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The beginning of any journey in indirect procurement is capitalizing on your procurement data to understand organizational performance as well as to shape both goals and opportunities. Historically, indirect purchasing has been responsible for the procurement of non-production materials (NPM) and services. Unlike direct purchases that have a relatively constrained supplier base and a controlled or planned use of parts, indirect procurement has almost an infinite variety in parts and supplies that can be bought from tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of suppliers. With so many supplier options out there, how does an organization stay on top of their indirect procurement? The answer: data.

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New for 2019, ProcureCon is proud to present our 3rd annual CPO Study. This report contains the insights of our exclusive CPO panel, as well as direct interviews with leaders in the procurement space to create a comprehensive view of the priorities and strategies they will be using to excel in 2019. Don't miss this exciting, high-level report. Click the image to download your copy now.

Over the last 20 years, Sales has led one of the most remarkable examples of digital transformation in the enterprise, rising to a level of polished precision, executive standing, and vitality within the organization. In quick succession other departments have modeled its success, leading not only a transformation, but a full digitization of each function. IT, InfoSec, Marketing, Finance, and HR are all well down the transformational path. Now, as margin and growth pressures have intensified, Sourcing and Procurement is directly in the crosshairs of enterprise transformation. Sales has risen to these new levels of efficiency and effectiveness aided by CRM and automation platforms. These systems have enabled full up-to-the minute visibility, methodical collaboration, and “drill down” control to drive increasingly better results. By studying the path blazed by Sales and modeling its successful approach toward processes - notably the concept of a Sales pipeline - CPOs and other Sourcing executives can find a repeatable blueprint to restructure teams and process and achieve a similar transformation.

When it comes to procurement, companies want an end-to-end process. From a data perspective, this is a key motivator for companies that choose to adopt ERP systems; but that data quickly becomes fragmented and complex as companies evolve.As an alternative to ERP systems, modular sourcing allows internal departments and stakeholders to maintain visibility throughout RFx activities. In this report, we explore how modular sourcing solutions help large and small companies achieve profitability and cost savings ‘right out of the gate.’

The procurement sector stands at a crossroads, and as an industry that’s in a state of flux. Veteran procurement teams attached to long-established organizations are competing and co-existing with procurement professionals in newer ventures whose approach is more geared towards nuts-and-bolts functionality, rather than an urge to dazzle. For the most part, Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs) and their equivalent have been making strides in assuming greater responsibility at their various organizations. But there’s a wide variation as to whom they report, and therefore no single set path that an enterprise may follow. This requires procurement practitioners to adapt their strategies and activities to the values and hierarchical structure of their individual businesses.

The relationship between IT leadership and the CPO has major significance in 2018 and beyond. As one of, if not the most significant categories of indirect spend, controlling technology spending can put a lot of points on the board for Procurement while influencing the strategic trajectory of the organization at large. Download the latest research from ProcureCon here, where we examine the relationship between the leadership that will define the genesis of your organization.

Click the image on the left to download now! The role of procurement is changing, though the core commitment to creating value that drives its evolution remains the same. In a large part, these changes are being enabled by developments in the technology procurement has at its disposal, allowing CPOs to introduce automation, self-service buying, and detailed analytics that provide more easy-to-use tools that capture larger amounts of data. For these reasons, a center-led model is emerging as the preferred organizational structure for procurement within global organizations. In the midst of these structural changes, the role of the CPO itself is being imbued with the authority to influence the larger strategies of the businesses they serve. With increasingly detailed analytics providing insight on patterns of spending, streamlined tools for processing routine purchases, and invigorated relationships with other department heads, CPOs are entering a period where they are more influential than ever before. Key topics include: Centralization of procurement may not mean scrutiny of purchases made across a global organization; rather, a Procurement Center of Excellence now serves as a strategic command center and provider of consultative value optimization, while recognizing that certain commodities cannot be effectively globalized. Procurement is looking forward to greater levels of automation, Big Data utilization, and more internal client-friendly sourcing tools in order to transcend the tactical focus of their roles, fully dedicating themselves to strategy.

