Art of Procurement

• BTW EP 19: Inventive Incentives: Jason Brown on Procurement Incentive Structures

  Procurement doesn’t just have a measurement problem. It has a motivation problem. Behind every misaligned target, every “savings” claim, and every missed opportunity is the same invisible culprit: incentives that quietly tell people to do the wrong things well. In this episode of Buy: The Way…To Purposeful Procurement, Jason Brown, accounting professor at Indiana University and longtime corporate incentives expert, joins co-hosts Philip Ideson and Rich Ham to expose how organizational reward systems shape behavior far more powerfully than strategy or mission statements ever could. He explains why even the most principled teams end up chasing metrics that distort procurement’s purpose, and why rethinking incentive design may be the key to unlocking true business alignment. Drawing from decades of academic research and corporate consulting, Jason unpacks the subtle ways procurement incentives drift off course: how bonus structures reward volume over value, how finance and procurement end up speaking different dialects of “performance,” and how organizations confuse compliance with contribution. He also brings attention to the rare examples of companies that have broken these patterns by tying procurement’s rewards directly to shared outcomes that improve EBITDA, resilience, and stakeholder trust. This conversation challenges a fundamental assumption: can procurement ever be purposeful if its people are rewarded for something other than real impact?  As Jason argues, until incentives reflect what actually matters to the business and society, procurement will remain stuck in a cycle of performative alignment where everyone looks busy but the enterprise stands still. According to Jason, the truth may be uncomfortable, but it’s exactly what procurement needs to hear. Incentive design isn’t a soft topic or a side project. It’s the operating system of purposeful procurement, and it’s long overdue for an upgrade. Links: Jason Brown on LinkedInRich Ham on LinkedInLearn more at FineTuneUs.com

  --------  

  35:34

  --------

  35:34
• 836: Inside Next-Gen SAP Ariba: Rebuilding Procurement for the AI Era W/ Baber Farooq

  “Everyone keeps talking about AI just for the sake of AI, but, ultimately, the only thing that matters is the outcome you can achieve.” - Baber Farooq, Senior Vice President, Market Strategy, Procurement Solutions at SAP Procurement leaders have long felt the pinch: rising expectations, tight budgets, and platforms that struggle to keep up with user expectations. As AI shifts from a buzzword to true capability, procurement needs to rethink what they need from their core procurement suite. What will it take to move from incremental change to a genuine step-change in productivity? In this episode, Baber Farooq, Senior Vice President, Market Strategy, Procurement Solutions at SAP, discusses the future of SAP Ariba and what “next-gen” truly means for procurement. To do this, Baber draws back the curtain on SAP’s rethink of Ariba, including why incremental AI add-ons just weren’t enough, and how his team approached trust, transparency, and a seamless transition for current users. In this episode, Baber speaks about: Reimagining procurement technology with AI as a core capability, not a bolt-on Why data quality and structure are critical to enabling reliable AI outcomes Concrete examples of how generative AI changes real user workflows and decision-making Links: Baber Farooq on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

  --------  

  30:08

  --------

  30:08
• 835: “We Win” Relationships: A Playbook for Procurement Value W/ Neji Isaac

  “There is no stagnancy in a supply relationship. Continuous improvement is the basis for that.” - Neji Isaac, Global Category Manager, NOVA Chemicals Procurement often measures success in cost savings and contract terms, but today's business environment demands more.  As supplier markets consolidate and customer needs shift, procurement leaders must find new ways to bring value to the business, especially in categories that seem stagnant or constrained. In this Art of Procurement podcast episode, Neji Isaac, Global Category Manager at NOVA Chemicals, shares a real-world case study that pushed the boundaries of traditional supplier relationships. Drawing on his global experience and recent doctoral research, Neji explains how identifying overlooked opportunities and challenging old assumptions can unlock efficiency and drive unexpected value. Whether you’re facing a “take-it-or-leave-it” supplier market or searching for fresh levers to pull, Neji offers pragmatic strategies to reflect on. In this episode, Neji discusses: Rethinking supplier relationships in long-standing, strategic categories How to recognize and act on cultural and regional differences in supply approaches Turning overlooked assets (like spare land) into value-adding levers Why the “we win” approach beats traditional win-win thinking Ways to uncover what truly matters to your suppliers Links: Neji Isaac on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

  --------  

  28:22

  --------

  28:22
• BTW EP 19: The Phil-Ins: Common Sense and Clunky Sports References

  In this Phil-Ins episode of “Buy: The Way…To Purposeful Procurement,” Philip Ideson, Rich Ham, and Kelly Barner reflect on their conversations with Bayer CPO Thomas Udesen, franchise procurement leader Kristine Morton, and procurement entrepreneur Jason Busch. Despite differences in scope, scale, and sector, the through-line is unmistakable: common sense.  For example, Thomas showed how Bayer abandoned “pointless” savings metrics in favor of measures that connect directly to business outcomes, while Kristine reminded us that for franchisees, if it doesn’t hit the P&L, it didn’t happen. And Jason revealed how AI employees could finally make real-time validation and continuous monitoring of results possible at scale. Taken together, these stories underscore procurement’s most pressing challenge: leaving behind the dysfunctional obsession with “claimed savings” and building incentive systems that reward real impact. Rich, Phil, and Kelly also step back to examine procurement’s sense of alignment (or detachment?) from the wider business. Kelly shares vivid experiences from her own practitioner days, contrasting the urgency of grocery logistics with the abstraction of office supplies. Phil cautions against “procurement blinkers,” reminding us that silos plague every function, not just ours. And Rich argues that measuring against EBITDA – profits, not projections – may finally put procurement “on the pitch” with their teammates. This recap sets the stage for the next phase of the series: designing incentive structures that actually work. Because if procurement doesn’t align with business value, AI vendors may sell that value straight to the C-suite. Links: Rich Ham on LinkedInLearn more at FineTuneUs.com

  --------  

  33:08

  --------

  33:08
• 834: Rewiring Operating Models for an Unpredictable Future W/ Darshan Deshmukh

  “Play the long game, avoid myopic thinking and approaches to solve immediate problems as much as you can, and treat your suppliers as your customers or clients.”  – Darshan Deshmukh, President at ProcureAbility Procurement leaders are facing unparalleled uncertainty – trade wars, shifting regulations, and headlines that change overnight. Pressure is mounting to build more resilient, agile supply chains, but most organizations are battling change fatigue as well as a need to redefine value.  Procurement has to rewire their operating model for a future where disruption is the norm. In this Art of Procurement podcast episode, Philip Ideson and Kelly Barner are joined by Darshan Deshmukh, President at ProcureAbility. Darshan shares real-world stories about how teams are grappling with global risk and why some are seeing volatility as an engine for growth, while others are retrenching. The conversation addresses how CPOs can actively manage optionality in their supply chains, and how procurement leaders can spot – and address – risk fatigue in their teams. If you want to understand what it means to create a cost-effective and resilient, opportunity-ready supply chain, this episode gives you the roadmap. In this episode, Darshan discusses how to: Adapt your approach for regional differences in geopolitical risk Invest in supply chain optionality, even if it adds time and/or cost Transition from transactional work to collaborative, strategic relationship building Use data and human judgment to separate real risks from noise Links: Darshan Deshmukh on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube Overcoming Procurement’s Fear of AI with ProcureAbility

  --------  

  52:24

  --------

  52:24

Mais podcasts de Negócios

Podcasts em tendência em Negócios

Sobre Art of Procurement

Art of Procurement: Podcast do grupo