"If your only role is cost management and processes, that's scary to me. The value of procurement is so much more than that." – Etosha Thurman, Chief Marketing Officer, Finance and Spend Management at SAP

AI is rapidly changing procurement's mandate and the expectations that business leaders now have. 

Technology is no longer just digitizing processes; it's opening the door to new operating models and deeper business impact. To thrive, procurement teams must deliver far more than savings. They must bring innovation, resilience, and data-driven influence to the table.

In this episode, Philip Ideson welcomes Etosha Thurman, Chief Marketing Officer, Finance and Spend Management at SAP. Etosha's career spans sourcing at P&G to leading finance and procurement solutions at SAP. She shares stories and hard-earned insights on how AI is reshaping procurement, what it means for team structure, and why soft skills matter more than ever.

Whether you're exploring practical use cases for AI or looking to reposition procurement as a strategic partner, Etosha offers advice you won't hear elsewhere. She also dives into driving internal investment and how procurement leaders can tell a more powerful story about their work.

In this episode, Etosha explores how to:  

• Identify which procurement skills are critical and which may be automated  
• Rethink your operating model to match AI-enabled workflows  
• Secure buy-in by linking procurement to business growth and resilience  
• Turn data and technology investments into lasting business value  
• Build a stronger brand and tell your procurement story for greater influence

Links:

• Etosha Thurman on LinkedIn
• Learn more about SAP's Spend Management software
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

"The value you bring as a procurement function has transcended being a cost saver. They are now a discussion partner with other functions and bring value in the form of intelligence." - Adrian Vicol, Data Strategy Lead & Data Architect, Siemens Energy

Procurement leaders are facing more complex questions about data than ever before. As organizations move toward AI and automation, the need for clean, reliable, and actionable data is skyrocketing – but most teams are still wrestling with legacy challenges and data silos. 

Getting this right is no longer optional; it's becoming mission-critical.

In this special episode, recorded on-site at ProcureTEX in London, host Philip Ideson speaks with Adrian Vicol, Data Strategy Lead at Siemens Energy. Philip was there at the invitation of Beroe to speak with some of their customers about turning data into actionable insights.

Adrian shares a no-nonsense perspective on what it really takes to close the data-to-action gap for procurement. You'll hear firsthand how Siemens Energy is building a strong data foundation, implementing practical governance, and reshaping the way their procurement teams deliver value across the business.

In this episode, Adrian discusses how to:

• Define a clear North Star for procurement data strategy and automation
• Structure strong data governance with business and technical roles
• Approach legacy data cleanup pragmatically to build trust in analytics
• Integrate internal and external data for real-time insights  
• Engage procurement professionals to share expertise and drive adoption

Links:

• Adrian Vicol on LinkedIn
• AOP Provider Directory: Beroe
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

"Play the long game, avoid myopic thinking and approaches to solve immediate problems as much as you can, and treat your suppliers as your customers or clients." 
– Darshan Deshmukh, President at ProcureAbility

Procurement leaders are facing unparalleled uncertainty – trade wars, shifting regulations, and headlines that change overnight. Pressure is mounting to build more resilient, agile supply chains, but most organizations are battling change fatigue as well as a need to redefine value. 

Procurement has to rewire their operating model for a future where disruption is the norm.

In this Art of Procurement podcast episode, Philip Ideson and Kelly Barner are joined by Darshan Deshmukh, President at ProcureAbility. Darshan shares real-world stories about how teams are grappling with global risk and why some are seeing volatility as an engine for growth, while others are retrenching. The conversation addresses how CPOs can actively manage optionality in their supply chains, and how procurement leaders can spot – and address – risk fatigue in their teams.

If you want to understand what it means to create a cost-effective and resilient, opportunity-ready supply chain, this episode gives you the roadmap.

In this episode, Darshan discusses how to:

• Adapt your approach for regional differences in geopolitical risk
• Invest in supply chain optionality, even if it adds time and/or cost
• Transition from transactional work to collaborative, strategic relationship building
• Use data and human judgment to separate real risks from noise

Links:

• Darshan Deshmukh on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube
• Overcoming Procurement's Fear of AI with ProcureAbility

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

"Procurement organizations that are able to master knowledge around their workflows and categories, and bring that intelligence on demand into their processes and tech, are going to really be able to get that 5x, 10x, 20x kind of performance advantage. It's a game-changer."  - Pierre Mitchell, Chief Research Officer and Managing Director, Spend Matters

Procurement technology is a fast moving target, and well-known industry analyst Pierre Mitchell is one of a handful of highly experienced people who can provide a nuanced perspective on the evolving landscape of procure tech, both looking back at what's been accomplished while simultaneously predicting the trends that will drive us into 2025 and beyond.

