V E LO P M E N T S
market is already showing signs of significant change with sustainability impacting the legislation and governance of building homes. Barratt’s approach remains the same. “There’s quite a challenge for us to make sure that the supply chain is aligned to those changes,” says Adams. “Key to any of that, is people. People. People. People. The ability to deliver absolutely rests on the people who are doing that delivery. They are pivotal to what we do, and to everything we do. The basic building block is people in the team and their capability, and their ability to be able to relate to, develop and embrace the supply chain that they’re working with.”
LIST EN TO JOHN ADAMS ’ PODCAST ON THE DIGITAL INSIGHT ’S OUTPUT CHANNELS BELOW
w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
54
Evolving Procurem Risk Language Sรถren Petsch, former VP of Procurement at Alliance Data Card Services, explores the evolving language surrounding procurement risk WRI T T EN BY
54
S รถr en P e t s c h
ment’s
55
T
oday’s risk language oftentimes utilizes one-size-fitsall categorizations with final
risk scores generally ranging from low to high, least risky to critical, or similar scoring nomenclatures. In short, a lot of inputs boil down to just one rating. Although efficient and easily understood, this approach comes at the peril of a company’s leadership appreciating the fast evolving risk picture – namely that of data risk.
Data is different – driving new organizational structures In recent years, many forward-thinking companies have split the responsibilities of their CIO) into the newly-created roles of Chief Data officer (CDO) and CTO . The main driver behind this organizational evolution is the insight that the skillset required to run operational IT doesn’t naturally lend itself to implementing the necessary digital transformation. In addition, CDOs are needed to evangelize digital thinking and apply it across the wider business. In short, IT’s future focus has shifted for many CTOs to tech architecture exclusive of deriving information from data because – simply put – data is a business asset, not an IT asset. 56
E V O LV I N G P R O C U R E M E N T ’ S R I S K L A N G U A G E
So How is data different? Data value can increase dramatically when connected to other data This network effect provides companies like Facebook, Google, and many others with exponential benefits by connecting various disparate points of data into highly marketable information.
Data is easily replicable Copy, paste, done. Once your data is outside of your company’s “four walls”, control over it is very hard to maintain or reclaim. Blockchains may address that but the technology has not reached its cresting point into mainstream applications.
Data valuation approaches are not standardized Although valuation models of data are inexact and vary greatly – significant value is still being generated. Still, value generated is generally valued, not data itself – a meaningful distinction with realworld financial implications.
Data value is fast diminishing over time – but is highly reusable and non-depletable If data goes unrefreshed, it becomes stale and loses its value fast. However, w w w . c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
57
many leading companies abstain from ever deleting any data as they expect to “daisy-chain” that data at some point in the future to convert it into actionable information.
Data is not represented in auditable financials (like other assets on the Balance Sheet) and, hence, cannot be capitalized Whereas a physical asset always has an assigned value of at least $1, most companies do not assign any value to their data, hence, explicitly valuing their data at $0. To state the obvious: The way we understand and mitigate data risks has significantly evolved from ten years ago and will definitely evolve further over the coming years. Consider these recent events that changed the way we
horses, ransomware, spyware,
perceive the complexities related to
adware, and scareware) have nega-
data risks:
tively impacted not only organizations
• In 2010, the Stuxnet computer virus leveraging previously little-known
of all sizes and kinds but also millions of people directly.
zero-day flaws. • The 2013 Target breach was caused by hackers gaining access via an
the way data risk is perceived. Future
integration of the retailer with an
events will change our perceptions
HVAC services provider.
and understanding even further. At
• A wide variety of malware (including computer viruses, worms, Trojan 58
These “black swan” events changed
the risk of discounting the incremental evolution of companies’ handling of
E V O LV I N G P R O C U R E M E N T ’ S R I S K L A N G U A G E
operational risks, data risks have driven
I see the following outcomes of sepa-
significantly greater changes – and the
rating data risk scoring from operational
data risk mitigation revolution is not
risk scoring:
over by a long shot. Now that data is different from other
More granular risk assessments
assets, we need to recognize that data
Instead of condensing all risk inputs into
risk is different from operational risks.
one score, any potential supplier can
Operational risks and data risks should
now be scored along both risk compo-
be evaluated by different teams, have
nents independently. Frequency of each
different guardrails, require a different
risk review would be driven by respec-
focus / type of evaluation, and a different
tive risk ratings and types. Also, with
assessment frequency.
the data risk picture likely to evolve w w w . c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
59
faster, any corporate updates or regu-
customer data. From third-party data
latory requirements to data risks scor-
bought from data providers to hashed
ing weights and components could be
email addresses to anonymized, aggre-
discreetly initiated without necessarily
gated file data to transaction-level
driving the operational risk review.
purchasing first-party data‌each data type and source has different privacy
More strategic conversation by type of data
implications, requires different handling
So far, I have intentionally referred to
a variety of ways. Companies need to
data in general because data comes in
step into this discussion strategically
many forms and formats, with different
but deliberately so that the way they
strategies or regulatory requirements.
handle and manage data is driven by
To illustrate the point, let’s consider
their respective strategies and values.