Click the image on the left to download now! Whether co-managed with an external partner or internal department, or fully under the jurisdiction of either procurement or HR, contingent staffing is a process that has been around for multiple years and is increasingly being improved through the application of technology. Key topics include: Assessing the level of staffing and efficacy within procurement groups Profiling contingent labor programs by age, size, and distribution Responsibility for contingent labor strategies and program management

Just as you train your employees on company guidelines and measure internal departments based on their performance and compliance, your third-party suppliers and contractors must be held to certain standards to offset risk and deliver the best results for your business. This post-webinar report helps you maximize opportunities for your qualification objectives. Discover how you can: - Acquire internal resources and commitment - Understand the needs of internal stakeholders - Define supply chain standards and sticking to them - Manage contractor or supplier refusal Click on the image to the left to download now!

Click the image on the left to download now! Procurement is moving forward, with trends such as centralization of the function and the addition of a more developed strategic focus into the department’s core mission becoming increasingly mainstream. Despite the major progress that has been made over the past several years, there continue to be roadblocks that must be overcome in order to preserve the momentum with which the department is moving forward, and solidify its role as an architect of the business’s overall direction. Key topics include: The structure of the procurement department and prominent challenges Contract management and the allocation of time to indirect spending Using GPO to meet the ever present need for savings

Click the image to the left to download now! What was top-of-mind for procurement's biggest decision makers in 2016? This report covers cutting edge topics, including: - Cutting into non-managed, one-off buying behaviors - Managing negotiations and avoiding audits by software giants - Developing new category management strategies for energy 

Click the image to the left to download your copy! The procurement function within a corporation continues to evolve from a straight sourcing and purchasing role of direct goods – to being responsible for all strategic cost savings and value creation for a company. As a result, it is imperative that practitioners/professionals fully understand how to work with internal stakeholders who’ve typically been in charge of their own spending. Corporations also have to figure out how to find the right balance between organizational and team structure to effectively ensure that these changes are handled over time – especially when figuring out how these groups have saved money over the year. Now, every company is different when it comes to full procurement transformation - a collection of different sizes, functions and flexibility plays a huge part on how these companies tackle business challenges.

Click the image to the left to download your free copy! ProcureCon's most senior level report is here. The 2015 CPO Study contains insight and case studies from leaders in the procurement community, covering leading topics which include: - Deepening relationships with internal stakeholders - Applying the latest in technology - Identifying the next generation of procurement talent - The latest sources of disruption around the role

Risk mitigation is critically important, especially given the frequency that supplier risk events actually impact the operations of respondents’ organizations. With more than one executive in three having dealt with fallout from a risk event in the past 24 months, it’s likely to occur within your organization. Risk is unavoidable, but if companies take a proactive approach to their risk management efforts then they will minimize the impact of disruptions or even avoid them altogether.Financial issues are often the precursors and a leading indicator of risk in other areas. Financial health demonstrates a supplier’s ability to weather unforeseen disruptions which is why tracking supplier financial health can serve as an early warning system to minimize impact and risk exposure.

Like many commodity-driven industries, the oil and gas business is cyclical by nature. This has become particularly pronounced in recent years, as oil prices have become increasingly volatile. To successfully manage through this level of volatility, Anadarko relies on an agile supply chain managed by a high-performing sourcing team. “For Anadarko, sourcing is really front and center when it comes to effectively executing in rapidly evolving market conditions,” notes Aaron Rubinstein, Manager of Shared Services & Technology, Global Supply Chain at Anadarko. “The supply chain must work hand-in-hand with engineering, finance, and operations to achieve the budget and planning targets that the organization has set forth for the year. We use the sourcing process as the mechanism to execute on that, but it requires close coordination and collaboration across the enterprise.” Close coordination and collaboration was proving difficult with the sourcing tools Anadarko had in place. The team, which is spread across offices all over the world, was primarily running a manual process using emails, spreadsheets, and Word documents. Aside from being decidedly non-agile, these tools didn’t provide the transparency and seamless collaboration that the company needed. While they had been on the lookout for a better solution for some time, Anadarko’s sourcing team hadn’t found anything — that is, until Scout came along.