In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Pierre, who is the Chief Research Officer and Managing Director at Spend Matters, about the critical factors impacting the procure tech market, how to avoid data paralysis, the road ahead for procurement and generative AI, and how procurement leaders can wade through a crowded, fragmented, (and still growing!) procure tech landscape. 

They also discuss:

• The most important procure tech trends to pay attention to in 2025
• What procurement leaders should look for in an intake and orchestration platform
• The likely outcomes, key developments, and challenges for the procure tech market in 2025

Links:

• Pierre Mitchell on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

"For procurement, now is the time to raise your hand and sit at the table where your company is deciding on AI use cases, because that is going to transform your trajectory in the industry and the company." - Mary Purk, Co-Author of "Growing Up: Navigating Generative AI's Early Years – AI Adoption Report" by AI at Wharton

It's been two years since ChatGPT democratized AI technology access and became the most rapidly downloaded consumer application in history. Since then we've seen a steep acceleration of AI-driven innovation, opportunity, and concern. 

Just like every other area of the business, procurement has their own unique story about the way AI continues to change the way they function and create value.

In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Mary Purk, co-author of the recently published AI adoption report "Growing Up: Navigating Generative AI's Early Years" by AI at Wharton and GBK Collective. The report provides data on AI adoption trends within businesses and across functions and the impact that AI is having and will have in the future. 

Mary and Philip discuss:

• How far procurement has come since ChatGPT's release in 2022 and where they're headed in 2025 and beyond
• Why procurement managers are better positioned than any other role in the business to drive AI transformation in the next 12-18 months
• The pros and cons of make versus buy when weighing your organization's approach AI-driven procurement technology
• The perception of AI's impact, and what that says about opportunity within procurement to demonstrate their success and secure their future

Links:

• Report: "Growing Up: Navigating Generative AI's Early Years – AI Adoption Report" by AI at Wharton and GBK Collective
• Mary Purk on LinkedIn
• Microsoft AI Learning Hub
• Hard Fork podcast on Spotify
• Microsoft Podcasts
• Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

"If you want to be a customer of choice, it's not going to come down to the contract, it's going to come down to the relationship, even at the individual level." - Oliver Jones, Director (Procurement) for H&Z Management Consultancy

Procurement may be a highly tech-driven function – and growing ever more so by the day – but at its core, the quality of procurement's relationships with internal stakeholders and suppliers ultimately determine their success or failure for the business. 

In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Oliver Jones, Director (Procurement) for H&Z Management Consultancy, about why the "relationship" part of supplier relationship management (SRM) is vital for procurement's ability to deliver value to the business. He also shares his perspective on how procurement can overcome some of the more common obstacles to creating strong relationships, but why, in the end, it's well worth the effort – for procurement, for suppliers, and for the business in general.

They also discuss:

• How multiple metrics of procurement's success – like risk management, ESG, or value beyond savings – are all tied back to (and dependant on) supplier relationship management
• Why the 'center-led' operating model is the optimal framework to enable successful supplier relationship management
• Best practices for dividing procurement's focus and prioritization among tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3 suppliers

Links:

• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Oliver Jones on LinkedIn

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

"Every procurement journey is unique, and now we have the tools and technologies that allow us to be a lot more flexible in how we build procurement operating models so that we can truly adapt to exactly what the business needs." – Philip Ideson, Founder and Managing Director, Art of Procurement

In the hustle and bustle of end-of-year reporting, wrap ups, and planning for the year to come, it's important for procurement to take a pause – even a very brief one – and think about how they should be reacting to some of the 'bigger picture' forces impacting the function and the business in general.

In this episode, Philip Ideson and Kelly Barner take a look back at the recent Mastermind LIVE 2024, one of AOP's most popular digital events of the year, where we considered some of the most important, even challenging, issues facing procurement today. They debrief each of the 6 sessions and tease out the most important insights, surprising and unexpected moments, and tactical call outs that procurement should keep in mind as they plan for 2025 and beyond. 

Kelly and Philip add their own perspectives to the session topics, including:

• How procurement is positioning themselves for success in 2025 and how procurement operating models should evolve to clear the way for success
• What kinds of changes – both good and bad – we can expect to procurement roles in the coming months or years, and which jobs are least likely to survive AI
• How procurement can build a tech roadmap that maximizes stakeholder adoption and user satisfaction
• And much much more! 