60
and protections, is owned/originated in
E V O LV I N G P R O C U R E M E N T ’ S R I S K L A N G U A G E
“ Now that data is different from other assets, we need to recognize that data risk is different from operational risks” —
SÖREN PETSCH, FORMER VP OF PROCUREMENT AT ALLIANCE DATA CARD SERVICES
More deliberate conversation about data by each stakeholder group
develop its data strategy. That strategy
With no single owner of all data, the role
needs to incorporate considerations for
of data in any organization carries stra-
risk assessment and mitigation standards
tegic implications and has many stake-
that become part of the Procurement
holders: internal (master data architects,
processes for both new and existing
marketers, finance, innovation and prod-
vendors. By deliberately leveraging and
uct teams, field operations etc.) and
operationalizing an articulated data strat-
external (regulators, customers, others)...
egy, Procurement can help lead this
Different stakeholders have different
mission-critical and cross-functional align-
agendas and should carry different
ment in support of the long-term success
weights, decision rights, and implications
of their company. And do it again and
as to what can and cannot be done.
again – as this effort will be iterative.
As a first step, any company needs to
w w w . c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
61
Value in procurement transformation WRITTEN BY D a l e B e n to n PRODUCED BY H ey ke l O u n i VIDEO BY
62
Tre t t F i l m s
LISTEN TO MARTIN LEE’S PODCAST ON THE DIGITAL INSIGHT’S OUTPUT CHANNELS BELOW
63
Martin Lee, CPO of KPMG, explores how a procurement transformation, centred around spend control, brings greater value
H
istorically speaking, procure-
invested heavily into transforming it.
ment has often been seen as a
Procurement can truly bring great value to
mere cost centre and the part
an organisation, if the organisation recog-
of the business where buying was done.
nises that procurement can be a trusted
In recent years however, procurement
partner to the business. This certainly
has taken a dramatic shift as more and
forms the foundation procurement trans-
more businesses around the world, from
formation... in which one of the UK’s lead-
large scale global organisations to smaller
ing providers of professional services,
and younger companies, have redefined
including audit, tax and advisory special-
their understanding of procurement and
isms - delivering integrated solutions to
64
KPMG
its clients’ issues – is transforming its
Martin feels his experience and passion
procurement processes in order to bring
for procurement has prepared him well
visibility, control and influence across an
for this next evolution of procurement at
increasing proportion of spend to drive
KPMG. “I definitely think it’s one of the
informed decision-making for the business.
best jobs going, with an unparalleled
Spearheading this transformation journey
involvement in helping an organisation to
is Chief Procurement Officer, Martin Lee.
ensure trust and deliver value and growth,”
With over 20 years in the sourcing
he explains. “You touch everything from
and purchasing space and a key focus
marketing, to the running of our buildings,
on procure to pay (P2P) implementation,
through to the services we deliver to our w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
65
Throughout history, there have always been problems. No one likes them. But problems inspire us to make things better.
Smart loves problems. From skills gaps to blackouts, city traffic to ocean plastic. They even took us to the moon and back on a single tank of gas. Problems actually move the world forward. And the people who dare to take them on work with us every step of the way. ibm.com/smart
IBM, the IBM logo, ibm.com and Let’s put smart to work are trademarks of International Business Machines Corp., registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. See current list at ibm.com/trademark. Other product and service names might be trademarks of IBM or other companies. ŠInternational Business Machines Corp. 2019. B33581
clients. It’s such an impactful role. Gone
differently than it did in the past. More so,
are the days of buying; it’s about how you
the demands, expectations and skill sets
work with the business to impact how
– and ultimately the very role of the CPO –
they invest and leverage themselves in
has changed too and this is something that
the marketplace to get the right solution,
feeds into this transformation. “Historically,
at the right value and risk profile. With the
buying was quite simple. Now you’re trying
executive sponsorship and appetite, the
to work people around, ‘what’s their
platform for procurement is set, like never
business case?’ What are their change
before, to be value creators.”
drivers?” he says. “It’s less about being
The broader evolution of procurement
a reactive service, but more proactive,
has certainly played its part in KPMG’s
working to understand what they’re actu-
transformation strategy and so the
ally trying to achieve and how you might
CPO now has to communicate to each
bring the supply base and commercial
and every part of the business a little
models to that.”
