Podcast appearances and mentions of philip ideson

"I'm a big believer in market intelligence, where we educate the business on the providers and the levers to pull. It's not about just pricing; it's understanding the market." - Amy Fong, Partner, Sourcing and Vendor Management, Everest Group Service categories are experiencing unprecedented change driven by generative AI, which is shifting workforce models and evolving commercial structures across the business.  Procurement has to be continuously focused on how these changes are affecting the business. For procurement leaders managing these services categories, navigating this transformation requires new ways to think about areas like contracting, relationship management, and value measurement. In this episode of Art of Procurement, Philip Ideson speaks with Amy Fong, Partner, Sourcing and Vendor Management at Everest Group, about the rapid evolution of business services sourcing. Amy brings unique insights from analyzing thousands of contracts and observing what leading companies are doing to adapt their sourcing strategies and their approach to output- versus outcome-based contracts. In this episode, Amy explains:  Why outcome-based contracting remains an aspiration, not a reality, for many companies (and how to change that) How generative AI is fundamentally changing service delivery models and what that means for performance measurement and cost structures What procurement teams must bring to the table to earn their place in strategic make-or-buy decisions Links: Amy Fong on LinkedIn Get $100 off the super early bird ticket for Engage with code AOPFRIEND Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

Twenty-five years after co-founding Corporate United, the first indirect GPO in the United States, David McCarty points out an inconvenient truth: the very tools procurement once developed to leverage spend are no longer as effective in today's supplier-dominated landscape. In this episode of "Buy: The Way…To Purposeful Procurement," David joins co-hosts Philip Ideson and Rich Ham to discuss the evolution of Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs), from their early promises of dramatic savings (15-30% back in the early 2000s) to their current state, where GPOs are much more limited in their ability to determine and optimize spend.  With refreshing candor and a healthy dose of optimism about today's forward-thinking GPO leaders, David confirms what many procurement leaders have long suspected: most GPOs are less effective today than when they were founded, partly because they've become a kind of checkbox solution that gives procurement a "false sense of security" rather than a true route to optimized expense management.  For procurement leaders who are worried that their suppliers might be gaming the GPO system, David provides realistic guidance on how to select the right GPO partner (from looking at contract age and rebidding frequency to volume transparency and customization options). He also points out the key areas where GPOs can still deliver differentiated value, but only if they are leveraged appropriately and procurement puts the time and effort into measuring the value they expect to receive.  While there are still benefits to using this model, it's clear, says David, that in 2025, strategic procurement through GPOs requires a more discerning, purpose-driven approach than ever before. Links: David McCarty on LinkedIn Rich Ham on LinkedIn Learn more at FineTuneUs.com  

“In a transformation, make your good examples in the beginning, where you think you will make a difference.” - Joel Andersson, Process development and digitalization project leader - indirect procurement, IKEA Building a mature indirect procurement function that's strategically aligned with the rest of the business is a journey filled with problem-solving, stakeholder relationships, and continuous learning. It requires a ‘thinking-on-your-feet' approach and a willingness to adapt as the business and its priorities evolve.  For IKEA, this transformation began about five years ago when they moved from a self-organized approach to a centralized, strategic function that drives measurable value beyond just cost savings. In this episode of Art of Procurement, Philip Ideson speaks with Joel Andersson, Process development and digitalization project leader - indirect procurement at IKEA, about the company's indirect procurement transformation journey.  Joel shares insights on how his team built credibility through early wins, implemented foundational technology, and is now exploring advanced capabilities including services procurement optimization and generative AI. Listen in to hear: Why establishing visibility through spend analytics was their critical first technology investment before implementing a source-to-pay suite How demonstrating value through early "low-hanging fruit" wins created the business case for expanding the procurement function The unique challenges of indirect procurement compared to direct, particularly around stakeholder management and services procurement Links: Joel Andersson on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

Bradford have done it! The Hard Truth Derby is booked in for next week and it's time for Posh to look ahead to a busy summer. Phil joins us live from a car park in LA as he basks in the glory of Bradford's last minute win to gain promotion.Peterborough United Chairman Darragh MacAnthony and Bradford City supporter Philip Ideson are giving insight on the "Hard Truths" behind the football industry via this weekly podcast 

"If you can't understand how procurement affects the ultimate end users in your organization, whether it's a state prison, or whether it's a manufacturing facility in Germany, then you're abdicating your role, you're just a robot. And that's why procurement has a superpower." - David Yarkin, CEO, Procurated Long before "DOGE" became a buzzword in government efficiency, the state of Pennsylvania led a pioneering strategic procurement transformation that saved taxpayers millions… $140 million to be exact (and on a recurring basis, at that). The key to their success wasn't just smart buying strategies, but highly effective communication that helped secure executive support and turn resisters into supporters.  In this episode of Art of Procurement, Philip Ideson speaks with David Yarkin, CEO of Procurated and former Chief Procurement Officer for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. David brings a unique perspective influenced by his background as a former press secretary and in procurement leadership.  In this episode, David shares how he led Pennsylvania to unprecedented savings through strategic sourcing initiatives and a powerful approach to communication: How to build support for procurement transformation, even against significant resistance, while also staying aligned with company leadership Why supplier performance management should be a high priority for procurement and how a lack of visibility into early warning signs can lead to major failures How procurement leaders can break through organizational barriers by getting out from behind their desks and experiencing operations firsthand Links: David Yarkin on LinkedIn Pennsylvania Did DOGE Before Elon Musk Made It Cool Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

