Spend analytics software would be the first tech investment I’d make in a greenfield Head of Procurement role. You have to know what you’re spending your money on before you can start to transform your procurement operations. To do this quickly and efficiently, spend analytics software is your best friend. Can you do spend analysis in an Excel spreadsheet? Sure, but it won’t be very efficient and it’s prone to human error. It’s only really a viable option if you’re an SME with a spend landscape that is low in complexity. Once you get into mid-market territory, you usually have some complexity ..read more

Ensuring your procurement team has the optimal blend of procurement training is a challenge. It’s often difficult to balance the right type of content, while also protecting the budget for learning & development (L&D). In today’s tough economic environment, could technology enable procurement training to be delivered for less cost and more effectively? To help me answer this question, I turned to fellow podcast host Jonathan O’Brien to help co-author this article. Jonathan is the CEO of UK-based procurement training company Positive Purchasing. They have been developing SaaS products t ..read more

Let’s put together a team that represents the future of procurement. One that’s fit for the rapid period of change that we’re currently living through. What would my dream team look like? Join me on this fictitious journey of transforming an existing procurement organisation into one that will still be relevant in 2030. We’ve got automation, digitisation and AI in procurement pushing boundaries. While on the other hand we must equip our teams to tackle sustainability, geopolitical instability and ensuing supply chain disruptions. So, what would I put in place if I wanted to combine the very be ..read more

We’d all like the latest digital procurement tools. But often, those who aren’t familiar with the procurement software market mistakenly overestimate the cost. The reality is that procurement tech doesn’t have to be expensive. You don’t need a 6-figure software budget or a large sum to hire consultants for implementation. There’s plenty of digital procurement solutions out there for every budget. Whether you’re an SME, a mid-market business or a large enterprise, there is now almost certainly something on the market that meets your needs and fits your budget. So, we’re going to take a quick lo ..read more

Welcome to a new series of blogs! This is where every month, we’ll ask the Founder or CEO of a procurement software company a few questions. The goal is to get to know them personally and also their product a little better. Our aim here is to shine a light on some of the lesser-known solutions. These 5-minute insights are perfect to read on a coffee break if you’re keen to grow your knowledge of digital procurement tools. This first one features Nick Verkroost, CEO of UK-based supplier data and SRM platform Canopy. You can also find Canopy in our Software Finder App here. Nick was also a gues ..read more

When you hear the words Generative AI in Procurement, your reaction is probably one of two things: Either you get excited, thinking of all the benefits and time-saving hacks it could offer. Or else, you sigh and roll your eyes, thinking it’s just the latest hype cycle. There’s a valid argument both ways, but one thing is for sure. This technology is here to stay, in one form or another. We therefore must try to understand what potential impact generative AI could have on procurement organisations.   Traditional vs. Generative AI: What’s the difference? Essentially, the main difference bet ..read more

AI in procurement – especially generative AI – is going through the hype phase at the moment. But make no mistake. In one form another, it’s here to stay. It’s reasonable to expect that its wings will be clipped by some data privacy and confidentiality concerns, especially in large enterprises. I suspect there will be a lot of challenges from information security (IS) and legal departments. However, it’s proven ability to cut down the time and resources needed to complete many everyday tasks is not to be underestimated. If you’re ignoring it, or saying it’s garbage, then do so at your peril. E ..read more

Hot diggity dawg! US procurement startups are killing it. There are so many, in fact, that we expanded our article to include 25 of them. What started out as a top 10 article quickly became obvious that we needed to cover more! It’s no surprise that in the home of big tech, Silicon Valley and seemingly endless VC investors, there’s a thriving and diverse procurement tech ecosystem. Let’s have a look at the who’s who in the American procurement startup space.   The 25 Hottest American Procurement Tech Startups Before we give you the list, we should briefly touch on what we’ve defined as a ..read more

What are the major differences between running your procurement operations in ERP, S2P suites or a best-of-breed digital procurement tools? For folks like me, who are deeply involved in the procurement tech space, the answer is clear. However, to anyone who’s just getting started on this topic, the terminology may be confusing. You may be aware that they’re different. But perhaps you don’t really understand how that impacts your sourcing decision when seeking out the best procurement software for your organisation. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. And we’ll keep it simple. No consultant-spe ..read more

This article is a guest post by Trust Your Supplier and was originally on their website here.   The Scope 3 emissions segment of the GHG Protocol (Greenhouse Gas Protocol) are often referred to as “value chain emissions”. These are a part of the GHG Protocol’s corporate standard for greenhouse gas accounting. These emissions are generally the most significant share of an organisation’s carbon footprint. Not only that, but they are also the most complex to manage and mitigate. They involve activities not directly owned or controlled by the reporting company, making it trickier to nail down ..read more