w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
67
As CPO, Martin is tasked with looking at how procurement, as a trusted partner, can bring information to the table, to help people understand the art of the possible from the marketplace. This, he feels, is something that has developed increasingly in recent years. “Data is key to everything now and you need to be able to provide that data in a way that people can use and understand,” he says. “There is now an expectation of the ease of use as a business, all the way through from the people on the ground delivering services through to the executive board who want to know how they can consume data in a way that gives them an actual insight.” In early 2019, KPMG set out a procurement strategy, one that would ultimately see procurement play a key role in seeing the company increase its UK business to £3bn by 2022. A key enabler of achieving this is through greater spend control, changing how KPMG buys goods and services across KPMG UK, and through a new procurement organisation and operating model, including the implementation of a new P2P tool. “As an organisation we really wanted to build upon an already successful strategic sourcing team,” explains Martin. “Over time we built a program to implement procurement technology, the opportunity to control, visibility 68
KPMG
“ Historically, buying was quite simple. Now you’re trying to work people around, ‘what’s their business case?’ What are their change drivers?” — MARTIN LEE CPO, K P M G
w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
69
and influence our spend across our supply chain. Technology is at the heart of the change. It’s about creating efficiencies for how we transact, creating the visibility of our spend and our third-party engagement, allowing strategic sourcing decisions with our business stakeholders to be more innovative while delivering greater value, at the same time enhancing the ownership of the solution through an effective controlled purchasing environment.“ A key part of the transformation saw KPMG work closely with IBM to extend its sourcing capabilities. This has seen the building of a hybrid across multiple locations, delivering strategic, tactical and a procurement operations model to enable KPMG to influence spend across the entire firm. “The relationship with IBM has allowed us to deliver a leveraged procurement model across multiple locations of onshore, near shore and offshore from an efficient cost model and from a skill sets
IBM became one of identifying a way of
and capability perspective that procure-
moving towards a more transactional way
ment in KPMG did not have at that stage,”
of operating, particularly when it came to
says Martin. “And so, it has allowed us to
deploying procurement feeds from 15,000
grow our strategic sourcing together with
users across the business which in turn
their breadth and depth of market knowl-
expanded procurement’s interaction with
edge and commercial impact. That was a
the business significantly. For Martin, IBM
very positive thing from a strategic sourc-
was integral in this regard and a reflection
ing point of view.”
of how the relationship between the two
The challenge then for KPMG and 70
KPMG
companies far exceeds a simple project
delivery relationship. “The relationship is an opportunity to provide an agile operating model that we can adjust to how our business evolves. It gives us a way of getting to skill sets that we didn’t have and thanks to the many clients that they work with in a similar capacity. It creates a useful
YEAR FOUNDED
1987
REGION HQ
London, UK
network,” says Martin. “I can tap into the knowledge and insights from this network and their own procurement capabilities w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
71
72
KPMG
“ The relationship is an opportunity to provide an agile operating model that we can adjust to how our business evolves” — MARTIN LEE CPO, K P M G
w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
73
to know whether it validates what we are doing, or to help stretch and challenge my team through insights that create the credibility to be able to help my business.” The very idea of change, particularly in an organisation the size of KPMG, can understandably be very fearful in many respects and so it’s important that the drivers (in this case the procurement team) work to help the business understand what that change means. Martin stresses that one of the biggest early learnings and advantages for his team was utilising the capabilities that existed across KPMG, encompassing Change, Communications, Programme Management and Systems Implementation. The team built out a change journey, engaging with business stakeholders to determine their P2P understanding and readiness. Early understanding of P2P was relatively immature and the team had to help them understand the impact, and the opportunity it provided. “I think we’ve realised that throughout that period, we’ve had to put more direct effort into certain groups to help them understand what the opportunity is and understand how they can adapt to that change,” he says. “Our role as leaders is to help support people, understand and appreciate what the opportunity for them is and where they can learn new skills or adapt 74
KPMG
Martin Lee CPO, KPMG As CPO of KPMG’s UK Member firm, Martin leads a team responsible for over £1/2bn of indirect spend. He has a passion for Procurement and transformation, having been in the industry over 20 years, with significant leadership, sourcing and P2P experience. Over the past year, Martin has led the Procurement transformation at KPMG, creating a new Procurement operating model, expanding the scope and influence of the team, and implementing the Coupa platform to over 15k users, helping to realise enhanced spend control and a step change in value delivery for the firm. w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
75
“ It’s about making sure that people understand what we are trying to achieve and communicate the vision, so they could understand, appreciate and get excited about that” —
MARTIN LEE CPO, K P M G
to roles, or in fact take on new accounta-
The main procurement transformation
bilities in that process. It’s about making
began in early 2019 and so, as Martin
sure that people understand what we are
admits, KPMG is still at the very beginning
trying to achieve and communicate the
of this journey. The first 12 months will be
vision, so they could then understand,
seen as laying down the foundations for
appreciate and get excited about it. Of
future growth, with the implementing of
course, throughout that process, you will
the technology, and the new operating
find people that have to take time to learn
model focused around creating a plat-
about what that change means for them
form and new ways of working. 2020, as
and their function.”