More than one hundred years after John C. Dinsmore wrote in Purchasing Principles and Practices that “there should be no great chasm between the board of directors who represent the stockholders whose money is spent and the person who does the spending,” procurement is still struggling with the same fundamental problem of misalignment. In the eighth episode of “Buy: The Way…To Purposeful Procurement,” Philip Ideson, Kelly Barner, and Rich Ham, CEO at Fine Tune, convene to grapple with the insights – and even a few uncomfortable truths – uncovered in their recent conversations with procurement veterans Rob Hills and Kate Vitasek (episodes 6 and 7, respectively). Rich, Phil, and Kelly challenge conventional wisdom about cost avoidance (is it just “funny money,” after all?), the gap between negotiation and execution, and why procurement's performance metrics have remained largely unchanged over the years, despite their obvious flaws.  This conversation challenges procurement to think about the practices, processes, or assumptions that no longer serve them, and it also sets the stage for upcoming episodes that will begin to explore tangible solutions to these and other challenge areas. Tune in as the co-hosts gear up for their upcoming discussion with David McCarty and prepare to tackle new definitions of procurement value that could finally liberate procurement from its self-imposed “savings jail.”  The path to purposeful procurement is becoming clearer with each episode…  

It's the final stretch in the EFL season but who are the winners and losers? Darragh and Phil read through the big winners at the EFL Awards and we find out some of Posh's plans for summer!Peterborough United Chairman Darragh MacAnthony and Bradford City supporter Philip Ideson are giving insight on the "Hard Truths" behind the football industry via this weekly podcast 

“I understand that tension between procurement and legal could happen, but it really is a disservice to each other. It's like two brothers fighting. It doesn't make any sense.” - Paul Bagley, Director of Commercial Contracting, Acosta Group Procurement and legal often find themselves at odds, despite the fact that they're usually working toward the same goals for the business. We can usually trace this tension back to a few key areas like contract cycle times, risk management approaches, decision-making processes, or contract negotiations. But, when procurement and legal are true collaborators and combine their expertise, they can create measurably better outcomes for the business. To get to that point, both sides need to get to the root of the tension and develop workable processes and expectations that leverage the strengths of both teams without creating bottlenecks or roadblocks… for anyone. In this episode of Art of Procurement, Philip Ideson speaks with Paul Bagley, Director of Commercial Contracting at Acosta Group. Paul has a unique perspective as both an attorney and an experienced procurement professional. Because of that, he is able to directly challenge the notion that conflict between procurement and legal is inevitable, and he advocates instead for a more collaborative, supportive approach between the two. In this episode, Paul explains: How effective category management is the key to creating alignment between procurement, legal, and business stakeholders The importance of empowering procurement with clear contract guidelines and fallback provisions so legal doesn't become unnecessarily overinvolved Best practices for working with outside council or third-party legal teams Practical ways procurement can level-up their knowledge about legal's role, improve their contracts, and stay current on what risks to look out for   Links: Paul Bagley on LinkedIn The Future of Digital Contract Management Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

It's getting to the business end of the season but it's the summer that Darragh is concentrating on now after Posh secure their League 1 safety... however, League 1 obscurity is a position that Phil is dreaming of as Bradford hope to stumble over the line and gain promotion from League 2.Peterborough United Chairman Darragh MacAnthony and Bradford City supporter Philip Ideson are giving insight on the "Hard Truths" behind the football industry via this weekly podcast 

“You're not going to be able to completely eliminate your tariff exposure. There are three frames under which to think about tariffs: How will you mitigate in the short term? How will you think about it in the medium term from your customer's perspective and pricing? And how will you think about a long-term realignment of supply chains?” - Richeek Maitra, Director, AlixPartners With tariffs dominating the news cycle and sending global markets on a wild ride, procurement is scrambling to figure out the practical implications of tariffs on global supply chains and their own organization's procurement strategy.  In this timely Art of Procurement podcast episode, host Philip Ideson welcomes Richeek Maitra, a Director at AlixPartners and an expert on tariffs and their effects on the global supply chain and procurement operations. As Richeek advises, procurement shouldn't (over) react to every single news story about tariffs, but everyone should be planning both short- and long-term strategies to safeguard their organizations from negative tariff-related fallout while still maintaining a competitive advantage.  In short, procurement shouldn't act as if the sky is falling, but they shouldn't stick their heads in the sand and pretend it's just business as usual either. In this episode, Richeek explains: How procurement should interpret new tariff announcements and estimate potential impacts on specific spend categories and supplier relationships A practical response framework to tariffs that includes immediate tactical moves (like duty engineering) to long-term supply chain restructuring How to adopt a rational approach to China sourcing decisions that balances global trends with company-specific circumstances Links: Richeek Maitra on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

In this seventh episode of the “Buy: The Way…To Purposeful Procurement” podcast series, Art of Procurement's Philip Ideson and Fine Tune CEO Rich Ham take a deep dive into procurement history with Kate Vitasek, Faculty of Graduate and Executive Education at the University of Tennessee, and architect of the groundbreaking Vested methodology.  With over 15 years of research and eight books dedicated to buyer-supplier strategic partnerships, Kate shares her insight into how procurement has traditionally tended to extract value from suppliers through power plays, as opposed to creating value through collaboration and alignment around mutually ‘Vested' interests. She traces the historical roots of this dysfunction back to the 1980s with the rise of the Kraljic Matrix and Michael Porter's competitive strategies, both of which further embedded power-based negotiations into procurement's DNA. Drawing inspiration from the Vested approach, Kate:  Advocates for moving away from transaction-based buyer-seller relationships to outcome-based strategic partnerships where both parties have a genuine vested interest in one another's mutual success, and  Explains this dynamic by sharing examples of organizations that have transformed their supplier relationships by transforming how they measure success, structure contracts, and distribute value across their supplier network. This episode challenges procurement to recognize when they're spinning their wheels with outdated supplier management tactics and encourages them to reimagine what's possible when buyers and suppliers align their interests toward genuine value creation and purpose-driven procurement. Links: Kate Vitasek on LinkedIn Rich Ham on LinkedIn Learn more at FineTuneUs.com  

Well, well, well... Posh upset the odds to beat Birmingham in the EFL Trophy at Wembley. Darragh joins us the day after to discuss a record breaking day for Peterborough United.Peterborough United Chairman Darragh MacAnthony and Bradford City supporter Philip Ideson are giving insight on the "Hard Truths" behind the football industry via this weekly podcast 

