Art of Procurement

"Procurement tools traditionally look at history. To make better decisions, we need to start looking forward." - Tomas Wiemer, Global Multi-Industry Procurement & Digitalization Executive
Procurement teams are under pressure to contribute much more than just savings… 
They're being asked to provide strategic intelligence, support faster decisions, and become true business partners. But as organizations look to digital platforms and unified data, many leaders find that legacy models and fragmented systems hold them back.
In this episode, global procurement and digitization leader Tomas Wiemer joins Philip Ideson to discuss how procurement's role is changing and what leaders can do to keep up. Tomas shares lessons from building high-performing procurement teams across industries and continents, including why structured data and decisioning platforms are now essential for strategic influence.
You'll hear what's working (and what's not) as procurement navigates the shift from transactional control to value-focused partnerships, and get practical ideas for where to start… even if your tech stack is limited or your organization is in the early stages of a transformation journey. 
During their conversation, Tomas explains how to:
Navigate the shift from transactional work to strategic sourcing focus
Build the business case for investing in procurement technology and data
Start with the right data and metrics, no matter your maturity level
Use decisioning platforms to deepen business partnerships and speed action
Links:
Tomas Wiemer on LinkedIn
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In this episode of the ProcureTech Insider Startup of the Week, host Jyothi Hartley speaks with Ricky Ho, Co-Founder and CEO of SourceReady, about how AI and big data are transforming global supplier discovery and sourcing strategy.
SourceReady is building an AI-powered sourcing platform designed to automate the most time-consuming parts of the sourcing process – from supplier discovery to quote comparison and risk analysis. With access to 1.2 million suppliers across 100 countries, the platform helps procurement and sourcing teams uncover new suppliers, analyze risk, and streamline supplier communication.
Ricky shares how his background in a family textile business and his experience building and selling a supply chain startup led him to create SourceReady. Together, they discuss the limitations of traditional supplier directories, the growing complexity of global sourcing, and how AI agents can help procurement teams focus on strategy rather than manual tasks.
Links:
SourceReady Provider Profile
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"The winners will be the people who make it happen themselves. The losers will be the ones that just bury their heads in the sand." - Andrew Daley, Managing Director, Digital Procurement and Supply Chain at Edbury Daley
The AI revolution is transforming procurement faster than ever before. Whether you're upskilling your team or rethinking your operating model, the choices you make now will set the pace for your entire function tomorrow.
In this episode, Andrew Daley, Managing Director of Digital Procurement and Supply Chain at Edbury Daley, returns to share what he's seeing on the front lines of talent acquisition and digital transformation. 
He explains why intellectual curiosity is the most sought-after trait in the AI era, how leading CPOs are shifting their strategies, and what separates thriving professionals from those at risk of being left behind.
His advice: don't just keep up… get ahead. Andrew's practical perspective and new research data will spark ideas for every procurement leader ready to make their mark.
In this episode, Andrew covers:
How to identify the mindset that sets top procurement talent apart in an AI-driven world
What leading organizations are (and aren't) doing to upskill their teams
How AI-driven change will impact future operating models
New survey data on AI adoption and readiness in procurement
Actionable advice for building an AI-capable team
Links:
Andrew Daley on LinkedIn
Building a 'Dream Scenario' of Procurement Excellence
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Procurement's incentive problem doesn't stop at the contract. It gets worse after signature.
In this Phil-Ins episode of "Buy: The Way…To Purposeful Procurement," Rich Ham and Philip Ideson are joined by Kelly Barner to unpack three "Buy Laws" at once, mainly because they're inseparable in practice.
First: count only what hits the ledger. If the value doesn't show up in actuals, it doesn't count. That means moving procurement out of the projection business and into the results business… where the CFO lives.
Second: stop counting only the good. The status quo lets category managers rack up credit for isolated wins while bad outcomes quietly pile up elsewhere. Procurement can't become more credible (or more strategic) if the scoreboard only records highlights.
Third: fund a validation function. If you're going to demand that outcomes be real, you have to resource the work that proves it. Validation isn't optional. It's the bridge between negotiation and execution, the place where contract adherence, leakage, "technically compliant but avoidable" spend, and invoice-level reality either confirm the deal… or expose the fiction.
Along the way, the conversation also confronts the uncomfortable tension at the heart of all three Buy Laws: procurement can't control everything that drives financial outcomes. But that can't be an excuse to keep rewarding imagined savings. The answer is a healthier system altogether, which should include clear carve-outs, smarter attribution, and a consistent discipline of asking the simplest kinds of questions procurement too often avoids: "this was supposed to be 12… so why is it 15?"
If procurement wants to claim value, they have to stay involved long enough to validate it, and build a measurement system strong enough to survive contact with reality.
Links:
Rich Ham on LinkedIn
Learn more at FineTuneUs.com

"We compete with people's homes more than we do with other coworking locations because my job is to get people to want to come into my spaces, and that is what I focus on every single day." - Sarah Travers, CEO, Workbar
The future of work is unfolding quickly, and procurement leaders who also own real estate decisions can't afford to ignore trends in co-working. Whether you need to unlock flexibility, attract top talent, or better control costs, new workplace models are rapidly replacing traditional long-term leases.
In this episode, host Philip Ideson speaks with Sarah Travers, CEO of Workbar, a Boston-based coworking company that has built a flexible, community-focused model for organizations of all sizes. With more than two decades of experience shaping the category, Sarah shares the real reasons organizations pivot from headquarters to hub-and-spoke, how team-share memberships de-risk real estate, and what procurement teams should really look for beyond price per square foot.
In this episode, Sarah discusses how to:
Evaluate new coworking models to flex with your organization's needs
Avoid long-term liabilities by shifting to on-demand and shareable passes
Select the right mix of local and global providers to reduce risk
Build workplace experiences that go beyond convenience to real engagement

Links:
Sarah Travers on LinkedIn
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