What is driving the need for digital transformation in procurement ?

- Katie McEwen , Community Advocate at TealBook

Category managers today spend more time checking for human errors on spreadsheets than strategising and negotiating . More manual work means more time spent on low value activities – automation will help procurement make better decisions based on data .

Most of us understand the need for technology , but I think we can also respect and understand the human component . Organisations can ’ t plan and strategise when they are constantly putting out fires , and manually checking for exceptions and outliers . Their time needs to be focused on what machines can ’ t do .

Following the gathering of data on key transformation areas , it is then important to establish a realistic and detailed launch plan . “ The last thing you ’ ll want to do is rush the project only to have important checklist items fall through the cracks or see the project stall entirely ,” explains McEwan .

Once implemented , a retrospective should be performed to gain insight into the success of the project .

A closing point for McEwan includes the importance of starting a digital transformation journey with ‘ light lift ’ projects . “ It can be easy to get wrapped up in the capabilities of new procurement technology , but don ’ t dive in too quickly before you can get a handle on how the solution works . Begin with small projects that are keenly focused on business initiatives ,” she concludes .

KATIE MCEWEN COMMUNITY ADVOCATE , TEALBOOK

96 September 2022