In Their Own Words: 7 Ways to Position Yourself for Success from Procurement Thought Leaders

A couple of weeks ago, I shared 25 different lessons that I have learned from interviewing thought leaders across the first 50 episodes of the Art of Procurement podcast.  I was taken aback at the response, with over 4,000 views to date!

The thought leaders that I interview on the show share a ton of invaluable content across a number of different subject areas.  One topic that frequently comes up is, what even is the role of procurement?  In this post, I wanted to share seven different quotes from interviewees that help stimulate thoughts on what we are here to do, and how can we position ourselves accordingly.

In no particular order:

"Procurement is in a great position to build consensus across an organization"

- Tibor Shanto, Prinipal, Renbor Sales Solutions.

Takeaway: are you building consensus or driving compliance to ineffective / unsuitable processes?

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"If procurement does its job properly, it makes the rest of the organization run smoothly as it is aligned"

- Gerard Chick, Chief Knowledge Officer, Optimum Procurement

Takeaway: are your actions aligned with helping your stakeholders achieve what is important to them, or do you view them as a way for you to meet your objectives?

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"Procurement to my mind should be forward thinking with regards to pushing a business towards future success and a lot less about executing historical business more efficiently"

- Tom Derry, CEO, Institute for Supply Management (ISM)

Takeaway: are you focusing enough on helping your company lever supply markets to generate more revenue in the future?

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"Over time, hardware and software is going to replace work that was previously done by humans"

- Bill Michels, CEO, Aripart Consulting

Takeaway: are you aware of what portion of your job can be automated, and do you have a plan to take advantage of this trend rather than have it negatively impact you?

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"The things that we define as strategic today may change"

- Jason Busch, Founder & Head of Strategy, Spend Matters / Azul Partners

Takeaway: technology has no regard for what we consider strategic vs. transactional.  As you prepare for a future where large parts of our roles can be automated, it is likely that some of those activities we consider strategic today may be considered transactional tomorrow.

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"We talk about getting a seat at the executive table. It never stops. The reality is that you don't ask for permission"

- Jon Hansen, Founder, Procurement Insights

Takeaway: are you doing everything you can to be relevant to your stakeholders and leaders, while demonstrating to them the value that procurement CAN deliver rather than waiting to be asked?

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"A lot of procurement professionals do not have the courage to advance the ideas and concepts that need to be advanced for them to do well in the field"

- John P. (Jack) Miles, Managing Partner, MainSpring Advisors

Takeaway: are you ready to stand up and elevate the role of procurement -and help others do the same? 

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These quotes really stood out to be - both in helping me better understand the role of procurement, and that if we are to continue pushing our profession forward, change really has to be driven from within - we can't wait for an invite!

Let me know your thoughts in the comments.  I would love to hear from you!  I have compiled a list of 50 quotes from the first 50 shows in my recent report: The Art of Procurement - 50 Lessons from 50 Shows.  You can download the report right now by clicking here.

Philip Ideson is the Host of the Art of the Procurement show, a twice a week podcast dedicated to elevating the role of procurement. To listen to the show, check out the Art of Procurement website, or subscribe via iTunes.