Links:

• Watch Mastermind LIVE 2024 on demand
• Philip Ideson on LinkedIn
• Kelly Barner on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

"There are not many functions, if any, other than procurement that sit in a position to both positively and negatively have such an impact on organizations, on strategy, on direction." - Gordon Donovan

In an era of increasing uncertainty and existential angst over AI, Gordon Donovan has a refreshingly optimistic view of procurement's future. In fact, he says, procurement might just very well save the world. 

While this may be a hyperbolic statement, it's not that far off the mark, as Gordon explains to Philip Ideson in this episode of Art of Procurement. 

As Gordon sees it, procurement is one of the only functions that holds the power – or privilege – to directly impact almost every corner of the business, well beyond cost. As such, how procurement approaches things like relationship building, crisis management, volatility, risk assessment, digital disruption, and strategic planning will play a huge role in determining just how successful they are in 'saving the world.'

In this episode, Philip and Gordon also discuss:

• Redefining procurement as a risk function, critical to business continuity and supply chain visibility
• Procurement's role in driving global supply chain trends in reshoring, nearshoring, and "friend-shoring"
• How establishing genuine trust with suppliers leads to bottom-line results for the business
  

Links:

• Gordon Donovan on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

"We're in the business of change – selling change and then delivering it." - Gordon Donovan, Vice President Research - Procurement & External Workforce, SAP 

In an era of overlapping crises, procurement faces fast-evolving challenges… and opportunities. 

Senior leaders are tasked with not only keeping the engine running but also building resilient, future-facing teams that thrive in complexity. The recently published SAP Economist Impact research report, "The Resilient Edge: Procurement in an Era of Polycrisis," provides a data-driven lens on what the next three to five years may hold, especially as outsourcing, skills, and technology reshape operating models.

To dig into this new research, Philip Ideson welcomes Gordon Donovan, Vice President Research - Procurement & External Workforce at SAP, back to the show. Gordon combs through insights on what is driving procurement decision-making, current confidence in category management, and the practical implications of surging contingent workforce and outsourcing activity.

Whether you want to understand why risk management is lagging, how AI will drive operating model transformation, or where procurement should focus next, Gordon brings both the latest data and his own hard-won advice for CPOs.

In this episode, Gordon discusses how this latest research from SAP can help procurement:

• Identify how leaders' priorities are aligning for the first time in four years
• Rethink the value proposition beyond cost savings and communicate it upstream
• Advance risk management beyond basic compliance, especially in category strategies
• Harness outsourcing and the contingent workforce as proactive transformation levers
• Prioritize the right skills, even those that rarely make the official list

Links

• Gordon Donovan on LinkedIn
  
• Procurement's Path Through an Era of Polycrisis
• Visit the SAP Website
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

"No matter how strong or how solid your foundations might be, the environment in which we operate is changing at such a pace that if we do not evolve with it, we will become obsolete." - Sebastien Bals, EVP, Chief Procurement Officer at Merck Group

As technology – AI in particular – continues to transform the way we work and live, the future of procurement hangs in the balance. 

In this episode, Philip Ideson and Sebastien Bals, EVP and Chief Procurement Officer at Merck Group, talk about the "two roads" facing procurement: one, defined by opportunity, innovation, and transformation, and the other marked by disruption, outdated roles and practices, and far more uncertainty. 

They confront the larger, existential questions that keep many procurement leaders up at night, while recognizing that procurement's willingness to adapt and adjust could be the very skills that keep them from traveling down the path to extinction.

They also discuss:

• Overcoming procurement's inferiority complex and demonstrating value in new digital contexts
• How procurement can keep and leverage that long-coveted "seat at the table" they now enjoy
• Securing procurement's future in an increasingly digitized, AI-powered world

Links:

• Sebastian Bals on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

"The visionary leaders can see the opportunities but also recognize that, while traditional skills in procurement still remain very, very important, they need to evolve to realize the true value of technology." - Andrew Daley, Managing Director, Digital Procurement & Supply Chain, Edbury Daley

The skills and operating models procurement prioritizes are key to their success whether they are facing a single, large-scale transformation or if they are on a steady, continuous digitization journey. 

Philip Ideson recently spoke with Andrew Daley, Managing Director, Digital Procurement & Supply Chain at Edbury Daley, in-person at SAP Spend Connect Live in Las Vegas. 

