DIGITAL PROCUREMENT
fabrication , that ’ s not something you ’ re going to put on an automated purchasing track because it involves smart thinking . Automatisation of strategic procurement processes will take place , but more so on the tail side of spend .”
“ Procurement is in having a great journey of increasing importance . And that journey will not only be continued but boosted through digital ”
DR WOLFGANG SCHNELLBÄCHER MANAGING DIRECTOR , PARTNER AND EUROPEAN LEADER OF PROCUREMENT PRACTICE , BCG
Coming up Short , But Stepping Up Big Yes , there is a talent shortage , but the men at BCG see things in a much more positive light for procurement .
“ I think one of the needs we see , Wolfgang and I , is to help procurement organisations become much more attractive to young talent . The days when you focused only on hitting suppliers with a stick to get cost savings are clearly over . Quality , innovation , speed , minimisation of risks , sustainability , are all things that are run by human teams . And that has many effects . Not only is the spectrum of work broader and much more interesting , but also the procurement function itself has elevated . There ’ s much more direct reporting into the board , oftentimes to the CEO . There ’ s much more responsibility in the company , co-driving innovation processes , getting production up and running and things like that .
“ Yes , there ’ s an overall shortage , but the attractiveness of the function has certainly increased over the years . You also see that Procurement functions typically pay more these days as they expect different talents . So I think overall , it ’ s actually good news on the procurement side .”
Procurement ’ s Stumbling Blocks It ’ s not clear sailing yet , however . Wolfgang says there are two main stumbling blocks for procurement to overcome .
“ Number one for me is the most important , and it ’ s our internal business partners . The rest of the company outside
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