Art of Procurement

Halfway through their journey toward purposeful procurement, the co-hosts confront a fundamental question: if procurement drives value in so many ways beyond cost savings, why do incentive structures ignore virtually everything else?

In this episode of "Buy: The Way...To Purposeful Procurement," Philip Ideson, Rich Ham, and Kelly Barner discuss insights from their recent conversations with Martin Chilcott ...

“Deglobalization is a nice soundbite, but the reality is, we need more focus on risk management and mitigation.” – Philip Ideson, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Art of Procurement

Deglobalization is a hot topic right now, but behind the big headlines and boardroom buzzwords, real change is proving to be slow, complicated, and deeply influenced by geopolitics and regulation. 

Are companies r...

"I think we have hit a tipping point where procurement has become a pretty complicated practice. There's so many options and choices and optimizations with concepts that are just so alien to the typical user." - Jason Kim, Senior Director of Product Management, Coupa

The procurement technology landscape demands solutions that work for both power users and occasional requesters, yet many organizations strug...

“Businesses are wasting more money than they're making.”

This stark assessment from serial entrepreneur Paul Polizzotto frames a provocative question: what if procurement's greatest untapped opportunity lies not in negotiating better prices, but in redirecting the millions corporations already squander on ineffective sales and marketing spend?

In this episode of "Buy: The Way...To Purposeful Procurement,"...

“You really have to intimately understand what the organization needs out of you, and that happens through good discourse, good conversation, good communication.”
- Jack Skerry, Vice President of Supply Chain, Moosehead Breweries

Transforming procurement performance demands more than technical expertise. 

Senior leaders know that without strong communication skills like active listening, trans...

“It’s not going to take much to push us back into a shortage market where demand would exceed supply.” - Graham Scott, Vice President, Global Procurement at Jabil

Semiconductor volatility is grabbing headlines again, but what’s really happening beneath the surface for organizations buying and managing critical components?

Graham Scott, Vice President of Global Procurement at Jabil, knows this ...

Between annual targets and cost-focused KPIs, procurement leaders find themselves in an impossible bind when it comes to decarbonization: they know sustainability matters, yet the very incentive structures designed to reward their performance actively undermine their decarbonization efforts. 

In this episode, co-hosts Rich Ham and Philip Ideson speak with Martin Chilcott, Founder and CEO of 2 Degrees Limit...

“My number one rule for being a professional procurement person is to be fair and consistent. You've got to give every supplier the same opportunity, the same amount of time, and the same pieces of information, so you've got a level playing field.” - Michael Bertalli

Today's procurement teams must deliver value through strong relationships and a reputation for professionalism that extends far beyond cost s...

“During COVID, we went from just in time to just in case. Unfortunately, now supply chains have to factor in risk mitigation. Finding alternative sources of supply might be a little more pricey, but it reduces the risk.” - Alan Arcand, Chief Economist at Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters

Economic uncertainty and tariff volatility continue to shape procurement strategies and supply chain decisions across N...

Halfway through their 24-episode journey, the co-hosts of “Buy: The Way...To Purposeful Procurement” pause to assess what they've learned so far about how procurement has and is evolving, and, more importantly, what’s ahead for the future.

In this reflective episode, Philip Ideson, Rich Ham, and Kelly Barner bring together insights from their recent conversations that confirm a troubling trend in procurem...

"The way we start looking at every unit of work in a workflow flips from being something that's truly human-led to something that can be increasingly human-reviewed and driven, but not necessarily initiated as a human." Nick Heinzmann, Head of Research at Zip

The pressure for procurement to do more with less means innovation is no longer optional… It's necessary for survival and growth. 

The g...

“The greatest challenge facing the world today isn't tariffs or monetary uncertainty – it's stagnating productivity.” - Baber Farooq, Senior Vice President, Product Marketing SAP Ariba & SAP Fieldglass

Navigating today's interconnected global business landscape has thrust procurement directly into the heart of strategic risk management. Supply chain disruptions, new AI-driven realities, looming ESG regulat...