“Procurement isn't just a cost center; it's a true value driver. So when they're recruiting, CPOs and heads of procurement are looking for someone who's current and who is bringing ideas to the table. They're not just hiring buyers anymore.” - Derek Lutz, Founder and CEO, Lean Six Search  As economic and geopolitical instability sends ripples of doubt across global supply chains, the question of which procurement skills will remain valuable, as well as which ones are becoming obsolete, has never been more relevant.  In this episode, host Philip Ideson talks about the evolving challenges of procurement talent acquisition and retention with Deerek Lutz, Founder and CEO of Lean Six Search. Derek has filled roles in over 50 countries (and has himself travelled to 173), and he offers a truly global perspective on procurement talent trends.  Derek shares his perspective on the shifting nature of procurement leadership, as well as what makes candidates stand out in today's job market. His insights include commentary on: The most resilient (and recession-proof) procurement jobs that remain in high demand, even in uncertain markets The ways CPOs are looking beyond traditional backgrounds to level-up their teams, including recruiting from adjacent functions like finance, sales, or operations The evolution of procurement's most valuable skills, and storytelling and commercial innovation have eclipsed technical experience  Links: Derek Lutz on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

Posh are on the road to Wembley but it's been a very bumpy one with 2 defeats in a week, including against local rivals Northampton. Bradford win to get their promotion hunt back on track and Darragh goes into detail about managing cash flow across the year.Peterborough United Chairman Darragh MacAnthony and Bradford City supporter Philip Ideson are giving insight on the "Hard Truths" behind the football industry via this weekly podcast 

“Transformation is not just about how it's going to impact procurement, but about how it's going to impact the entire enterprise through the efforts that will be happening within the procurement function.” - Natasha Gurevich, Founder & CEO, Candor Procurement Going through procurement transformation without the right approach in place and without support from the business is a bit like sailing into a storm… with a blindfolded crew. Your chances of making it to the other side in better shape than you started are slim to none.  In this Art of Procurement podcast episode, co-hosts Philip Ideson and Kelly Barner speak with returning AOP guest Natasha Gurevich. Natasha is a former CPO of Nike and Salesforce, and she is currently the Founder and CEO at Candor Procurement.  This wealth of procurement leadership makes Natasha the perfect mainstage guest at Art of Procurement's upcoming live, in-person event – Catalyst LA – taking place on May 6, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. In this episode, Natasha explains why Catalyst LA promises to be one of the most unique and value-generating procurement events she's ever attended and what attendees can expect to take away from the event.  Natasha also discusses: The difference between business-as-usual changes and full-scale transformation, and why transformation is such an urgent priority for so many procurement teams this year How CPOs and CFOs look at transformation differently, including ways to bridge that perception gap Why rethinking the current operating model is top of mind for most procurement leaders right now, and what Catalyst LA can do to help Links: Catalyst LA - May 6, 2025 Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube Leading Through Change with Former Fortune 100 CPO Natasha Gurevich Natasha Gurevich on LinkedIn

A bumper episode of The Hard Truth after an exciting few games on the pitch for Posh. It's also been a busy week off the pitch with club's releasing their annual financial reports and we've had plenty of questions for Darragh from the listeners!Peterborough United Chairman Darragh MacAnthony and Bradford City supporter Philip Ideson are giving insight on the "Hard Truths" behind the football industry via this weekly podcast 

It's been a long, winding road that has brought procurement to its current state of flawed incentive structures and measurement challenges. Rob Hills, CEO of Hills Advisory Services and former Deloitte partner, has seen it all unfold firsthand.  But recognizing problems and how they were created is only half of the battle.  With over three decades of procurement experience that stretches back all the way to the formative days of strategic sourcing at A.T. Kearney in the mid-1990s, Rob has seen the classic procurement dilemma play out more times than he would have liked. CPOs “plant a victory flag” on savings while CFOs fail to see procurement's win materialize on the P&L. In the sixth episode of “Buy: The Way…To Purposeful Procurement,” co-hosts Rich Ham and Philip Ideson speak with Rob about this measurement gap, how it has evolved over time, and why procurement's measurement and incentive systems have remained largely unchanged over the years, despite their obvious flaws.  Rob also offers a unique historical perspective of the disconnect between negotiation and execution, especially as procurement grapples with balancing increasing workloads and larger portfolios of spend with shrinking resources.  Rob, Phil, and Rich also explore potential innovative thinking about incentives, metrics, and process design that could finally address the longstanding challenges in demonstrating procurement's full purpose, value, and impact for the business. Links: Rob Hills on LinkedIn Rich Ham on LinkedIn Learn more at FineTuneUs.com  

“We're seeing data around the acceleration of procurement having to ‘do more with less' and this is compounding year over year, so at some point, procurement's operating model is going to break.” – Philip Ideson, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Art of Procurement Procurement teams are facing unprecedented and compounding pressure to “do more with less,” and, because of that, it's more important than ever for procurement's operating model to evolve and mature to meet these growing demands. In this episode, co-hosts Kelly Barner and Philip Ideson explore why procurement operating models have become such a top-of-mind topic in 2025 and what this reveals about process change, talent needs, and digital transformation. They examine how procurement's organizational approach has changed over the years and the pendulum swings we've seen – from decentralized buying to centralized control, then from center-led and now to a kind of “invisible” procurement model. In this episode, Phil and Kelly also discuss: The major trends and changes in procurement operating models and how, at each stage, this has affected procurement's reputation and role in the business How to create more capacity by maturing your operating model and the different stages of operational maturity The CPOs role in establishing a strong operating model, including how and when to leverage orchestration platforms and AI Links: Positioning Procurement for Strategic Success in 2025 w/ Samir Khushalani Mastering the First 100 Days as a CPO w/ Darshan Deshmukh  The Hackett Group's 2025 Key Issues Study: Insights on Procurement Priorities, Technology, and Operating Models w/ Chris Sawchuk Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

