Love Procurement: The Podcast

Supplier relationship management (SRM) is a key part of how procurement professionals spend their time and create value for the business. Much like the opposite of Customer Relationship Management (CRM), SRM recognizes the importance of building a strong relational foundation with supply partners, even in today's heavily technology-led world.  In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, host...

Environmental, social, and governance-related programs must extend through every facet of corporate decision making to have the desired effect. This naturally means that procurement has the opportunity to play a role, supporting decisions and business outcomes that alter how the company operates and engages with the wider world. In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, host Kelly Barner we...

With the rate and scale of change in business today, no industry, company, or procurement team can expect to be exempt. That said, some investments are more effective than others when it comes to preparing to face changes head on - turning uncertainty and challenges into value and competitive advantage. In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, host Katie Berlekamp welcomes Karl Poulsen to...

Every conversation about equality or opportunity has to happen with full awareness of the larger social or cultural context. Different people, in different places around the world, at different places in their lives want very different things. We should never assume, for instance, that work-life balance or the idea of being 'family-friendly' carry the same meaning or generate the same expectations...

Third party risk management (TPRM) is an essential - and strategic - effort for financial services companies, but that doesn't mean everyone in the organization views it in the same way. For procurement, TPRM equals risk, but for the company as a whole, it is just one form of exposure that must be addressed opportunistically.  In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, Kelly Barner is joined...

Procurement leaders are notorious for finding varied paths into the function, often bringing with them a depth and breadth of experience that the teams they join benefit from. Just as important as the knowledge they gather are the people they meet along the way - mentors and trailblazers who inspire them and open doors ahead of them, clearing a path for them to do the same. In this episode of the...

Procurement organizations are no strangers to change, but, over the past few years, the rate and scale of that change have both increased in a way that even veterans of the profession might not have expected. The impact of this change has clearly registered with procurement leaders, many of whom are now working hard to prepare their teams for future shifts and disruptions. In this episode of the #...

Procurement has changed considerably over time, from the associated skills and formal professionalism to the available platforms and sources of information. With that change has come more opportunities to collaborate with suppliers, impact the performance of the company as a whole, and incentives for the next generation of professionals to enter the field. In this episode of the #LoveProcurement p...

As compliance shifts from an internal process-related concept to one associated with external expectations and regulations, procurement's role continues to grow. Understanding what is at stake, the up and down-side benefits, as well as the why driving the company's investment are all critical to success. In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, Kelly Barner is joined by Nicole Sherwin, Chi...

World class events go beyond people, place, and time. If they are planned for and hosted with purpose, they can take on a culture or 'vibe' of their own. The more unique and cohesive the event experience is, the more impactful and lasting it will be in the minds of attendees - as well as those who help to run the event. In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, Kelly Barner is joined by Aur...

How well an organization - or a procurement team - knows itself plays a huge role in how successful they are able to be in any change effort, systems implementations included. Knowing what the objectives of the project are and having a plan to stay focused on them until they are achieved is both absolutely critical and also a lot harder than it sounds. In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podca...

Expectations drive what procurement is able to deliver. Whether that means the business's expectations, supplier expectations, or procurement's own expectations, what they think they can achieve, and how they think they should spend their time, drives outcomes - for better or worse. While that may sound limiting, if procurement can change their expectations of themselves, they can take on a whole...

Procurement is a diverse profession. Every category presents procurement with unique opportunities and challenges, ensuring that no two days are ever the same. This variety is one of the features that procurement professionals love most about the field. But, when procurement works in government contracting, a whole new set of rules, expectations, and processes apply.  In this episode of the #LoveP...

The categories procurement manages are as varied as the stakeholders they work with and the suppliers they buy from. But that does not mean learnings from one category, or industry even, can't be transferred from one to another. In fact, when the objective is value creation, this may be the very advantage that allows procurement to succeed.  In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, Kelly B...

Procurement's value comes from many different sources, but supplier relationships are a nearly inexhaustible source of potential. Over the last few years, procurement has made significant investments - and substantial progress - in their ability to build relationships with key suppliers as well as to improve the supplier experience overall. In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, Kelly Ba...

Generative AI, and the models that underpin it, are maturing at a rapid pace. Even procurement, a function that has always been a proving ground for emerging digital capabilities, is scrambling to keep up. In this time of growth, procurement has the chance to stretch their use of technology and also to uncover current mindsets about innovation and experimentation. In this episode of the #LoveProcu...

Many procurement conversations are focused on tech, but the work of procurement is innately human - even the digital parts. As procurement systems become bridges to the business, procurement professionals have the opportunity to cross them and forge strategic, more meaningful relationships with entirely new parts of the business. In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, Kelly Barner is joi...

Each year contains unexpected developments and surprises. Some of them are mere flashes of circumstance while others change the trajectory of industries, communities, and individuals for the long term. The challenge for procurement is knowing what to watch for and then deciding how to prepare. In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, Kelly Barner is joined by Ari Stone. Ari is the Global S...

Category management is as fundamental part of procurement as strategic sourcing, supplier management, and negotiation. At the same time, there is a chasm between optimism about the potential of category management and examples of where it has been carried out successfully.  In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast, Kelly Barner is joined by Sabrina Hueren. Sabrina is a manager and strategy...

Procurement transformation is always a complex, high-stakes effort, but when the organization going through the change is in the public sector, every effort has to be made to minimize disruption - especially when the public may be affected. When the state of Ohio decided to transform their procurement organization, they started by laying a foundation that combined vision, communication plans, and...

Language has the power to unite a community. Not only does it create a feeling of belonging, using the same terminology as others makes the speaker's meaning clear, despite challenging circumstances. On the other hand, language can also alienate, frustrate, and just plain annoy people who are not familiar with the acronyms and terminology used by others.   In this episode of the #LoveProcurement p...

No digital solution can deliver an ROI without a successful implementation, and yet procurement often finds themselves taking a key role in critical implementations without necessarily having the skills or experience to do so.   On the other hand, few efforts provide procurement with a greater opportunity to build relationships across the organization, improve efficiency and workflows, and strengt...

For almost two decades, The Hackett Group has been asking procurement leaders about their priorities for the current year, how they plan to invest in skills and technology, and what new and trending topics have seized their attention. Since procurement is a constantly evolving professional discipline, some areas of the study show only minor adjustments year to year while others - like AI - enter t...

Despite the interest and attention being heaped upon digital platforms, leadership teams still have to emphasize the importance of developing their team's soft skills. Whether that means improved two-way communication abilities or a willingness to trust one's instinct when it matters most, strengths and abilities have to go far beyond technical areas. In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcas...

Aspiring professionals have to deliver more than table-stakes results if they want to climb the corporate ladder. In fact, they have to do more than climb: they need to time travel.  Most hard working individuals can create value for today, in their current role, given the present circumstances. The real prize goes to those who manage to create a source of value that extends into the future, gener...