Martin describes, is about “leveraging
76
KPMG
organisation is to be flexible and proactive enough to be able to evolve with the shifting landscapes, whatever they may be. “Throughout the journey we’ve had to make a few adjustments. Whether they were parts of our business that had changed how they operate, or in effect the relationships that we brought in, it was about learning what they were going to do differently to perhaps what we first thought,” says Martin. “One of the things you have to do is be very clear about what you’re trying to achieve. We had a governance model so that we could operate it with consistency with decisions and make sure that each of those changes was something that considered and made a formal decision against, rather than just meandering through a journey.” Ultimately, the key to successfully navigating a journey is understanding that changes will happen, whether they are that platform to grow our visibility over
foreseen or not. More important, is taking
the supply base, understanding how our
key learnings from these changes and
business is going to work with us through
using the knowledge or the data and
those systems, and helping us unlock the
insight and turning that into smarter and
opportunities the visibility creates”.
more informed decisions moving forward.
The challenge for any transformational
This is something that Martin, despite
journey revolves around external factors.
being at the very start of this journey,
Business needs and demands, as well
has already begun to do. “We’ve built
as market dynamics, will all heavily influ-
a team around us that are now owning
ence a transformation. The trick for an
our technology, our processes and our w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
77
operations. It works on an agile basis, so that if we learn that our approvals aren’t quite right, or we learn that our data isn’t in exactly the right place, we can make quick and easy changes to it,” he says. “Working across our business, we’ve also put in place change agents that enable us to work with key individuals across the business on a more regular ongoing basis to talk about feedback, to talk about new ideas, to talk about change that we’re bringing through and get them to communicate to us about how we can improve and change things.” Looking at the first 12 months of this journey, Martin can already begin to look at key successes that have been achieved and start to plan out how to build on those for the coming years. KPMG has successfully rolled out the initial stage of the transformation on time and on budget. Both the hyper care team and the project team that worked with Martin throughout the journey have now completed their activities and moved on to their next project, leaving Martin in the wonderful position of knowing that his team has delivered the solutions and the operating model in place. “We’re now into the position where we’re thinking proactively rather than reactively,” he says. “Examples where we’ve been able 78
KPMG
David Braid, Procurement CoE Lead - SRM, Sustainable Procurement and Supply Chain Risk: What were the challenges you faced during the transformation? It often felt like a procurement-only programme, but actually, it was a business-wide programme. It was key to ensure that everybody within the business, came into support and sponsorship of that program and worked together. For many business functions the new technology will become their shop window of products and services to the internal business functions. The transformation teams were able to take away a lot of the pain from us as a procurement team, ensuring that the best practice communications and training was built and delivered. Quite simply, investment in skillful change management pays great dividends.
What will continue to be the key challenges? As you would expect, delivering to business expectations will continue to be our challenge. Perception of the solution delivered in August could inevitably be misconstrued as, ‘Well it’s done now, isn’t it? It’s fixed.’ Actually it’s not, we’ve just started this journey, we learn every day and the work that has to be done now is about ensuring we’re able to continue providing, and improving the service, through measuring the performance and taking action where required. There will be wobbles. The journey so far has been a bit like riding your bike with stabilisers. Now hypercare is finished we’ve taken the stabilisers off and all of a sudden
we’re on our own now. Through being on your own, you build that confidence up and in six months’ time we’ll for sure have forgotten that we even had the stabilisers on at all.
How has the transformation been received on a business level? People know what the big picture is, they know it’s about getting the costs under control, it’s about being able to get the transparency on a supply basis, about being able to take that information and gain increased value. If you’ve got transparency on data, all of a sudden you are a much better partner to the business. Doing the simple stuff really well drives credibility through our business and demonstrating this will deliver on the investments and create greater value going forward. The successful transition has created energy and engagement, so we take that momentum we now have across the business and focus on delivering our own procurement 2020 strategy and goals across five activity pillars of Spend Control, Customer Experience, Value Creation, Delivery Excellence – all underpinned by Enhanced Capabilities and Behaviours.
How will it impact KPMG from an external perspective? It allows us to demonstrate that we are operating a trusted and value generating function, raising the profile of KPMG as a forward-looking procurement activity, whilst also providing our business the trusted licence to operate in our client marketplace.
w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
79
80
KPMG
to take business cases to our board to shift policy. That’s been a real game changer for us, and it’s been positively received by them.” Over the course of the next year, KPMG will look to focus on its pipeline of procurement engagement and projects that will drive the business forward. KPMG will continue to make sure it has the right teams, with the right skill sets and experience in place to succeed. For Martin, this is ultimately the one true key to success both today, and in the future. “Program would have achieved nothing without putting people in who are committed and who understand and are excited about it,” he says. “Without that, we would never have gotten to where we are. In reality, we’re now shifting up a gear and those people are evolving, alongside us, providing new people to further expand our capability to get to where we want to go.”
