The Sourcing Hero

Ep 238: Procurement Leadership in 2035 feat. David Loseby

As procurement looks toward 2035, leaders will have to face deeper transformation requirements than simply adding AI tools. They will have to rethink their operating models, talent, data, and decision-making. Uncomfortable though it might be, this will be essential if the function is to move from transactional purchasing to strategic value creation.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes David Loseby. David is a former CPO, a speaker, an author, a “pracademic”, an advocate, and the editor of two very well regarded journals: The Journal of Public Procurement and the Journal of Responsible Production and Consumption.
David shares and discusses some of the key points from his recent article on procurement leadership in 2035:
How the role of Chief Procurement Officer will differ from today’s version of the job
How procurement leaders should think about AI as part of their operating model rather than just a tool layered on top of existing processes
The new skills and mindsets procurement teams will need to succeed in an AI-enabled environment
Links:
David Loseby on LinkedIn
Procurement Leadership in 2035… and why just adding a bit of AI won’t do

Ep 237: Better Pricing Through Partnership feat. Michael Rodenberg

“If we can help you either validate that you're already saving enough money or help you find another way to do it, then we're happy to do that.”
Group purchasing organizations (GPOs) help companies save money by pooling buying power to secure better pricing and terms than the individual businesses could achieve alone, but that doesn’t mean savings is the only form of benefit.
GPOs also simplify supplier management, provide much-needed operational support, and help companies either validate or improve their current spending habits.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Michael Rodenberg. Michael is a Member Engagement Specialist at Una, so he regularly has the opportunity to walk members through all of the benefits associated with the GPO model.
Michael talks about what he has learned, heard, and seen in his time working with the members at Una:
How GPOs create savings through collective buying power
Why “no cost” is not the same thing as “no value”
How GPOs simplify procurement beyond just savings
Links:
Michael Rodenberg on LinkedIn

Ep 236: Making the Magic Happen With a Little Help from AI feat. Nithin Mummaneni

Procurement is always looking for ways to increase their efficiency, freeing up more time to invest in strategy and relationship building. Although AI holds a lot of promise on that front, not all teams are sure quite where to apply it. 
Interestingly, supplier negotiation preparation - one of procurement’s core competencies - may provide just the use case they are looking for.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Nithin Mummaneni. Nithin is the Founder and CEO of Infinity Loop, a SaaS platform that supports procurement with supplier negotiations by automating deal reviews, uncovering negotiation opportunities, and driving cost savings.
 
Nithin talks about how AI can supplement rather than replace procurement’s efforts to prepare for supplier negotiations:
How procurement teams are capturing and reporting on the ROI from AI investments
The culture shift he sees in organizations where procurement is developing more expertise in house and relying less on external consultants
What he has seen in terms of the expansion of procurement’s relationships and influence internally, once they have the time to focus on strategic v. tactical work
Links:
Nithin Mummaneni on LinkedIn

Ep 235: The ‘Small but Mighty’ Model that Makes Una Work feat. Clay Kopp

Although most procurement professionals are familiar with group purchasing organizations (GPOs), they may not have experience working with one. That can leave them wondering about adding complexity, and - most of all - what the ‘catch’ is. 
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Clay Kopp. Clay is an Account Executive at Una, and this conversation is part of an ongoing series focused on the members of the Una team. 
Clay's background is in the fast‑paced world of transportation and logistics sales, and he now sits on the front lines of inbound and outbound GPO conversations.
Clay shares what he has learned about procurement and GPOs from buy side members and supplier partners:
How he walks people through Una’s “free to the member” model 
Different levels of procurement maturity and how that changes the way they approach or incorporate a GPO
Real life examples of how Una has been able to help procurement teams increase their impact
Links:
Clay Kopp on LinkedIn

Ep 234: Standing at the Crossroads of AI and SaaS feat. Chad Gaydos

While many organizations are adopting AI tools, fewer fully trust their outputs, particularly when financial accountability is at stake. Procurement professionals that have spent their careers learning the importance of transparency, governance, and focused use cases for digital investment, understandably find themselves feeling a bit skeptical about the ‘shiny’ promises made by AI-enabled solutions (let alone the answers those solutions offer).
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Chad Gaydos. Chad is the CEO of Procurify, an AI-enhanced procurement and AP automation platform created for the mid-market. 
Chad shares his perspective on why this moment in digital procurement is so unique:
The process and workflow related opportunities for procurement to simplify and streamline without sacrificing impact
Why having specific use cases and pre-defined business outcomes are essential before implementing AI-enabled technology
What will determine the ‘winners’ versus the ‘losers’ in the race to get ready for the next phase of digital progress
 
Links:
Chad Gaydos on LinkedIn

Ep 233: Look for the value, not the transaction feat. Bronwyn Reid

Large companies want to work with small and medium-sized suppliers to benefit from their scrappy, innovative spirit. Small companies want to work with large enterprises so they can develop the processes and systems required to grow… that and for the sake of revenue stability.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Bronwyn Reid. Bronwyn is the Founder of Small Company, Big Business, where she helps small to medium-sized enterprises translate how large organizations think, procure, and assess risk into practical actions that SMEs can execute.
Bronwyn shares her experience working on both ends of the large supplier - small supplier continuum to address:
Why large enterprises and small to medium-sized businesses struggle to get along
The communications and understanding best practices that can help them both
The incentives that exist for small suppliers and large companies to ’get it right’ by working together more effectively
 
Links:
Bronwyn Reid on LinkedIn

Ep 232: ‘Holding the Rope’ on Supplier Risk and Sustainability feat. Dru Krupinsky

Supplier due diligence is one of the most important and impactful activities that procurement leads. Managing risk and ensuring visibility into supplier commitments on sustainability-related business objectives requires constant involvement and careful oversight. These programs depend upon senior-level commitment, but they must also be flexible enough to work across complex, decentralized organizations, and to allow different stakeholder groups inside and outside of the organization to participate. 
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Dru Krupinsky. Dru is a Senior Manager in procurement at Gilead Sciences. More specifically, he is focused on supplier risk and sustainability, initiatives that all companies are (or should be) increasingly focused on today.
Dru shares his perspective on the conditions required for successful and sustainable supplier relationships:
Recommendations for effective ownership and accountability structures 
The importance of focusing on the quality and accessibility of data
Partnership with key suppliers to manage risk and sustainability jointly
 
Links:
Dru Krupinsky on LinkedIn

Ep 231: Respecting the Challenge of Transformation feat. Ketul Patel

Supply chain transformation isn’t easy. Statistics suggest that 70 percent of all transformations fail and 88 percent stop short of achieving their original objectives.
Compare that to another kind of challenge - like climbing to Everest Base Camp, where 60-70 percent of all people who start the journey make it to the top. Could this possibly mean that climbing Mount Everest is easier than transformation? 
No, says this episode’s guest - but we can take a lot of lessons from why the Mount Everest success rate is higher. For one thing, climbers respect the challenge from their first moment of planning to reach the summit.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Ketul Patel. Ketul is the President of OMIIA Consulting, where he leverages his 30+ years in supply chain to help companies balance strategic intent and operational execution in pursuit of sustainable business success. Ketul is also the author of a newly published book, A Journey of Elevation: Lessons for Business Transformation from Everest Base Camp.
Ketul compares the challenges of extreme climbing and supply chain transformation to offer advice about:
Accepting that progress is not a straight line, and everyone has to agree on a shared definition of success
How to overcome the inevitable obstacles that sit between, “Let’s do this,” and “We did it!”
Why the decision to turn back or change plans should never be seen as failure - or as a matter of ego
Links:
Ketul Patel on LinkedIn