The Board Wants 15% Cost Cuts. Here’s Where to Find €500k.
The board wants margin improvement. You have 90 days to show results. Headcount cuts are off the table as they’d slow growth. Office space won’t move the needle. So where do you find 15% cost reduction without damaging the business? Most directors start by looking at headcount, office space or travel budgets. They miss the […]
Build vs Buy Dilemma
The build vs. buy debate has become outdated. Most organisations frame this as a binary choice when the reality is more nuanced: modern procurement technology is modular, composable, and increasingly accessible to non-developers. The strategic question isn’t whether to build or buy but how to combine foundational platforms with custom logic to create systems that […]
All Hands on Deck (Part 2): Your First 180 Days as Procurement Captain
Beyond the Basics: Mastering Your First 180 Days in Procurement Leadership (Part 2) Part 1 looked at the credibility paradox (quick wins versus relationship building), self-awareness gaps that trip up new leaders, stakeholder engagement beyond tick-box consultation, and why technology projects fail more often than they should. Moving into procurement leadership means shifting from managing […]
Strategy First: Why “Why” Determines Your Procurement Success
Strategy First: Why “Why” Determines Your Procurement Transformation Success You’ve just been appointed director of procurement. Day one, your CEO says, “I want you to transform this function from reactive to strategic within three years.” Most leaders nod and immediately start planning: spend visibility and baseline assessments, stakeholder tours, quick wins, technology roadmaps, team assessment. […]
All Hands on Deck: Conquering Your First 180 Days as Procurement Captain
Beyond the Basics: What They Don’t Tell You About Your First 180 Days in Procurement Leadership (Part 1) This article draws on insights from a recent DeepStream webinar panel I participated in alongside Tom Mills (Procure Bites), Emma Craney (Procurement Heads) and Dan Gianfreda (Deepstream). Throughout, I’ll share both their perspectives and my own experiences […]
Why Competition Beats Procurement Intelligence Every Time
The Strategic Power of RFPs: Why Competition Beats Procurement Intelligence Every Time Every seasoned procurement professional knows that navigating supplier relationships can be treacherous without the right approach. While procurement intelligence platforms are flooding the market with promises of “knowing what things should cost,” the reality is more complex. It’ll give you a starting point […]
The Reality of AI in Procurement
AI in Procurement: A Realistic Assessment What I’ve learned about harnessing artificial intelligence in procurement whilst avoiding the hype trap After spending the past few years watching AI evolve in procurement and now being more involved in panels, webinars, events, demos with suppliers and even playing around with the Claude API, I can tell you […]
The DIY Procurement Approach & Outsmarting the Enterprise Suites
You can also listen to this compelling case on the Season 6 of The Procurement Software Podcast from James Meads. Links on your favourite podcast player: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Youtube | Captivate.fm How a ride-hailer transformed €XXXM in procurement spend by maximising existing tools instead of chasing expensive enterprise solutions Too many companies […]
Performance Measurement and Continuous Improvement – Navigating Toward Operational Excellence
Part 3: From Implementation to Optimisation With strategic foundations established in Part 1 and implementation tactics deployed from Part 2, sustainable cost management success requires systematic measurement and continuous improvement. However, reaching this maturity level involves significant organisational complexities that many manufacturers underestimate. Organisations successfully navigating to this advanced stage typically sustain 6 – 8% […]
Procurement Implementation Tactics – Navigating the Depths of Cost Optimisation
Procurement Tactics: From Strategy to Execution Having charted your strategic course in Part 1, successful cost management now demands precision in execution. Like experienced navigators who understand that surface conditions reveal little about underwater currents, effective cost managers must probe beneath obvious expenses to uncover hidden cost drivers that can sink profitability. This deep-dive exploration […]