What a birthday weekend for Darragh... and impressive 3-0 win for Posh against Charlton and then seeing that Phil's Bradford won 4-1 in front of a record crowd in Yorkshire. Time to strap yourselves in for a very positive episode of The Hard Truth!Peterborough United Chairman Darragh MacAnthony and Bradford City supporter Philip Ideson are giving insight on the "Hard Truths" behind the football industry via this weekly podcast 

“We are seeing a labor-for-technology swap as organizations become much more dependent and scalable, and what's driving that scale and that productivity is technology.” – Christopher Sawchuk, Principal and Global Procurement Advisory Practice Leader at The Hackett Group Procurement is no stranger to change. Over the last decade or more, procurement has seen significant shifts in priorities, in their role in the business, in how they are measured, and even in their daily processes and workflows. This change has brought countless new opportunities for impact, but it has also brought disruption, uncertainty, and challenges. In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with long-time procurement colleague and regular AOP guest Christopher Sawchuck, Principal and Global Procurement Advisory Practice Leader at The Hackett Group.  Chris shares key findings from The Hackett Group's 2025 Key Issues Report, which reveals how procurement leaders are responding to today's most pressing challenges, like balancing increased workloads with lean teams and a growing demand for technology investment. In this episode, Phil and Chris discuss: The evolution of procurement in the 21st Century, from basic supply assurance to cost management and now to broader value value creation and the demands this puts on CPOs to redesign their operating models The critical gap between increasing workload and decrease in staffing and how procurement is leveraging technology to keep their heads above water The ways AI and automation will transform procurement within the next 3-5 years, driving both efficiency and effectiveness gains  Links: Christopher Sawchuk on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

In this episode of “Buy: The Way… To Purposeful Procurement,” Rich Ham, Philip Ideson, and Kelly Barner reflect on what we heard from Oliver Hurrey and Brian Kyle in episodes 3 and 4 and explore how these procurement leaders find purpose and passion in their work, no matter how big or small the project is.  Rich, Philip, and Kelly discuss what “purposeful procurement” truly means in 2025, challenging the notion that practitioners can only find purpose when they're working for highly-mission driven organizations. With the right mindset, purpose and the potential for positive impact are within reach for any procurement professional working in any category.  Living and working with purpose also requires trust – trust among stakeholders and colleagues, trust with your suppliers, and in many cases, trust from the end consumer. When procurement faces challenges like flawed incentive structures and outdated standardization, it ultimately makes it harder for procurement to drive meaningful impact at scale. Reflecting on these opportunities and challenges along procurement's path to greater purpose, Rich, Philip, and Kelly also look ahead to upcoming discussions where they'll take a deeper dive into how procurement arrived at its current state and some of the potential solutions that could help procurement reach its potential as a driver of purposeful change.     Links: Rich Ham on LinkedIn Learn more at FineTuneUs.com  

The world of football has raised a smile for Newcastle fans after winning the Carabao Cup... but what does defeat tell us about Liverpool?! Darragh explains what it all means for his boyhood club and celebrates a derby win for Posh at Cambridge.Peterborough United Chairman Darragh MacAnthony and Bradford City supporter Philip Ideson are giving insight on the "Hard Truths" behind the football industry via this weekly podcast 

“For anybody getting into the CPO role, whether internal or external, you ultimately have to start with your own assessment of the organization and quickly come up with what your priorities are.” – Darshan Deshmukh, President at ProcureAbility The role of Chief Procurement Officer has changed significantly over the last decade, with the focus shifting primarily from cost savings to value generation. In this Art of Procurement podcast episode, Philip Ideson talks with Darshan Deshmukh, President at ProcureAbility, about why CPOs need to strike the right balance between their ability to influence and their technical expertise. Darshan has extensive experience working with procurement leaders across multiple industries, and in this episode, he lays out a structured approach newly-minted CPOs can take in their first 100 days to set themselves and their teams up for success.  Understanding business priorities, creating strong stakeholder relationships, and aligning procurement's initiatives and processes with organizational goals should all be top priorities.  Philip and Darshan explore: How the CPO role has evolved over time, including strategic priorities and reporting and incentive structures How CPOs can drive positive change by balancing speed with purpose-driven change management, all while preserving critical stakeholder relationships The features of a practical process and organizational framework that CPOs can establish in their first 100 days Links: Darshan Deshmukh on LinkedIn Overcoming Procurement's Fear of AI Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

“For anybody in procurement that's ever uttered the phrase ‘seat at the table,' it's not always a comfy seat. This is one of those moments where, if we want to be a part of the leadership discussion on the directional momentum of the company, we have to find the way, find the person, and find the time to have this conversation about supplier diversity.” - Kelly Barner, Co-founder and Head of Operations at Art of Procurement Is this the end of supplier diversity as we've known it? As the political and economic landscape continues to evolve, many supplier diversity programs are facing unprecedented scrutiny and rollbacks, forcing procurement to confront sensitive organizational shifts and rapid changes in corporate priorities and communications.  While no one can be sure exactly what the future looks like for supplier diversity, it's clear that procurement teams and business leaders have reached a critical inflection point. In this special episode, Art of Procurement co-founders Philip Ideson and Kelly Barner have what will likely be the first of many conversations about how procurement can approach these changes thoughtfully, maintain focus on their core values, and lead the business through important conversations during this period of intense transition.  In this episode, Philip and Kelly discuss:  The current state of supplier diversity and its disappearing act across organizations  How understanding the original “why” behind supplier diversity programs is crucial for determining how to proceed Practical advice on how procurement can have productive internal conversations with leadership while also maintaining strong supplier relationships Links: Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube Diversity Goals are Disappearing from Companies' Annual Reports  