LISTEN TO MARTIN LEE’S PODCAST ON THE DIGITAL INSIGHT’S OUTPUT CHANNELS BELOW
w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
81
Building best-inclass procurement and sourcing WRI T T EN BY PRODUCED BY 92
D al e Bent on Hey kel Ouni
93
This is certainly the case for Bill Barry,
Bill Barry, Vice President of Procurement and Sourcing at Access, explores how engaging with the business proves crucial in building best-inclass sourcing
Vice President of Procurement and Sourcing at Access, one of the fastest growing paper and digital document services and storage providers in the world. Barry, upon joining the company in 2018, was tasked with a vision of building out a bestin-class sourcing and procurement function, developing and implementing the policies and procedures in order to achieve that vision. Within a year and a half of this journey, Access has already begun to realize
W
ith the world of sourcing,
the benefits in terms of the value creation,
supply chain and procurement,
savings and operational efficiencies that
undergoing significant sea
change, it can often be forgotten that one of the biggest challenges any company investing and reinvesting in their sourcing functions faces is one that centers around legacy. After all, investing in new and disruptive means of working that are often entirely different from what has been the case for several successful decades can be seen as a risky pursuit. Why fix what isn’t broken? But for many, over the course of the last decade, there has been something of cultural awakening toward procurement and sourcing. No longer is the question around why, it’s more a question around what – what can we do to bring more value to our business and our business customers? 94
ACCESS CORP
the sourcing and procurement group has
great opportunity to leverage the skill set
brought to the business.
of relationship-building in sourcing out to
Over the past five years, Access has
the various locations of Access and work
grown as a company largely through acqui-
to build rapport and to gain the trust from
sition. Part of this growth has seen the
each business unit and start to work hand
company work to develop and build out
in hand with procurement and sourcing.”
all of its centralized corporate functions,
In order to embark on this journey, Barry
including sourcing and procurement. “The
stayed true to a philosophy he has held
company saw an opportunity to better
with him throughout his career. This philos-
leverage the collective spend of the organ-
ophy is one of collaboration and support,
ization and the scale had gotten to a point
in which he has often sought out oppor-
where it made sense to try to coordinate
tunities in working environments where
and centralize that,” explains Barry. “Both
sourcing and procurement would not only
myself and leadership thought it was a
have senior level support but the function
w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
95
NEWMARK KNIGHT FRANK IS BREAKING BOUNDARIES IN CRE OUTSOURCING and advancing the way owners and occupiers achieve their business objectives. With a premier suite of Global Corporate Services, including Facility Management, Transaction Management, Lease Administration, Consulting, Workplace Strategy, Technology Solutions and more, our clients are improving their real estate functions in ways they never thought possible. Businesses looking to the future look to Newmark Knight Frank. ngkf.com
96
ACCESS CORP
YEAR FOUNDED
2004
ACQUISITIONS
139+
was also seen as a trusted business part-
departments and functions of Access and
ner. This he feels is what made the deci-
asked them all the same questions. How
sion to work with Access something of a
are they learning from their business? How
no-brainer, as the senior level support and
are they managing their departments? What
the collaborative efforts throughout the
are some of the pain points and areas of
organization made for a unique fit.
opportunity? “I also asked the business
As with any journey, the first steps are
functions as to how they have dealt with
often the hardest. Barry set out by taking
making procurement decisions or purchas-
simple steps and holding conversations
ing decisions in the past” says Barry.
with all senior managers across the various
“It was really a case of trying to get an w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
97
understanding of what they, and by extension, the business, needed.” When Barry entered the business, he found himself in the unique position of not having a procureto-pay solution in place and a very antiquated ‘as and when’ approach to sourcing and invoicing. “There was zero centralization of the function or even oversight of purchases. So, I started at the ground level and just tried to understand how each department was making those purchasing decisions and how they were doing it.” From this, Barry consolidated all of the feedback and information and began building out a vision of a best-in-class sourcing and procurement organization and in turn developed a roadmap to get there. Working closely with the company’s CFO, Barry set about building out this journey in six-month stages. The first six months of this journey was a journey of discovery, focusing on understanding the business and most importantly, where procurement can drive true value. The next six months saw the development of the processing around
planning and communication, and then the
how to act upon that, “bringing some good
following 12 to 18 months was focused on
hygiene to the business”.
business integration and supplier manage-
“By good hygiene, I mean that we can
ment, while still remaining focused on
get better control over our spend and get
communication and training, because at the
the necessary policies and procedures
same time, we ended up making a deci-
we need to get us there,” says Barry. “As
sion to roll out a procure to pay solution. To
part of that, the next six months was about
ensure it was successful, we were focused
98
ACCESS CORP
“ The company saw an opportunity to better leverage the collective spend of the organization and the scale had gotten to a point where it made sense to try to coordinate and centralize that” — B I L L B A R R Y, V P, S O U R C I N G A N D P R O C U R E M E N T, AC C E S S
order to maintain that position of a trusted business partner. Running alongside this was the implementation of a P2P solution that Barry feels was key in being able to show exactly what he was looking to on communicating the change to the organ-
achieve and what it would bring to the busi-
ization and training on the system.”