Having witnessed first-hand how the corrupt actions of a client can lead to the demise of a professional services business, Risk Management at this tax firm recognized the importance of having a vigorous due-diligence strategy to prevent damage to its reputation and finances. Comfortable and complacent was not an option as the firm set its sights on greater visibility into potential risk when considering prospective clients— regardless of whether they were individuals, families, tax-exempt entities such as trusts and foundations, or commercial enterprises—whether public or private. To achieve their goals, the firm required a streamlined process that would allow for Risk Management to conduct due diligence as quickly and efficiently as possible. The Senior Risk Manager notes, “Relying on the open Web was like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. It was time-consuming and 90 percent of the time, we could not procure the information needed for assessing risk solely utilizing Google.”

Open Banking and APIs – a new era of innovation in banking.The Open Banking & API Report 2017 gives insight into the nascent landscape of Open Banking in Europe. Divided into two parts, it aims to provide necessary insights to help readers understand the latest developments on the topic, as well as practical examples and best practices in Open Banking. First, the report elaborates on the innovations in Open Banking and the issues that still stand in the way of universal adoption. Afterwards, we will dive into the best practices and new business models in both banking and fintech. Download and read the report here.

LEADING AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURER, PORSCHE CARS NORTH AMERICA, INC. ADDS WHEELS TO ITS PROCUREMENT AUTOMATION PROCESSES WITH ZYCUS SOLUTIONS Porsche AG is a leading German automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans. Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) was established in 1984, as the exclusive US importer of Porsche vehicles. PCNA employs approximately 300 people who provide parts, service, marketing, and training for 186 dealers. PCNA's Local Procurement Center provides a shared service to PCNA and 11 other North American Affiliates including Porsche Canada, Porsche Latin America, and Porsche Financial Services. Zycus is a leading global provider of complete Source-to-Pay suite of procurement performance solutions. Our comprehensive product portfolio includes applications for both the operational and the strategic aspects of procurement - eProcurement, eInvoicing, Spend Analysis, eSourcing, Contract Management, Supplier Management, Financial Savings Management, Project Management and Request Management.

As marketing teams are increasingly held responsible for revenue, they're turning to procurement teams to innovate the means by which they achieve key business objectives. In this benchmark report, we explore how procurement teams can align with marketing goals to exceed corporate fiscal expectations. You will discover:Solutions for achieving executive approval of marketing initiativesThe best applications for business process outsourcing (BPO) in marketingThe alignment of print procurement and creative execution

ProcureCon’s Annual CPO study is our most anticipated and high profile report we publish each year, and now you can gain the perspective of your most influential peers to jumpstart 2018! Featuring year-over-year analysis, interviews with key industry thought leaders, and exclusive, fresh data from CPOs themselves, this is one report you don’t want to miss out on. Click the image to the left to download your free copy now.

Procurement organizations have been driving towards closer alignment with corporate objectives for some time. But wanting to achieve this alignment and actually making it happen through every project, every supplier relationship, and every dollar brought under management are two very different things. In this paper, we will discuss why having a formal strategic plan is critical to procurement’s capacity for delivering results as well as how to develop a plan that will make those results a sustainable reality. Without a comprehensive procurement strategy in place, it is impossible to know if your organization is aligned with the overall corporate strategy and if progress is being made. The plan, therefore, becomes a “rudder,” allowing procurement to navigate a straight and purposeful path through the turbulent waters of corporate spend management. Despite the advantages of having a strategic plan, procurement organizations don’t consistently put them in place – at least not formally. During a recent Sourcing Industry Group webinar, participants were asked how often they develop a formal procurement strategy. Only 40% of the respondents said they do so on an annual basis, and only 60% would characterize their strategy as “formal” (Fig. 1). The formality of a strategic plan has more to do with what is invested in its development than with graphic polish and presentation. Formal strategic planning takes a holistic approach, incorporating as many relevant inputs as possible.