The stakes are always high for procurement, but at mission-driven non-profits like the American Cancer Society, procurement is working to – quite literally – help save lives.  In this powerful fourth episode of “Buy: The Way…To Purposeful Procurement,” co-hosts Philip Ideson, Founder of Art of Procurement, and Rich Ham, CEO of Fine Tune, speak with Brian Kyle, Vice President of Supply Chain and Accounts Payable at the American Cancer Society, to explore what enterprise procurement can learn from mission-first organizations like ACS. Brian shares the kind of transformative mindset shift that happens when you transition to a nonprofit environment where every donor dollar is stretched as far as it can possibly go to directly impact the cause – in this case, the fight against cancer. He also explains how mission-driven environments create a kind of gravitational pull across the entire organization – suppliers included – where everyone is laser focused on the same set of goals and success metrics. Brian breaks down how this coalescence around a shared mission to help save millions of lives creates unprecedented levels of collaboration and collaborative decision making, engagement, trust, relationship building, and value beyond savings. The procurement team at ACS represents the essence of purposeful procurement and offers a tangible example of practices and perspectives that even private businesses can adopt to elevate their impact and find purpose in their work. Links: Brian Kyle on LinkedIn Rich Ham on LinkedIn Learn more at FineTuneUs.com  

It's been a week of dreams that could be found in a Disney movie for Darragh and potential excitement for Phil. Posh are heading back to Wembley and Bradford make a few steps closer to promotion from League 2.Peterborough United Chairman Darragh MacAnthony and Bradford City supporter Philip Ideson are giving insight on the "Hard Truths" behind the football industry via this weekly podcast 

It's a Posh/Bradford win double... but it's time to celebrate the incredible won that Phil's City have been on that has put them on the cusp of the League 2 promotion places!Peterborough United Chairman Darragh MacAnthony and Bradford City supporter Philip Ideson are giving insight on the "Hard Truths" behind the football industry via this weekly podcast 

“It's still on us, as procurement professionals, to invest the right amount of time in building relationships and building our narrative.” - Ashish Dhongde, Associate Director Procurement Beauty and Wellbeing North America, Unilever Unilever has built a notoriously well-integrated procurement program, and they are widely recognized for the strong partnership between procurement and the rest of the business.  In this episode, Philip Ideson explores what procurement excellence looks like in practice with Ashish Dhongde, Associate Director of Procurement, Beauty and Wellbeing North America at Unilever. Drawing on Unilever's success, Ashish explains how procurement can transcend traditional boundaries of cost savings to become an integral part of business decision making, innovation, and revenue growth. Ashish also discusses: How procurement can build trust and credibility with stakeholders by ‘speaking the language of the business' Balancing long-term supplier relationships with the immediate need for supply chain resilience  Having constructive conversations with stakeholders about risk without being seen as a roadblock   Links: Ashish Dhongde on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”  After taking an honest look at some of procurement's most pressing challenges and flaws in episodes 1 and 2, Philip Ideson and Fine Tune CEO Rich Ham shift their focus from problem-spotting to solution-seeking with special guest, Oliver Hurrey, one of the world's foremost experts on purposeful procurement. Through his work on sustainability and decarbonization in the supply chain with the Scope 3 Peer Group and the Sustainable Procurement Pledge, Oliver is the ‘real deal' when it comes to empowering purpose-driven procurement teams to create meaningful change. In this episode, Oliver shares compelling real-world examples of instances where procurement has looked beyond traditional measures of success – and some pretty challenging constraints – to find purpose and meaning, proving what is possible when procurement takes a deliberate approach to problem solving. For example, Oliver shares how an innovative carbon pricing initiative is transforming the way major corporations evaluate suppliers, and the story of one little-known family-owned painting business that impressed seasoned procurement leaders at an international conference by sharing how they frame sustainability initiatives as a competitive advantage. These stories of purposeful procurement prove how procurement can lead organizational change and differentiated value creation when they choose to innovate beyond the status quo, to emphasize and incentivize the right KPIs, and to stand up to broken, ineffective systems.  Oliver's own experiences with purpose-driven procurement create a clear path for what's to come in episode 4 and beyond in “Buy: The Way…To Purposeful Procurement” as we dive increasingly deeper into how procurement can envision and implement the kinds of transformative practices that create meaningful, lasting impact. Links: Oliver Hurrey on LinkedIn Rich Ham on LinkedIn Learn more at FineTuneUs.com

Building off the previous discussion about “purposeful procurement,” Philip Ideson, Kelly Barner, and Fine Tune CEO Rich Ham are back to take a bold, honest look at the systemic flaws that have all too often shaped procurement's behaviors and limited their impact.  In this candid conversation, we share and discuss real-world examples about how current incentive structures elevate short-term thinking and less-than-exceptional outcomes, ignoring the huge potential procurement has to generate value. By tackling uncomfortable truths about dysfunction within the procurement system, Phil, Kelly, and Rich explore the topic with thoughtfulness, precision, and the kind of hard-won wisdom that can only come from years of experience in the procurement trenches. Listen in as we ‘interrogate' procurement's role in perpetuating flawed approaches and processes, usually to their own detriment. The candid exploration of these flies in the ointment will also serve as a springboard to solutions as Season 1 progresses.  Stay tuned for episode 3, where our guest Oliver Hurrey will offer a glimpse of what truly inspiring and purposeful procurement looks like in practice. Links: Rich Ham on LinkedIn Learn more at FineTuneUs.com

“Show me the incentive, and I will show you the outcome.” Warren Buffet's vice chairman Charlie Munger's succinct and insightful take reminds us of the power of incentives—and provides a backdrop for this project. In this first episode of the “Buy: The Way…To Purposeful Procurement” podcast, produced collaboratively by the teams at Art of Procurement and Fine Tune, Fine Tune CEO Rich Ham, Philip Ideson, and Kelly Barner lay the groundwork for this year-long series of bi-weekly episodes featuring hand-picked guests that will explore various flaws within commonplace procurement department incentive structures, and how those flaws are holding the profession back from its most purposeful potential. This first conversation sets the stage for frank discussions with practitioners, procurement leaders, and subject matter experts about how prevailing systems of incentives create harms to the status quo, what a healthier system might look like, and the outcomes such improved systems might produce—both within the company's walls and beyond them.  Links: Rich Ham on LinkedIn Learn more at FineTuneUs.com

