Procurement at a Crossroads

The procurement profession is at a major crossroads. There are changes taking place on many fronts: generational shifts, technology, organizational structure, and skills requirements to name just a few. Practitioners are responding to pressure from executive leadership to become more strategic, in some cases eliminating tactical work through outsourcing or automation. Yet the metrics used to evaluate their performance more often than not emphasize tactical work such as the need to negotiate savings and manage supplier performance. Some companies seem to want a procurement function that is agile and strategic, while others do not.

Is procurement in a state of transition or turmoil?

This book addresses the major dynamics faced by procurement professionals today (talent, risk, technology, etc.) and provides two distinct viewpoints on the possible evolutionary paths each may take in the coming decades. It is likely to spur healthy debate not only as to where things are headed, but where they should head, and perhaps influence the road actually taken in the future. There is so much misinformation in resources used by procurement practitioners to learn the news about their profession. This reference reveals the real stories.