ness as well as opening the door for the
This approach enabled Access to break
next stage of the journey. “The so-called
down this roadmap into ‘very simple math’
second stage is actually more like the
which allowed Barry to walk the business
second roadmap. We’ve already laid down
through his thorough process, taking on live
the groundwork and now we’re continuing
feedback and making revisions and tweaks
to operationalize it, ingraining best prac-
that were communicated to the business in
tices and really looking at the spend to w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
99
uncover where those additional areas of
the business we couldn’t put a solution in
opportunity from a sourcing perspective
place that would have fulfilled the needs of
are, versus what we were doing before.”
a large segment of our business. You need
A journey like this, building a best-in-class
to understand that you’re not going to solve
sourcing organization from the ground up,
every issue that revolves around a specific
will never be a cakewalk and challenges
philosophy or even the goals you set in the
are inescapable. Not only will there be
beginning. But making sure you’re at least
risks and unforeseen circumstances that
addressing the vast majority of them, in that
can plague the journey, but there will also
you’re getting buy-in on the overarching
be the moving of goalposts. The end goals
goal – then you can manipulate the process
will evolve as the demands of the business
underneath that’s going to drive you to that
evolve and this is where Barry’s philosophy
goal to account for those potential changes
comes into play.
in your business.”
“It’s highly important that you stay engaged in the business. Our business is one that’s grown through acquisition, so it was imperative that I was continually talking to the business because throughout this journey, we entered not just new markets but new countries. All of a sudden, we took a business that was US based and set out in creating procurement practices here in the US to take them to an international level,” explains Barry. “It changes so much. For example, our vendor management is completely different now because with us now operating across multiple countries we now must screen our vendors on a global scale across numerous databases and lists more than ever before and that adds new complexities into the process.” “Had we not been constantly talking to 100
ACCESS CORP
One of the core elements of the building out of Access’ procurement and sourcing
“You need to understand that you’re not going to solve every issue that revolves around a specific philosophy or even goal statement that you said in the beginning” — B I L L B A R R Y, V P, S O U R C I N G A N D P R O C U R E M E N T, AC C E S S
function is to create one that can be defined as best-in-class. But what does best-in-class mean and more importantly, how can a company know it has achieved it? It is not uncommon across procurement functions all over the world to look to their peers and to tap into their vast supplier and vendor networks to benchmark against them in order to truly define what best-in-class means to their business. With Barry, it is no different. “Very early on in my career I would get together with a number of my peers: investors, VPs and Directors of procurement across a number of companies we worked with. And we’d meet regularly and bounce information off of one another,” says Barry. “Even today, time permitting, we’d speak regularly through emails and look at the policies we’ve been working on and get insight from one another.” Barry also engages in documents published by a number of sources; the federal government, w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
101
“ I know what I think is bestin-class, but if it doesn’t fit the needs of the business then it’s not best-in-class” — B I L L B A R R Y, V P, S O U R C I N G A N D P R O C U R E M E N T, AC C E S S
102
ACCESS CORP
consulting organizations, etc, pertaining to their procurement and sourcing practices. Access works closely with consulting partners, not directly for consulting in the procurement space but rather their business insight. All of this comes together with an internal steering committee that will review any policy and procedure that’s drawn up before publishing. “Another philosophy I follow is; I know what I think is best-in-class, but if it doesn’t fit the needs of the business then it’s not best-in-class,” he says. “So again, it’s about feedback and engaging with the business and really listening to them. Only then can you become a bestin-class sourcing function.” As Barry has recognized, the future will not be a simple straight line. There will be challenges, opportunity and evolution. The goals will change and the roadmap may evolve, but the approach must remain the same: to listen, to engage and to collaborate. ‘The future for any business will be defined by your willingness to continue to evolve as your business changes,” he says. “I mean, I’ve been here a year and a half and I don’t think there’s a policy out there still, that’s on version one. There are changes that we’re making to address new challenges or new opportunities.” “But ultimately for me, and for Access, what we want is for that best-in-class approach to be ingrained in our philosophy and in our business that this is just how we do it. It’s no longer a case of ‘Oh, procurement’s making me do this.’ This is the way we do it. This is why we do it this way and this is way we’ll continue to do it.”
