The Sourcing Hero

Mentors have the opportunity to provide valuable, trusted advice to the individuals they work with, but those relationships are often formed haphazardly. One team of entrepreneurs is working to pair ascending college students with recent graduates who can mentor them through the college selection process. Pairing them effectively requires a lot of data, and more empathy, but it is well worth the e...

Procurement’s relationship with legal is one of the most important they have. Whether it is allowing procurement to meet (or exceed) their objectives or protecting the company from risk, they need to be “joined at the hip” as we learn from this week’s guest. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Lisa Haitz. Lisa has over 20 years of experience in finance, legal,...

While most people hungered for a return to ‘normal’ after the pandemic shut downs, many of the workforce trends that companies experimented with offer lasting lessons and value. From flexible work schedules to innovative sources of talent, the opportunities for hiring managers and prospective employees are as diverse as the roles that need to be filled. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast...

At 1:30 am on March 26th, the container ship Dali struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge and sent it falling into the Patapsco River. Six members of a construction crew lost their lives and the port of Baltimore has been partially closed since.  Dueling investigations are underway, with the FBI working to determine whether any federal laws were broken and the NTSB looking to reconstruct the accident...

Recognizing the need for procurement transformation sometimes comes from within procurement, and in other cases it is driven by management-level goals and expectations. Regardless of where the idea for transformation begins, few stones in the organization will be left unturned by the time it is over. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Nataša Cikač. Nataša is t...

Few environments require leadership in higher concentration than the military. And yet the development of leadership skills is still a highly personal journey - where each individual has to find their own style and improve it over time through training, observation, and repetition. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Tom Williams. Tom enlisted in the U.S. Army...

It goes without saying that travel has changed since the pandemic - although not in the way most of us might assume. There have certainly been adjustments to logistics and expectations, but, most of all, companies are doing a better job of recognizing the wellness considerations intertwined with business travel, and finding purposeful ways to accommodate their travelers without onerous increases t...

Human nature has a way of becoming numb to that which we absorb as part of the status quo. Sadly, this doesn’t just pertain to the weather; it also applies to human suffering and warfare, especially if it is far away. Today this applies in the form of the Red Sea attacks that continue,  and which have escalated, turning global supply chains into a literal battlefield. In this episode of The Sourci...

Marketing requires a combination of data and storytelling to motivate people to take a desired action, whether that is making a purchase, supporting a cause, or providing their email address. Procurement can leverage a marketing-esque combination of information and storytelling to build consensus, increase influence, and even control the narrative when plans go awry.  In this episode of The Sourci...

In 1748, Benjamin Franklin wrote “Time is money.” All of the changes and advancements we have seen in nearly 300 years have not managed to render that advice obsolete. Certainly, time has inherent value (whether measured in dollars or otherwise), but time can also cost money - through delays, misalignment, and poor decision making.   In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner...

“Victory is about meaningful connections.” - Mark Grieco   Procurement professionals constantly find themselves in a tough spot, multiple cost and non-cost based objectives to hit, stakeholders to appease, suppliers to wrangle with, and that is just the beginning. They’re also finding ways to do all of the above in a work environment where we have less in-person access to their colleagues. In this...

“People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” Isaac Asimov   After 3.5 years and over 150 episodes, it had to happen eventually: The Sourcing Hero now has a Sidekick. This sidekick may be a monthly newsletter, but it is no less ready to fight the good fight than Robin, Chewbaca, or Dr. Watson. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner we...

Meeting a new friend To ponder the color of Unripe bananas Paul Nilsen   Talking to heroes Who earn their hidden capes while Loving procurement Kelly Barner   Ikigai is a Japanese philosophy focused on finding purpose and meaning. The parts of the word are “iki” which means “alive” and “gai” which means “worth.” Given how much time procurement spends thinking about value and worth, their personal...

Is it possible to change the life of someone, and their family, and their community just by making purposeful decisions about corporate spending? Yes it is - and it doesn’t cost as much as you might think. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Colin Downie. Colin is the Sales and Partnerships Director for WildHearts Group, an organization that enables large enter...

What could possibly be even more complicated than tax accounting? Managing your detailed shipping costs - and the carrier logic that drives them. Details change every year, and the high level information released to the media rarely reflects the nuanced information that appears on shipping invoices. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Nick DiNatale. In addition...

In Chinese culture, the dragon represents good luck, strength, and health. Given the challenges dominating this year’s headlines, all of us are probably going to need a balance of all three to make it through the year successfully.  Every new day’s headlines remind us that no matter where we live and work, global forces can swoop in and change everything at a moment’s notice. When geopolitics is t...

Despite the understandable enthusiasm around supply chain sustainability, there are many challenges associated with the fight to lower emissions: regulations, costs, and engineering, just to name a few. One of the challenges procurement will appreciate most, is the journey towards a workable business model that reflects today’s infrastructure reality and companies’ ability to invest. In this episo...

Procurement professionals often talk about how they ‘fell’ into the field without a plan. And while this means procurement has a diverse range of skill sets in their ranks, it does leave many teams without a solid educational foundation like what might be found in marketing or operations. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Robert Čačković. Robert is a sourcing...

Supporting decisions about which suppliers to work with is one of procurement’s most critical responsibilities. But, like so many other business decisions, the ‘Why’ matters, both to the supplier being chosen and to the potential for value creation associated with that partnership. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Erica McMannes. Erica is an entrepreneur who...

Procurement is used to dealing with a whole series of stereotypes associated with the profession: bean counters… pencil sharpeners… and penny pinchers, just to name a few. Those nicknames stand in sharp contrast to the value procurement delivers on a daily basis - value that extends far beyond savings to improve the competitive position of the whole company. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero po...

There are so many news stories and events contained in any one year that it can boggle the mind trying to remember them all, let alone process their combined impact. But the end of one year and the start of another is a natural time to reflect back before looking ahead to what the new year may hold. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes back Kris Lance, Senior Di...

What we experience personally cannot be completely separated from what we experience professionally, and vice versa. This is as true for the impact of digital communications on relationships and trust building as it is our ability to ‘hear’ and connect with others. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Julienne Ryan. Julienne is an author, an executive coach, a s...

Entrepreneurs found businesses because they believe they have formulated the best new product or the most innovative way of providing a service. They are focused on their customers, value proposition, and their hope for the future. Unfortunately, there is one thing that - if left unmanaged - can bring all of their hopes and dreams to a sudden halt: cash flow. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero p...

“The single biggest  problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” - George Bernard Shaw The Sourcing Hero podcast releases 50 new interviews every year, and while every episode offers unique value and insights to listeners, a few are bound to become listener favorites.  In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes back Kris Lance, Senior Director a...

Change is as hard as it is inevitable. Even the most exciting new project can quickly go from “This is fantastic!” to “What on earth were we thinking!” when unexpected questions arise. How those moments are managed, and the tone that is kept in place through the process, ultimately determine the potential for value and success for everyone involved. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Ho...