PwC’ s Rowan Lipscombe explains how modern procurement drives innovation, manages risk and creates value through technology and sustainability initiatives
PwC’ s Rowan Lipscombe: Procurement Drives Transformation
PwC’ s Rowan Lipscombe explains how modern procurement drives innovation, manages risk and creates value through technology and sustainability initiatives
Rowan Lipscombe, Director at PwC and a leader within its UK procurement practice, has seen the evolution of procurement firsthand through work completed with clients across an array of diverse sectors including technology, aerospace and energy and utilities.
Drawing on more than two decades of industry experience before joining PwC, Rowan has driven large-scale transformation programmes focused on both cost and carbon reduction, positioning procurement at the heart of organisational reinvention.
Beyond traditional cost control The days when procurement success was measured solely by cost savings are firmly behind us.“ No longer is procurement just a cost control function, it’ s now a driver of innovation, transformation, and managing supply chain risk and resilience.”
This shift reflects the complex challenges facing businesses today. In what Rowan describes as a“ VUCA( Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) world”, organisations must navigate disruption from multiple angles
– AI, climate change and geopolitical shifts all demand new approaches to business resilience and growth.
“ It used to be cost savings. Now that’ s no longer going to differentiate you. That’ s business as usual,” Rowan adds. Procurement value creation is“ measured through speed to market of new products, risk and resilience of the supply chain, sustainability imperatives and bringing in supplier-led innovation as well.”
Technology as a transformation catalyst PwC’ s approach to procurement transformation works alongside the modern expectations now on procurement. Rather than focusing purely on automation benefits, the firm emphasises how technology serves as“ a catalyst for new ways of working and helping to drive compliance and adoption.”
Its work with Deliveroo demonstrates this philosophy in action. Working with the food delivery giant from the early stages of its procurement transformation, PwC helped, using deep spend analytics to identify opportunities across its cost base, but also its operating model and technology as well.