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How do you build a procurement community of 160,000, or why do you join an industry group or association without being actively involved? When James E. Martin, CSP, reached out to me, I must admit that I was unaware of his Purchasing & Global Supply Chain Professionals group, let alone that its membership had grown to over 160,000 since its founding in 2007. His frankness was even more refreshing: While the 160K number is impressive, he told me that a core of 14,000 to 20,000 is actively engaged. It reminded me of a discussion I had many years ago with Tim Cummins, who said that 5% to 10% of members in any association or group are actively engaged, and perhaps another 5% to 10% are moderately engaged; the majority join but don't really spend time interacting within the community. 14,000 to 20,000 members actively engaging regularly is impressive. However, with the changes occurring within the industry, why are so many sitting on the sidelines and not sharing their views and experiences? Don't get me started on tagging versus non-tagging and the fallacy of likes and consensus comments. But that is a discussion for another day. In the meantime, I invite you to watch this raw, unrehearsed, off-the-cuff video discussion because you may learn as I did that while James speaks softly (but passionately), the influence of his group carries a big stick. By the way, I joined James' group, and I look forward to actively participating in his engaged community. So, why are most members of a group or association not engaged while others are having meaningful dialogues? Don Klock Maggie Brommer John Yuva Thomas Perkins, MBA, CPSM, CPSD Kelly Singleton, SCMP Youssef Karkar يوسف كركار Mary Lue Peck Rick Hunsinger Barry C. Kull Louis Liang CPPM Manya Trivedi Jamie Corn, MBA Stephane Leduc Heng Liu Tom Derry Lee Kornfeld Lalitha Rajagopalan Jacob Gorm Larsen Melanie Larimer Thangapandi Sakthivel Gaurav Sharma Philip Pandhal MSc Karan Brar Peter Bambridge Alex T. Video Interview Overview: In the Informal Discussion / Knowledge Sharing meeting led by James E. Martin, the focus was on the dynamics of procurement and supply chain management, highlighted through Martin’s extensive LinkedIn group, which supports over 160,000 members, providing actionable insights rather than high-level discussions. The conversation encapsulated the evolution of procurement technology since the 1980s, addressing the pitfalls of consultants and the limitations of AI while emphasizing practical improvements over mere valuations. Jon Hansen contributed his experiences and underscored the need for trustworthy solution providers amid a landscape of uniform marketing. The meeting also explored corporate dysfunctions relating to software implementation, stressing the necessity for effective solutions catering to real business challenges. https://lnkd.in/gJBzZfWe

Save your own time reading research when you can get the key takeaways in one place! Gordon Donovan provides a handy expert summary of June’s global procurement research ⬇️

Where is procurement heading in the next ten years?

Where is procurement heading in the next ten years?

The procurement landscape is experiencing a significant transformation driven by innovative technologies, emerging business philosophies, and a focus on efficiency and sustainability #procurement #middleeastprocurement

  Yaay, year-end is close, and yet another 2025 Procurement Trend & Prediction Season has started. Plenty of consulting firms (mainly the big ones) and procurement tech companies ("Procurement is just tech") began to tell or persuade experienced procurement leaders (fighting challenges) about what to expect from the next 12 months.

📈 Navigating the Waves: How Current Market Trends Impact Procurement 📈 In the ever-evolving world of procurement, staying ahead means understanding and adapting to market trends. As we navigate through a complex global economy, several key trends are shaping procurement strategies and operations. Here’s an analysis of the most influential trends and their impacts on procurement: Increased Focus on Sustainability Trend: There is a growing demand for sustainability in supply chains, driven by consumer preferences, regulatory pressures, and a corporate focus on environmental impact. Impact: Procurement is increasingly tasked with sourcing from eco-friendly and ethical suppliers, integrating sustainability into vendor assessments and performance metrics. Digital Transformation and Automation Trend: The rapid adoption of digital technologies is transforming procurement processes, from automated purchasing systems to AI-driven analytics. Impact: This trend leads to greater efficiency and accuracy in procurement operations, enabling data-driven decision-making and freeing up human resources for strategic tasks. Global Supply Chain Resilience Trend: Recent disruptions have highlighted the vulnerability of global supply chains. Impact: Procurement is focusing more on risk management strategies, including diversifying supplier bases and developing robust contingency plans to ensure continuity. Rise of E-Procurement Platforms Trend: The shift towards online procurement platforms continues to grow, offering a centralized approach to managing procurement tasks. Impact: This enhances transparency, reduces costs, and improves the speed of procurement cycles, while also demanding new skills and adaptations from procurement teams. Shift Towards Supplier Collaboration Trend: There's a shift from viewing suppliers as vendors to treating them as strategic partners. Impact: Procurement practices now emphasize long-term relationships that foster collaboration, innovation, and mutual growth, rather than just focusing on cost minimization. Regulatory and Compliance Pressures Trend: Increasingly stringent regulations related to procurement practices, especially in terms of international trade and data protection. Impact: Procurement must adapt by enhancing compliance measures, which often requires new systems and processes to track and manage compliance. Understanding these trends and preparing for their impacts is crucial for modern procurement professionals aiming to drive value and competitive advantage for their organizations. 💬 How have these trends impacted your procurement strategies? Are there other trends you're watching? #MarketTrends #ProcurementStrategy #SupplyChainManagement #DigitalTransformation

😍 An absolute bumper edition of Procurement Magazine this month. 😍 Two interviews, five articles, some great profiles and a top 10! I really enjoyed putting this together, and it looks great, thanks to the work of our design team. If you have got this far and still on the fence about giving it a read, could an idea of what's inside tempt you? ⭐ The latest procurement news ⭐ An interview with Iyad Aldalooj, CEO of Penny Software ⭐ Anders L., Focal Point’s founder, spoke to about his journey from founding the company to navigating challenges in supply chains ⭐ Top 10: AI Tools for Procurement ⭐ A great insight into how Bamboo Rose is reshaping supplier relationship management ⭐ How Atamis Ltd is working alongside businesses to lend a helping hand as the Procurement Act 2023 is about to come into affect ⭐ Exploring the Future of Global Sourcing in Procurement, with Sam de Frates, Vice President of Procurement for Europe, CIS and Turkey at Mars and Onyekachi Izukanne, Co-Founder and CEO of TradeDepot ⭐ How Data Analytics is Empowering Procurement Operations featuring leaders from Synertrade and Globality, Inc. ⭐ How LeanLinking’s RELATIONS platform allows businesses to leverage transparency to generate success within procurement  ⭐ A look ahead to Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE London, which returns this month! Give it a read here - https://lnkd.in/eNcAAeg2

Save your own time reading research when you can get the key takeaways in one place! Gordon Donovan provides a handy expert summary of July’s global procurement research ⬇️

If you want to hear more from the Author Roman Belotserkovskiy he is taking part in Economist Impact webinar about productivity in procurement. Register here https://buff.ly/3yufjuJ In the meantime enouy this article, Procurement 2024: The next ten CPO actions to meet today’s toughest challenges