Along with discussing insights from a recent research report on procurement technology skills, they explore the importance of centers of excellence, upskilling, and automation. Andrew also shares his views on:

• Why digital literacy, change management, and strategic thinking skills are critical for both practitioners and procurement leaders
• Strategies for attracting and developing top talent in procurement
• How AI and automation will impact traditional procurement roles, and the skills that will become more valuable in the process 

Links:

• Andrew Daley on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

"You have to build a business case and be mindful and purposeful about your continuous improvement and your education around the art of what is possible." Joël Collin-Demers, Consulting Principal at Pure Procurement

The rapid expansion in the procurement technology landscape in recent years has left many procurement leaders feeling overwhelmed by choice and complexity and second-guessing themselves about how to successfully take advantage of all the opportunities that technology provides.

In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Joël Collin-Demers, Consulting Principal at Pure Procurement, about why continuous improvement, rather than transformation, might be the key to successful procurement digitization. 

Joël explains how the tendency to view transformation as a means to a clearly defined endpoint often leads to overwhelmed teams and unrealized value. Instead of a one-off digital transformation overhaul, he advocates for a measured, strategic approach that starts with understanding business processes and builds technology capabilities incrementally over a sustained period of time.In this episode, Joel and Philip explore:

• Practical steps on how to embark on a digitization journey and develop an effective procurement technology roadmap, no matter where you're starting from
• How to navigate trends and changes in the procure tech market, including full-suite versus single-point solutions
• How to leverage the relationship between procurement and IT to overcome constraints to digitization

Links:

• Joël Collin-Demers on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

In the final part of this four-part special series, we compare and contrast the actual policy positions of Democratic Candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican Candidate Former President Donald J. Trump. 

With less than two weeks until election day, procurement and supply chain professionals must have plans in place for the eventuality of either candidate being voted into office, focusing on the areas where they agree as much as where they differ.

Listen in as Kelly Barner describes where the two major party candidates actually differ (and where they have a lot in common) based on their own campaign websites, policy platforms, and statements from publicly available interviews:

• The differences we can expect when supply chain policy is focused on critical industries versus an emphasis on keeping production domestic
• Looking at a diverse range of energy sources as well as the overall cost and supply of available energy
• Corporate tax rates that may go up or down
• And one thing both candidates agree upon: China

Links:

• Kelly Barner on LinkedIn
• Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter 
• Art of Supply on AOP
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

In part three of this four-part special series, we will cover the policies and plans of Republican Candidate former President Donald Trump. 

Former President Donald Trump is 78 Years old, and a former businessman/real estate developer as well as the former host of The Apprentice. He became the nominee on July 18, 2024 when he accepted the nomination at the Republican National Convention

Listen in as Kelly Barner explores his policy positions and platform:

• Detailed positions on global trade and China
• The lack of detail regarding his position on emissions and the environment
• Strong statements about both the cost and availability of energy, and the importance of emphasizing domestic production over imports from other parts of the world 

Links:

• Donald J. Trump for President website
• Transcript of the September 10, 2024 Presidential Debate on ABC
• Transcript of the June 27, 2024 Presidential Debate on CNN
• Republican Party 2024 Platform Document
• Donald Trump Republican National Convention Speech Transcript
• Transcript of Donald Trump's interview with Time Magazine
• Video of Bloomberg interview from October 15, 2024
• Kelly Barner on LinkedIn
• Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter 
• Art of Supply on AOP
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

In part two of this four-part special series, we will cover the policies and plans of Democratic Candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. 

Vice President Kamala is 60 Years old and a former Senator and Attorney General from the State of California. She became the presumptive Democratic nominee on July 21, 2024 when President Biden suspended his campaign for re-election, and the official nominee on August 22 when she accepted the nomination at the Democratic National Convention.

Listen in as Kelly Barner explores her policy positions and platform:

• Detailed plans for renewable energy and the environment
• The lack of detail regarding her position on trade and tariffs
• Strong statements about China, specifically around the race to dominate AI, domestic labor protections, and intellectual property concerns 

Links:

• Kamala Harris for President website
• A New Way Forward for the Middle Class
• Transcript of the September 10, 2024 Presidential Debate on ABC
• Kamala Harris Democratic National Convention Speech Transcript
• Democratic Party 2024 Platform Document
• 60 Minutes Interview with Bill Whitaker
• Kelly Barner on LinkedIn
• Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter 
• Art of Supply on AOP
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

"We can all claim savings without necessarily achieving the result." 