w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
103
THE BIG DEBATE: KEY CHALLENGES FOR PROCUREMENT IN 2020 WRI T T EN BY
D ale B e n t o n
2 0 2 0 I S I N F U L L S W I N G, A N D Y E T T H E P RO C U R E M E N T I N D U S T RY I S I N C R E D I B LY F LU I D A N D CO N S TA N T LY E VO LV I N G W H I C H M E A N S T H A T W I T H E A C H P A S S I N G D AY, T H E C H A L L E N G E S W E F A C E C O N T I N U O U S LY C H A N G E . H E R E , W E TA K E A LO O K AT T H E K E Y P RO C U R E M E N T C H A L L E N G E S FAC I N G P RO F E S S I O N A L S I N 2 0 2 0 , A S TO L D BY T H E P RO F E S S I O N A L S T H E M S E LV E S
104
105
ncertainties in the global market leading U into complexities of business partnership. Locking the right partners at the right time and at the right cost and knowledge transfer among different team members
Musbah Abu Jarad, SCP Corporate and Assets Management Procurement, ALDAR Properties
106
T H E B I G D E B AT E : K E Y C H A L L E N G E S F O R P R O C U R E M E N T I N 2 0 2 0
Mahmoud Alalawi, Director of Procurement and Contracts, Higher Colleges of Technology
I believe people will be a challenge in the digital & AI transformation journey that most procurement functions are undertaking. Most of the focus from businesses is on systems, technologies and yet people are the main element in this equation. Having people adapt to new technologies and upscaling them to work with AI/ML and technology with trust is a challenge that will need to be tackled wisely
w w w . c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
107
Vivek Saluja, PMP, SAP Project Manager
Standardization of processes. Cloud procurement solutions demand that organizations change their custom processes in favour of best practices based standard processes to reduce
108
T H E B I G D E B AT E : K E Y C H A L L E N G E S F O R P R O C U R E M E N T I N 2 0 2 0
I believe people will be a challenge in the digital & AI transformation journey that most Procurement functions are undertaken. Most of the focus from businesses is on systems, technologies and yet people are the main element in this equation. Having people adapt to new technologies and upscaling them to work with AI/ML and technology with trust is a challenge that will need to be tackled wisely
Sammeli Sammalkorpi, CEO and Co-founder of Sievo
w w w . c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
109
Supplier consolidation and innovation with top suppliers coupled with leveraging AI to automate internal processes improve data quality and deliver real time spend / supplier analytics
Jill Robbins, Senior Director, Global Procurement - Indirect Goods & Services, Elanco
110
T H E B I G D E B AT E : K E Y C H A L L E N G E S F O R P R O C U R E M E N T I N 2 0 2 0
Dana Small, Senior Category Manager, Global Strategic Sourcing, BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.
Incorporating AI technology into procurement practices. There are a lot of great products out there that leverage this technology, but a lot of organizations are still hesitant to implement them
w w w . c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
111
Iain Campbell McKenna, Managing Director, Sourcing Solved
Implementing digital procurement transformation and having the right talent to do so. Transformation starts with people and without these key people in place, it becomes even more challenging
112
T H E B I G D E B AT E : K E Y C H A L L E N G E S F O R P R O C U R E M E N T I N 2 0 2 0
w w w . c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
113
Americas Procurement Congress 2020:
We take a look at what makes Americas Procurement Congress 2020 an unmissable event in the procurement calendar WRI T T EN BY
114
P r oc ur em ent L e a d e r s
115
Congress Overview and what we aim to achieve Americas Procurement Congress 2020 brings together 300+ of the region’s leading procurement minds from across North, South and Central America, to determine how to drive the pace of business change and ultimately business impact realised through procurement activities. The Congress content is targeted at Chief Procurement Officers and their senior leadership team and will provide a platform for those CPO’s at the strategic decision-making level as well as those within the leadership team actioning the CPO’s vision, to evaluate their own functional impact towards overall business objectives and growth.
Why is this focus important now? Chief Procurement Officers face a whirlwind of change: from geo-political and economic uncertainty, to rapidly chang-
As CPOs plan for the year ahead, it
ing requirements from the business. To
is critical they realise that tried-and-
tackle this, procurement must expand
tested procurement processes and
its capabilities and deliver greater busi-
approaches are no longer going to be
ness impact across all its activities. One
appropriate to achieve their objectives.
common issue faced is that change is
Although CPOs are recognising the need
not happening nearly as fast as it should
to change, the annual planning process
across procurement functions and there-
demonstrates that more can be done to
fore business impact from procurement
push the boundaries of what procure-
not realised.
ment can achieve. CPOs must plan for a
116
AMERICAS PROCUREMENT CONGRESS 202
and realised value for their businesses through greater stakeholder collaboration and partnering, upskilling of talent and capabilities, operational efficiencies and digitalisation efforts.
value proposition and operating model
What is in store at APC 2020? Why attend?
will take on a very different shape and
This year’s agenda will focus on the key
format, while also having to deal with
challenges currently faced by the global
increasing value chain pace of change,
procurement community: digitalisation,
disruption, regulation and complexity.
risk, sustainability and talent, but all
data-driven future where procurement’s
APC 20 will address the bottlenecks
through the lens of how these areas of
to delivering business impact as well
focus can help achieve business objec-
as deliver insights from those that have
tives and deliver impact to global busi-
effectively delivered business impact
nesses. The Congress aims to provide a w w w . c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
117
roadmap for the modern CPO of how to develop their function, ensure the function’s value proposition is fit for a new world and reach procurement and business overall goals through value creation and sustainable growth in ever changing and volatile environments. APC is the perfect opportunity to meet with a global community of the most senior, progressive procurement leaders from around the world. With time set aside for formal and informal networking to expand personal and professional networks, content to inspire and aspire to, and an array of the most innovative technology and solution providers to help execute strategy, APC 2020 brings together the entire procurement ecosystem to help develop practical and tangible strategy to deliver true and meaningful impact to the business.
