Career
Slow is smooth and smooth is fast say the Navy Seals, or so the legend goes. Procurement professionals tend to say the same thing: Quick decisions can’t possibly be good decisions.
But the current climate of trade wars, natural disasters and climate change have helped to shift the role of procurement professionals from one of repetitive stability to a state of constant flux.
Agility is the buzzword of the day. The Hackett Group even called it a “critical development zone for procurement teams in 2019.”
Technology: The building blocks for agility
Agile procurement is playing offense and defense. Maintaining good supplier relationships while always having a plan if sourcing needs to shift. Anticipating disruptions before they arrive. Shifting quickly and decisively when need arises. Failing fast and learning fast. For some organizations, agility represents a completely new way of thinking, and this cultural shift can’t be foisted upon a procurement team overnight.