This stark observation from Jason Busch sums up decades of dysfunction in how procurement measures their impact and why AI may finally force a (much-needed) reckoning with reality.

In this episode of "Buy: The Way...To Purposeful Procurement," Jason joins co-hosts Philip Ideson and Rich Ham to explore how artificial intelligence might finally solve procurement's validation problem… but only if organizations abandon their addiction to "claiming savings" and start measuring what actually matters: EBITDA.

As a co-founder of FreeMarkets and a founder of Spend Matters, Jason has witnessed 25 years of procurement's evolution from the inside, and he's not pulling any punches.

Instead, he offers a radical proposition: procurement should function as economic "detectives" gathering evidence of spend crimes, then "prosecutors" holding suppliers accountable based on that evidence. The technology finally exists to make this possible, but it will require procurement to abandon the comfortable fiction of projected savings in favor of the uncomfortable truth of EBITDA impact.

The implications of this approach extend beyond individual organizations. Jason frames procurement's societal purpose as "public defenders against rampant cost escalation," suggesting that when buyer-side flaws enable seller-side exploitation, the ultimate losers are consumers who absorb these costs through higher prices.

According to Jason, the question isn't whether technology will transform procurement… It's whether procurement will transform themselves enough to leverage that technology purposefully and for the good of the business.

Links:

• Jason Busch on LinkedIn
• Rich Ham on LinkedIn
• Learn more at FineTuneUs.com

There are two weeks to go until the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. Interest, speculation, and tension have been building all year.

Most news coverage of the election is intended to sway voters, hyperbolic to a fault, and not tailored to the specific information needs of procurement and supply chain professionals. What we really need to know is what each major party candidate has said and what likely outcomes that would lead to.

In this four-part special series, we will cover the policies and plans of Democratic Candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican Candidate Former President Donald J. Trump as well as how they compare.

Listen in as Kelly Barner kicks off the series by explaining:

• Why all procurement and supply chain professionals need to be prepared for either candidate to win
• The impact of tariffs, China, energy, and environmental policy on corporate strategy
• The rules of engagement and discussion that will apply in this series and the discussions that result

Links:

• Kelly Barner on LinkedIn
• Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter 
• Art of Supply on AOP
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

"What we are seeing is companies have made the decision that they believe being more sustainable is good business. Therefore, that is the number one priority." - Daniel Dorr, VP of Marketing at Supplier.io

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations are core components of a strong supply chain, but these initiatives can also expose the business to unexpected areas of risk.

In this episode, based on an AOP Live session, hosts Philip Ideson and Kelly Barner talk with Daniel Dorr and Laura Noonan from Supplier.io and Alexandra Di Fabrizio from Impak Analytics to discuss the findings of over 200 in-depth ESG risk assessments that provide an unparalleled look into the current risks of supplier sustainability performance. 

They break down the highest risk areas associated with ESG, share mitigation best practices, and elaborate on the opportunities procurement has to strengthen their role in the business by neutralizing ESG risk.

In this episode, Daniel, Alexandra, and Laura discuss:

• The highest ESG risks currently impacting global supply chains and how to assess your company's threat level
• Effective ESG risk mitigation strategies and lessons learned from other companies' innovative approaches
• How highlighting areas where your suppliers are excelling in ESG performance can minimize risk, provide inspiration for your supply chain, and benchmark your organization's sustainability initiatives

Links:

• Daniel Dorr on LinkedIn
• Laura Noonan on LinkedIn
• Alexandra Di Fabrizio on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

"Procurement teams face increasing pressure to demonstrate value and drive business outcomes, but sometimes there's a disconnect between the skills that they have and the skills that they need to deliver at the highest level." - Philip Ideson, Founder & Managing Director at Art of Procurement

A robust capability framework is the heart of procurement team development. It's a powerful tool that teams can use to enhance their performance, better align with the business, and ultimately drive better outcomes across all initiatives, big and small.

In this solo episode, Philip Ideson explains why capability frameworks have emerged as a critical part of building stronger, more impactful teams. 

Specifically, he explains:

• What a capability framework is and how to build one for your procurement team
• Key strategies for assessing your team's skills and how to conduct a gap analysis to prioritize professional development needs
• How to account for diverse learning and working styles when building a tailored development plan, even if you're working with limited resources
  

Links:

• Philip Ideson on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

"When you have the ability to connect data and collaborate with teams, that collective intelligence you're able to surface at different places is what causes generational change." - Shachi Rai Gupta, Vice President of Strategy at ORO Labs

Procurement is in the midst of a transformational shift when it comes to technology and data, and many teams are now looking to procurement orchestration to unify their processes, improve spend and risk management, and position themselves as innovative and strategic leaders in the business. 