How are these key areas of focus explored at the Congress? Morning of Day 1 - sets the scene around the change imperative, providing a strategic look at procurement’s continued journey towards value beyond savings can be achieved and how to deliver in the face of dynamic markets shifts and trade scenarios. Afternoon of Day 1 - sheds light on the 118
AMERICAS PROCUREMENT CONGRESS 202
need for continuous innovation to deliver
and how best to set goals and map
continuous results. One key aspect of
strategically.
this is how to create and maintain a of change and the different internal and
What makes APC stand out and different from other events?
external stakeholder's procurement
APC 20 is a true representation of
needs to be engaging with.
Americas procurement as a region. The
culture of optimization during a period
Day 2 will take a look at how to reconfigure the entire value chain and what
congress has companies and delegates attend from Canada to South America.
is required for procurement to leverage revenue generating opportunities. Day 2
What does procurement look like for businesses in 2020?
rounds off with a look to the next decade
We strongly believe that procurement
greater customer centricity and possible
will become far more strategic to the business, continuing the trajectory it has been on for 20 years from its legacy as a back-office function. However, many of the current tasks will become automated and digitalised, leaving procurement professionals to focus on the management of complex, reciprocal relationships in the supply network; supplier-collaboration initiatives for the collective good of the value chain and harnessing data to inform better business decisions. There is a risk that those procurement functions that don’t evolve quickly become obsolete.
w w w . c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
119
EVENTS OF 2020 W R I T T E N BY Kev i n D av i e s
120
CONFERENCES AND EVENTS PROVIDE INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS WITH A FORUM TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE AND BEST PRACTICE WHILE GAINING STRATEGIC INSIGHT INTO INDUSTRY TRENDS AND CHALLENGES. OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS, THE PROCUREMENT INDUSTRY HAS A NUMBER OF HIGH-LEVEL EVENTS LINED UP ACROSS THE GLOBE, EACH ONE ADDING PRACTICAL BUSINESS VALUE FOR ATTENDEES
121
03.03.20 EWORLD PROCUREMENT & SUPPLY Since 2001, eWorld Procurement & Supply has provided a unique insight into the latest innovations and technologies for senior procurement, supply chain and finance executives. eWorld provides a highly time-effective platform to keep up-to-date with the latest developments, market trends and hot topics.
122
EVENTS
31.03.20 PROCURECON INDIRECT 2020 “We launched ProcureCon in 1999 and have been dedicated to supporting the growth of Procurement ever since. What started off as 100 people in a room discussing where this sector is headed, has led to over 5000 senior-level procurement executives being inspired whilst learning and developing their company as well as their careers over the past 17 years.� Onsite you will receive a memorable learning and networking experience. With over 45 interactive case studies, drill down roundtables, workshops and networking functions ProcureCon Indirect will provide you with insight, intelligence and contacts that will benefit you and your organisation for years to come.
w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
123
124
EVENTS
13.05.20 WORLD PROCUREMENT CONGRESS 800 procurement thought leaders came together across three days in London (2019) for the inaugural World Procurement Week, and at the heart of this was World Procurement Congress. Co-chaired by Jet Antonio and Joe Agresta, who encouraged delegates to Be bold in your vision. “Be fearless in all you do, the event broke down barriers and channelled high velocity procurement across highly immersive and thought-provoking sessions.�
w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
125
March 19-20, 2020 | Eden Roc, Miami USA
DRIVING THE PACE OF BUSINESS IMPACT 300
130
50
30
Senior Procurement Attendees
Unique Organizations
Expert Speakers & Facilitators
Industries
FIND OUT MORE AMERICASPROCUREMENTCONGRESS.COM 126 EVENTS
AN AGENDA BUILT TO HELP YOU DELIVER
Increasing the rate of business change Continuous innovation for continuous result Reconfiguring the whole value chain
@procurementLeaders #PLAPC w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m 127
17.05.20 PROCUREMENT SUMMIT Procurement Summit is the new event for procurement in Germany. We have set ourselves the goal of adding to the landscape of procurement events in Germany with a modern, entertaining event featuring leading minds on the subject. Procurement Summit has been held annually in Hamburg since 2018 and brings together top experts from the fields of purchasing, procurement, logistics, supply chain management and sourcing to discuss current trends. The target group ranges from medium-sized companies to global corporations and professionally from users to consultants and other service providers, as well as technology suppliers for purchasing.
128
EVENTS
w w w. c p o s t r a t e g y. c o m
129
BE LIKE SAM
Are you leading a Procurement or Technology transformation? CPOstrategy & Interface Magazine offer a unique opportunity to showcase your story and give a voice to that journey Get in touch. Be like Sam and share your story!
FIND OUT MORE