Art of Procurement

"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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"Sometimes you just need to recognize that getting from the baseline, whatever your baseline, to the next step… that's really significant." - Jyothi Hartley, Director of Digital Enablement, AOP
Art of Procurement is proud to launch a brand-new podcast series: the ProcureTech Insider.
The procurement technology market is evolving faster than ever, promising exponential transformation. But what actually works in the real world?
ProcureTech Insider exists to take procurement leaders and decision makers beyond the hype. In this new series, we will bring you real-world intelligence from practitioners implementing technology, solution providers building next-generation capabilities, and experts and leaders evaluating what delivers impact in practice.
In this first episode, Art of Procurement Founder and Managing Director Philip Ideson welcomes Jyothi Harley, AOP's Director of Digital Enablement, to discuss the vision behind the show and to explore what digital transformation can look like inside visionary procurement teams.
With more than 25 years of experience across practitioner, transformation, and advisory roles, Jyothi shares why there is no one-size-fits-all blueprint for procurement technology success. Instead of chasing "big bang" transformation, she explains why incremental progress grounded in culture, timing, and organizational readiness often delivers the most sustainable impact.
If you're navigating AI buzz, (re)evaluating your tech stack, or feeling pressure to transform faster than your team may be able to absorb, this conversation – and all of those that will follow it – will help you identify your best next step.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why there's no universal playbook for digital procurement transformation
How to assess your true starting point before investing in new technology
Why incremental progress can be more powerful than sweeping change
The role culture, adoption, and timing play in successful implementation
How AOP's digital enablement practice bridges strategy and execution
This episode also marks Art of Procurement's expanded coverage of the rapidly changing procuretech landscape through regular podcast episodes and the ProcureTech100.
Links:
Download the 2025-26 ProcureTech100 Yearbook
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"The procurement and supply chain professions are ever more relevant to the prosperity of nations and to businesses as we go into the future." - Ben Farrell, Global Chief Executive Officer, The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS)
Striking a balance between tradition and disruption is at the top of the agenda for today's procurement leaders. Whether it's shifting global dynamics, technology, or the push for greater influence, the function's boundaries (and its reputation) are up for grabs.
Ben Farrell brings a perspective forged in the British Army, major retail, and boardrooms worldwide. Now, as Global CEO of The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), he is focused on driving procurement's global profile and advancing the profession for a new generation. 
In this episode, Ben shares hard-won leadership lessons and makes his case for a more visible, empowered procurement function. This is a candid conversation about risk, advocacy, and the urgent need to rebrand procurement for the value-driven world.
In this episode, Ben covers:
Reframing leadership from constraint to empowerment
Navigating risk while still pursuing big opportunities
Raising the profile of procurement inside and outside of an organization
Embracing new technology as a catalyst, not a threat
Why CIPS – and procurement itself – may need a new name
Links:
Ben Farrell on LinkedIn
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