In early 2024, Art of Procurement and ORO Labs partnered to conduct a study into the factors that are making procurement orchestration a top area of focus. The study also made it possible to gain a better understanding of how teams can use strategic orchestration to increase their visibility, effectiveness, and influence. 

In this episode, Shachi Rai Gupta, Vice President of Strategy at ORO Labs, and Martin Ward, Digital Procurement Transformation at Roche, discuss the results of the survey and key insights learned about procurement orchestration, including:

• The observations we can make about procurement organizations that consider strategic orchestration a top priority
• Why nearly half of procurement teams have low or very low real-time visibility into ongoing activities, and how that limits their impact
• The correlation between increased automation and how easy the rest of the business feels it is to work with procurement
  

Links:

• Martin Ward on LinkedIn
• Shachi Rai Gupta on LinkedIn
• Watch Again: Seismic Shifts: Harnessing the Power of Procurement Orchestration
• Download the Research Report: Procurement's Orchestration Readiness
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Subscribe to AOP on YouTube

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

"I'm madly passionate about procurement because I think it's a hidden gem of the corporate world, and it's a magical field for problem solvers." - Natasha Gurevich, Founder and CEO of Candor Procurement

Natasha Gurevich, Founder and CEO of Candor Procurement, has a long track record of procurement leadership under her belt. Most recently, she was the first Chief Procurement Officer at Nike, and, before that, VP of Global Procurement at Salesforce. She has also enjoyed procurement leadership roles at McKesson, Paypal, Gap, and Visa.

In this episode, Philip Ideson talks with Natasha about her journey to becoming one of procurement's most well-known change agents and how her decades of experience in leadership roles have shaped her approach to driving change at scale. 

Natasha shares her perspectives on:

• How to create change without causing too much disruption, fear, or resistance
• Adopting a specific, repeatable methodology to change in order to balance wider business goals with individual needs and concerns
• The ways procurement needs to evolve and improve, starting with a recognition that category management will be the #1 driving factor for success in the future

Links:

• Natasha Gurevich on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Subscribe to the AOP YouTube channel

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

"Procurement is going to be on the front lines, creating competitive advantage for the corporation." - Vel Dhinagaravel, CEO at Beroe

AI isn't just a buzzword anymore… it's rapidly becoming procurement's sharpest tool for staying ahead. 

Business leaders now demand more than "check-the-box" savings; they want real, data-driven competitiveness that puts their organizations at the front of the pack. The big question: how can AI and always-on intelligence transform procurement's role and impact?

In this Art of Procurement podcast episode, Beroe CEO Vel Dhinagaravel joins host Philip Ideson for a candid conversation on the reality (and roadblocks) of using AI in procurement. Vel draws from deep experience and real-world case studies to reveal where intelligence platforms are making a difference, how measurement is shifting, and what mindsets are needed to win in today's faster, more transparent world.

From rethinking metrics to unlocking competitive benchmarking and avoiding overhyped tech promises, this conversation gives procurement leaders practical advice they can use now.

In this episode, Vel discusses:

• How leading CPOs are moving from point-in-time savings to continuous value
• Why benchmarking against competitors (not just last year's spend) is the new mandate
• Where and how to use AI for measurable results
• Ways to spot the hype vs. real limitations in intelligent agent tools
• How to prepare your team for the market's next leap in performance

Links:

• Vel Dhinagaravel on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

"Procurement is at the point where they're trying to figure out next steps on digitization, and it will be an immediate priority for everyone in the next couple of years." - Gordon Donovan, Vice President of Research - Procurement and External Workforce at SAP

It is Gordon Donovan's job to read every single piece of research that's published on procurement, the workforce, and the supply chain. More importantly, it is his job to figure out what it means. As he told Philip Ideson, "I've got the best job in the world." 

All of this information gives Gordon a deep and comprehensive view of the global procurement landscape and the challenges and opportunities that it presents. 

In this episode, Philip draws on Gordon's depth of knowledge to discuss the findings of SAP's recently published Economist Impact report, as well as what the research tells us about procurement's vision, priorities, and opportunities for the future. 

