RISK & RESILIENCE“ Stakeholders begin to reach out differently. They begin to ask different questions, which allows us, in turn, to insert ourselves into the most critical moments of opportunity.”
This elevated positioning means procurement participates in strategic planning and long-term resilience discussions that historically excluded the function. Rather than being informed of strategic decisions and asked to source accordingly, procurement now influences strategy itself by identifying risks and opportunities that affect strategic choices.
Chris McCarney, Principal, Procurement & Outsourcing Advisory Leader at KPMG, emphasises the broader transformation required:“ Successful transformations are built on end-to-end process integration, high-quality data and real-time performance visibility. They go beyond technology deployment to focus on change management, cultural adoption and continuous innovation.”
The resilience dividend extends beyond risk mitigation. Organisations embedding risk throughout procurement operations discover that resilience and efficiency are complementary rather than competing objectives. Diversified supplier bases reduce concentration risk whilst improving negotiating position. Real-time visibility enables inventory optimisation that balances resilience with working capital efficiency. Anticipatory risk management prevents costly emergency actions that disrupt other parts of the operation.
110 December 2025