It's time to catch up after a few weeks away and differing form for Peterborough and Bradford... Darragh is encouraging his Posh side to get back to doing what they do best! Peterborough United Chairman Darragh MacAnthony and Bradford City supporter Philip Ideson are giving insight on the "Hard Truths" behind the football industry via this weekly podcast 

“I look at building a business case in terms of storytelling, and the story that you have to be able to tell in procurement is around better, faster, and cheaper.” – Pratik Patel, Director - Category Management - Labor/North America Technology Spend, Mastercard Understanding how to address skeptics, overcome objections, and communicate procurement's value will ultimately determine how much buy-in (and resources) procurement receives. This holds true whether you are building a business case to establish a new procurement function or lobbying corporate leadership in a well-established team. In this episode, Philip Ideson talks with Pratik Patel, Director - Category Management - Labor/North America Technology Spend at Mastercard, about how procurement can use everyone's desire to eliminate waste to build a strong business case for investment and support.  Pratik also discusses: How procurement can utilize the “DOWNTIME” acronym to tackle waste and apply lean principles to procurement Ways to build stronger relationships and contracts by level-setting expectations and avoiding over-specifying   Refining your approach to problem solving by focusing on the root cause and minimizing unnecessary steps Links: Pratik Patel on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

“Instead of taking an inward look at your sourcing and procurement models, consider the easiest, simplest experience that you can provide to your internal customers.” – Ryan Bradford Procurement is in the midst of a transformative period, but at the heart of all this change is one thing that is always relevant: the customer experience.  Procurement has traditionally done itself a disservice by approaching the source-to-pay process with their own goals, needs, or processes in mind. But, by taking a more customer-centric approach and prioritizing their internal stakeholders, they can actually drive more value for the entire organization. In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with experienced procurement leader and seasoned executive Ryan Bradford about how procurement can refine their approach to customer engagement. In many cases, this creates an opportunity to challenge conventional thinking about how procurement should interact with their customers to achieve the best outcomes.  As Ryan says, it starts by putting the customer experience first.  Ryan also discusses:  How to create a customer-centric S2P model by engaging with stakeholders, understanding their needs, and pushing back in constructive ways The role technology and AI play in enabling simple, and seamless procurement experiences while still maintaining compliance and governance How to build on strong internal relationships and also win over the skeptics and resistors  Links: Ryan Bradford on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

“Procurement is going to make a transformative leap. It may be in a year. It may be in three years. But it's going to happen. So start experimenting.” – Remko Van Hoek, Full Professor of Practice SCM, Executive Director CSCMP Supply Chain Hall of Fame, hosted by Walton, University of Arkansas ­- Sam M. Walton College of Business It's time to make procurement fun again.  That's what Remko Van Hoek, Full Professor of Practice SCM, Executive Director CSCMP Supply Chain Hall of Fame, hosted by Walton, University of Arkansas ­- Sam M. Walton College of Business, told Philip Ideson when they sat down together at DPW Amsterdam 2024. In this episode, Remko shares insights from the 10X Procurement survey he led in conjunction with DPW, and what it reveals about how AI and digital transformation are injecting opportunity, value, and, yes, even fun back into procurement.  The survey also uncovered a troubling ‘inspiration to action' gap between procurement's AI readiness and their ability to successfully execute at the pace required by the rest of the business. Along with discussing digital transformation pressures, Philip and Remko also explore: What 10X growth actually looks like in practice and how procurement can take the idea of exponential growth and turn that into tangible, bottom-line results for the business What it means to be “digitally literate” and why focusing only on technology is actually not the right approach to digital transformation The fundamentals procurement needs to have in place to 10X their growth and impact in 2025  Links: Remko Van Hoek on LinkedIn Listen to “Integrating Blockchain into Procurement” with Remko Van Hoek Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

As Deadline Day approaches Darragh is making plans and he'll be a lot more cheery after Posh won against Wigan in midweek... but Posh's form is nothing to Bradford'd run which has put them in 3rd. Peterborough United Chairman Darragh MacAnthony and Bradford City supporter Philip Ideson are giving insight on the "Hard Truths" behind the football industry via this weekly podcast 

“We're in a new world where we're trying to converge all these different areas, not only to fix problems, but to drive different kinds of capabilities for procurement, ones that are not theoretically possible with the old approach.” – Nick Heinzmann, Head of Research at Zip Procurement is continuously improving and maturing, but over the past few years, a series of distinct trends has gathered momentum. 2025 is looking more and more like the pivotal year when all of these trends will converge, transforming procurement and their role in the business.  This is a defining moment for procurement, bringing with it a significant opportunity to finally solve some of procurement's most systemic pain points.  In this episode, Philip Ideson is joined in conversation by Nick Heinzmann, Head of Research at Zip, and Matthew Hardin, Director of Advisory at Zip. Nick and Matt explore why they've dubbed 2025 as the “year of convergence” for procurement. Nick and Matthew discuss: How the convergence of AI, orchestration, transformation, and changes to procurement's operating model are setting the tone for 2025 Ways AI is changing procurement's role in the business, while also enabling them to focus more on strategy and relationship building Why monitoring the stakeholder experience and capturing satisfaction metrics are key to procurement's success  How to find new and better ways to create value, even in a “do more with less” environment  Links: Nick Heinzmann on LinkedIn Matthew Hardin on LinkedIn 25 Procurement Predictions for 2025 Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