Listen in to hear Gordon and Phil discuss the report, which included some surprising findings, as well as:

• Why digitization tops the list of procurement's most important priorities
• How procurement can handle increased complexity and workloads, even as headcounts remain stagnant
• Procurement's AI maturity journey and where they are on the path to acceptance and adoption compared to other business functions

Links:

• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Gordon Donovan on LinkedIn
• Read the 2024 Sap Economist Impact Report
• Listen to Gordon Donovan in a previous episode: From C-Suite Priority to Procurement 
• Unpacking SAP's 2024 Economist Impact Report
• Strategy: Managing Risk at Scale

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

"Everyone has an opinion about facility services in your buildings, so you're always trying to accommodate multiple stakeholders and juggle multiple departments." - Alex Carlson, VP of Facilities Management Services at Fine Tune

In the world of indirect spend management, there are few categories as complex - and high stakes - as facilities management. Delivery locations and sometimes provider networks are distributed and fragmented, making selection, implementation, and ongoing oversight especially difficult.

It is no wonder, then, that so many companies are tempted over to "the dark side" of convenience-based solutions in this category. Unfortunately, allowing third parties to manage the delivery of services may also give them more control over cost than procurement realizes.

In this episode, Kelly Barner is joined by Alex Carlson, former Vice President of Category Management within Wells Fargo's Corporate Properties division and new VP of Facilities Management Services at Fine Tune. 

His experience and advice can help your organization avoid "the dark side" and instead walk towards the many opportunities for value creation associated with this category of spend.

Listen in to learn:

• The benefits of managing costs as well as services through a cost plus model
• How to navigate the transition from service provider to client
• Unique facilities management challenges in C-store, big box retail, and office environments
• In depth category perspectives and stories of managed services survival

Links:

• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Alex Carlson on LinkedIn
• Watch Again: Why is facilities management so complex?

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

"At the end of the day, we're trying to create this organization from which we have the ability to help the profession move forward with more than ever before. We think in terms of what each trend or change is going to mean to each team and what they can make of the related opportunities and challenges." - Philip Ideson, Founder & Managing Director, Art of Procurement

In this episode of the Art of Procurement podcast, Philip Ideson and Kelly Barner take a break from their usual roles interviewing procurement thought leaders and experts to reflect on the year so far in procurement, including emerging trends, economic pressures, election coverage, AI, and the always-evolving needs of the procurement community.

Philip and Kelly also discuss the recent results of an AOP survey that reveals procurement's increasing demand for quality, targeted content, and they share what they've been hearing from other procurement leaders about the impact of AI now that the "newness" has worn off and teams are getting serious about implementation, use cases, and business outcomes.

In this episode, they reflect on:

• How economic shifts and policy changes are reshaping procurement strategies and operations
• AI's practical applications in procurement and why experimentation and continuous re-evaluation are so important
• Upcoming events and projects from the Art of Procurement, including a new AOP website in the works, the official launch of AOP's YouTube channel, and a special series planned for October that will provide a comprehensive analysis of potential policy impacts to procurement and the supply chain from the U.S. presidential election

Links:

• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Philip Ideson on LinkedIn
• Kelly Barner on LinkedIn

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

"One thing is very clear from our research: the skill sets for procurement are changing. Whatever the skill sets are today, they are not going to be the skill sets that are needed tomorrow." -Baber Farooq, Senior Vice President, Market Strategy, Procurement Solutions at SAP

SAP recently released the 2024 results of their annual Economist Impact survey. It contains insights into the overall health of procurement and provides a look at C-suite perspectives on procurement's role and reputation in the business and the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing them today.

This year, they surveyed over 2,300 C-suite executives across procurement and other functional areas and C-suite positions.

To unpack the survey results, Philip Ideson is joined in conversation by Baber Farooq, Senior Vice President, Market Strategy, Procurement Solutions at SAP.  

In addition to discussing key findings and insights, they talk about:

• How this year's responses differ from previous years and what these new trends say about the future of procurement
• Major factors impacting the procurement operating model, including new reporting structures, compliance demands, and sustainability expectations
• How digitization is putting pressure on (and opening new opportunities for) traditional procurement organizations

Links:

• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Read the 2024 Sap Economist Impact Report
• Baber Farooq on LinkedIn

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

Category management has been around for decades - so why hasn't it become ubiquitous? 

Many of the objectives procurement needs to satisfy - both qualitative and quantitative - can be addressed by a category management program. Taking a more comprehensive approach to spend and supplier management can deliver improved cost flexibility, more leverage in tightly held markets, and a closer alignment with the priorities of the business. Despite all of these benefits, category management struggles to secure broad adoption.  

In this solo episode, Philip Ideson speaks about his personal experience with category management and the challenges and opportunities he sees.

Listen in to discover:

• The roadblocks that prevent category management from living up to expectations
• Advancements in procurement technology that will enable everyone in the company to play a larger role at the category level
• Why he still believes category management IS the future of procurement

Links:

• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Philip Ideson on LinkedIn
• Category Management: How Far We've Come, How Far We Can Go featuring Mark Webb
• What is Category Management? (According to the Experts)
• Build Your Category Management Framework with Five Evergreen Principles
• Learn from the 4-step Category Management Process Refined by Novartis

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

"A decision abyss is the chasm that forms between critical supply chain functions… and that's what keeps and prevents organizations from making fast, cross-functional, well-informed data-driven decisions." – Keith Hartley, CEO and Board Member at LevaData, CEO of The Abyss Group

In today's hyper-connected supply chains, data is everywhere, but turning it into fast, confident decisions remains elusive. The cost? Slow launches, eroding margins, and "spreadsheet heroics" that mask deeper issues. As the complexity compounds year after year, procurement leaders face a tough choice: keep coping, or tackle what Keith Hartley calls the "decision abyss."

In this Art of Procurement podcast episode, Keith, CEO of LevaData and author of the new book "Conquering the Decision Abyss", joins host Philip Ideson to dig into this silent but urgent challenge. 

They explore why siloed information and human habits – not just technology – are holding teams back, and what's truly required to turn fragmented data into bold, coordinated action. Keith also shares real-world stories, quick wins, and a candid take on why C-suites are finally wading into supply chain's black box.

In this episode, Keith also discusses how to:

• Diagnose the symptoms and root causes of the "decision abyss"
• Move your team beyond spreadsheet culture to smarter decisions
• Embrace modern AI to contextualize and use even messy data
• Enable rapid testing for new processes that deliver outcomes  

Links:

• Keith Hartley on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

"What ultimately drove all of us – leadership team, colleagues, and people in procurement – was the excitement about the future. The ability to contribute very differently to the success of the company, ultimately impacting the patient journey, is a great purpose that we have – curing and helping patients." - Patrick Foelck, Head of Strategy & Transformation and Head of Insights & Enablement Procurement at Roche

How procurement prepares for the future, one that includes accelerating digital innovation, may determine whether they have a future at all. 

In this episode, Philip Ideson discusses the importance, if not existential necessity, of procurement transformation with Patrick Foelck, Head of Strategy & Transformation and Head of Insights & Enablement Procurement at Roche. As Patrick said, "There must be more than running this singular, one-dimensional process and chasing the savings as a one-dimensional outcome. I think that is also our future. If we don't get out of it, or if we don't build on it, procurement will be dead to an extent, or replaced by technology or by an external party."

In this episode, Patrick and Philip tackle the 'big' questions around the future of the procurement operating model and the role of procurement transformation in securing that future, while also discussing: 

• How to build the procurement operating model of the future, pulling together insights and enablement, delivery, business partnering, capabilities, and digitization
• Roche's own transformation journey and what success looks like post-transformation
• Defining, measuring, and achieving transformation success with KPIs beyond savings

Links:

• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Patrick Foelck on LinkedIn

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

"What's interesting in financial services is that third-party risk management is very different than supplier risk management. When a financial institution looks at risk, they look at risk at the relationship level, not just at the supplier level." - Arnaud Malardé, Director of Product Marketing, Ivalua

In the highly-regulated financial services industry, effective third-party risk management is non-negotiable. It can make or break operational success, not to mention client trust. Even though avoiding risk altogether is not realistic, it doesn't have to feel like an uphill battle. 

In this episode, Kelly Barner speaks with Arnaud Malardé, Director of Product Marketing at Ivalua, and Vivek Jayaraj, Managing Director at Deloitte Consulting LLP, about how procurement can turn third-party risk management into a strategic advantage for the business. 

As they explain, streamlining business practices and supporting them with well-integrated digital platforms can create the best environment for managing third-party risk and achieving successful outcomes for the business. 

They also share their ideas about:

• What a 'single source of truth' for third party risk looks like in practice
• How to align risk management with supplier management 
• Best practices for leveraging AI in third-party risk management platforms

Links:

• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Arnaud Malardé on LinkedIn
• Vivek Jayaraj on LinkedIn
• Watch Again: Establishing a Single Source of Truth for Third Party Risk in Financial Services