Darragh has been under the weather this week but it hasn't stopped Posh making moves in the transfer window. Darragh also discusses the recent 'brand evaluation' at Peterborough United and Phil is on cloud 9 after Bradford's recent run of results! Peterborough United Chairman Darragh MacAnthony and Bradford City supporter Philip Ideson are giving insight on the "Hard Truths" behind the football industry via this weekly podcast 

“One of the markers of a leading procurement function is when you see suppliers as more than just a source of supply but also as a source of value and innovation.” - Samir Khushalani, Partner at McKinsey & Company Procurement is in a unique position right now. They have to balance immediate priorities and meet the needs of the business today while also navigating new realities and an uncertain future shaped by generative AI, geopolitical turmoil, shifting macroeconomic pressures, and an increasingly volatile global supply chain.  Procurement must reinvent themselves to find their footing in this rapidly changing environment, but they can't stop generating value in the here and now.  In this episode, Philip Ideson talks about the nature of all this change and how procurement should respond to it with Samir Khushalani, Partner at McKinsey & Company. Samir explores how perceptions about procurement have changed and the ways their reputation has shifted from “bargain hunter” to strategic business partner.  But, there's still significant opportunity for procurement to evolve and mature in response to all of the changes afoot.  In this episode, Philip and Samir discuss: How the combination of post-COVID supply chain stabilization, geopolitical changes, and trends in generative AI requires us to rethink procurement operating models and skill sets Why being agile and flexible are critical for procurement's ability to demonstrate their value and secure their future  Why innovative approaches to supply chain collaboration and relationship building will be just as valuable markers of procurement success as cost savings or risk management Links: Samir Khushalani on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

“The industry is evolving faster than our willingness to accept it.” - John Ward, Portfolio Director, ProcureCon North America, Worldwide Business Research  For 25 years, ProcureCon has served as a cornerstone for procurement education and community-building with their well-known annual conference series.  In this episode, Philip Ideson talks about the evolution of ProcureCon (and procurement in general) with Frank Musero, Divisional Director, Content and Strategy, ProcureCon, B2B and Finance Events at Worldwide Business Research; Michael Dunlap, Portfolio Director, Worldwide Business Research; and John Ward, Portfolio Director, ProcureCon North America, Worldwide Business Research. They discuss procurement's evolution from cost center to strategic partner over the last two decades and how ProcureCon events have adapted in order to meet changing practitioner needs and expectations.  In this episode, they discuss: How perceptions about procurement as a profession and a career path have changed The ways ProcureCon has changed their approach to events to meet new realities in procurement, like AI and procure tech, shifting demographics of practitioners, and category-specific challenges How ProcureCon balances their coverage of emerging trends like AI while emphasizing interactive experiences that still address fundamental practitioner pain points  Links: Frank Musero on LinkedIn Michael Dunlap on LinkedIn John Ward on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

There's been a lack of Christmas cheer around Posh this festive period as Peterborough only gain 1 point from 4 games but Darragh is determined his side can put things right before the end of the season! Peterborough United Chairman Darragh MacAnthony and Bradford City supporter Philip Ideson are giving insight on the "Hard Truths" behind the football industry via this weekly podcast 

“As we stand here at the start of 2025, it's clear that this moment isn't about minor tweaks or incremental gains. It's about embracing fundamental shifts that challenge our long-held assumptions.” - Philip Ideson, Founder and Managing Director of Art of Procurement As we head into 2025, which also marks the 10th anniversary of Art of Procurement, Founder and Managing Director Philip Ideson pauses for his annual look at the state of procurement. This year, he examines five critical trends that are reshaping procurement and redefining their role in the business, including labor trends, the role of AI and automation, the return to stakeholder-led buying, and growing geopolitical and economic uncertainty.  Drawing from hundreds of conversations with procurement leaders and subject matter experts over the last year, Philip explores how procurement teams can best position themselves at what feels like an existential and transformative inflection point for the profession. In this episode, Philip explores: How procurement will have to do more with less in 2025, and the role that AI and automation will play in making that happen The trend toward “invisible procurement” as stakeholders take back control of the purchasing process, aided by technology Why potential tariffs, inflation, and supply disruptions could present significant opportunity for procurement The four most important ways procurement can add value that machines and AI can't compete with Links: Philip Ideson on LinkedIn Art of Procurement Annual Letters Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

It's been an improved week for both Peterborough United and Bradford City as both teams win in the league and cup... however, it's much different for Pep Guardiola as Manchester City lose again! Peterborough United Chairman Darragh MacAnthony and Bradford City supporter Philip Ideson are giving insight on the "Hard Truths" behind the football industry via this weekly podcast 

"Procurement organizations that are able to master knowledge around their workflows and categories, and bring that intelligence on demand into their processes and tech, are going to really be able to get that 5x, 10x, 20x kind of performance advantage. It's a game-changer.”  - Pierre Mitchell, Chief Research Officer and Managing Director, Spend Matters Procurement technology is a fast moving target, and well-known industry analyst Pierre Mitchell is one of a handful of highly experienced people who can provide a nuanced perspective on the evolving landscape of procure tech, both looking back at what's been accomplished while simultaneously predicting the trends that will drive us into 2025 and beyond. In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Pierre, who is the Chief Research Officer and Managing Director at Spend Matters, about the critical factors impacting the procure tech market, how to avoid data paralysis, the road ahead for procurement and generative AI, and how procurement leaders can wade through a crowded, fragmented, (and still growing!) procure tech landscape.  They also discuss: The most important procure tech trends to pay attention to in 2025 What procurement leaders should look for in an intake and orchestration platform The likely outcomes, key developments, and challenges for the procure tech market in 2025 Links: Pierre Mitchell on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

It's been a tough week for Darragh and Posh fans after 2 defeats and the news that the Everton FA Cup tie is to be played on a Thursday night. Darragh & Phil jumped on a podcast to chat it all through and prove that they don't hide away when life is hard! Peterborough United Chairman Darragh MacAnthony and Bradford City supporter Philip Ideson are giving insight on the "Hard Truths" behind the football industry via this weekly podcast 

“For procurement, now is the time to raise your hand and sit at the table where your company is deciding on AI use cases, because that is going to transform your trajectory in the industry and the company.” - Mary Purk, Co-Author of "Growing Up: Navigating Generative AI's Early Years – AI Adoption Report" by AI at Wharton It's been two years since ChatGPT democratized AI technology access and became the most rapidly downloaded consumer application in history. Since then we've seen a steep acceleration of AI-driven innovation, opportunity, and concern.  Just like every other area of the business, procurement has their own unique story about the way AI continues to change the way they function and create value. In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Mary Purk, co-author of the recently published AI adoption report “Growing Up: Navigating Generative AI's Early Years” by AI at Wharton and GBK Collective. The report provides data on AI adoption trends within businesses and across functions and the impact that AI is having and will have in the future.  Mary and Philip discuss: How far procurement has come since ChatGPT's release in 2022 and where they're headed in 2025 and beyond Why procurement managers are better positioned than any other role in the business to drive AI transformation in the next 12-18 months The pros and cons of make versus buy when weighing your organization's approach AI-driven procurement technology The perception of AI's impact, and what that says about opportunity within procurement to demonstrate their success and secure their future Links: Report: “Growing Up: Navigating Generative AI's Early Years – AI Adoption Report” by AI at Wharton and GBK Collective Mary Purk on LinkedIn Microsoft AI Learning Hub Hard Fork podcast on Spotify Microsoft Podcasts Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

“If you want to be a customer of choice, it's not going to come down to the contract, it's going to come down to the relationship, even at the individual level.” - Oliver Jones, Director (Procurement) for H&Z Management Consultancy Procurement may be a highly tech-driven function – and growing ever more so by the day – but at its core, the quality of procurement's relationships with internal stakeholders and suppliers ultimately determine their success or failure for the business.  In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Oliver Jones, Director (Procurement) for H&Z Management Consultancy, about why the “relationship” part of supplier relationship management (SRM) is vital for procurement's ability to deliver value to the business. He also shares his perspective on how procurement can overcome some of the more common obstacles to creating strong relationships, but why, in the end, it's well worth the effort – for procurement, for suppliers, and for the business in general. They also discuss: How multiple metrics of procurement's success – like risk management, ESG, or value beyond savings – are all tied back to (and dependant on) supplier relationship management Why the ‘center-led' operating model is the optimal framework to enable successful supplier relationship management Best practices for dividing procurement's focus and prioritization among tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3 suppliers Links: Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Oliver Jones on LinkedIn

“Every procurement journey is unique, and now we have the tools and technologies that allow us to be a lot more flexible in how we build procurement operating models so that we can truly adapt to exactly what the business needs.” – Philip Ideson, Founder and Managing Director, Art of Procurement In the hustle and bustle of end-of-year reporting, wrap ups, and planning for the year to come, it's important for procurement to take a pause – even a very brief one – and think about how they should be reacting to some of the ‘bigger picture' forces impacting the function and the business in general. In this episode, Philip Ideson and Kelly Barner take a look back at the recent Mastermind LIVE 2024, one of AOP's most popular digital events of the year, where we considered some of the most important, even challenging, issues facing procurement today. They debrief each of the 6 sessions and tease out the most important insights, surprising and unexpected moments, and tactical call outs that procurement should keep in mind as they plan for 2025 and beyond.  Kelly and Philip add their own perspectives to the session topics, including: How procurement is positioning themselves for success in 2025 and how procurement operating models should evolve to clear the way for success What kinds of changes – both good and bad – we can expect to procurement roles in the coming months or years, and which jobs are least likely to survive AI How procurement can build a tech roadmap that maximizes stakeholder adoption and user satisfaction And much much more!  Links: Watch Mastermind LIVE 2024 on demand Philip Ideson on LinkedIn Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

“There are not many functions, if any, other than procurement that sit in a position to both positively and negatively have such an impact on organizations, on strategy, on direction.” - Gordon Donovan In an era of increasing uncertainty and existential angst over AI, Gordon Donovan has a refreshingly optimistic view of procurement's future. In fact, he says, procurement might just very well save the world.  While this may be a hyperbolic statement, it's not that far off the mark, as Gordon explains to Philip Ideson in this episode of Art of Procurement.  As Gordon sees it, procurement is one of the only functions that holds the power – or privilege – to directly impact almost every corner of the business, well beyond cost. As such, how procurement approaches things like relationship building, crisis management, volatility, risk assessment, digital disruption, and strategic planning will play a huge role in determining just how successful they are in ‘saving the world.' In this episode, Philip and Gordon also discuss: Redefining procurement as a risk function, critical to business continuity and supply chain visibility Procurement's role in driving global supply chain trends in reshoring, nearshoring, and “friend-shoring” How establishing genuine trust with suppliers leads to bottom-line results for the business Links: Gordon Donovan on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

“No matter how strong or how solid your foundations might be, the environment in which we operate is changing at such a pace that if we do not evolve with it, we will become obsolete.” - Sebastien Bals, EVP, Chief Procurement Officer at Merck Group As technology – AI in particular – continues to transform the way we work and live, the future of procurement hangs in the balance.  In this episode, Philip Ideson and Sebastien Bals, EVP and Chief Procurement Officer at Merck Group, talk about the “two roads” facing procurement: one, defined by opportunity, innovation, and transformation, and the other marked by disruption, outdated roles and practices, and far more uncertainty.  They confront the larger, existential questions that keep many procurement leaders up at night, while recognizing that procurement's willingness to adapt and adjust could be the very skills that keep them from traveling down the path to extinction. They also discuss: Overcoming procurement's inferiority complex and demonstrating value in new digital contexts How procurement can keep and leverage that long-coveted “seat at the table” they now enjoy Securing procurement's future in an increasingly digitized, AI-powered world Links: Sebastian Bals on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube