Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

“We’re in a new world where we’re trying to converge all these different areas, not only to fix problems, but to drive different kinds of capabilities for procurement, ones that are not theoretically possible with the old approach.” – Nick Heinzmann, Head of Research at Zip

Procurement is continuously improving and maturing, but over the past few years, a series of distinct trends has gathered momentum. 2025 is looking more and more like the pivotal year when all of these trends will converge, transforming procurement and their role in the business.

This is a defining moment for procurement, bringing with it a significant opportunity to finally solve some of procurement’s most systemic pain points.

In this episode, Philip Ideson is joined in conversation by Nick Heinzmann, Head of Research at Zip, and Matthew Hardin, Director of Advisory at Zip. Nick and Matt explore why they’ve dubbed 2025 as the “year of convergence” for procurement.

Nick and Matthew discuss:

• How the convergence of AI, orchestration, transformation, and changes to procurement’s operating model are setting the tone for 2025
• Ways AI is changing procurement’s role in the business, while also enabling them to focus more on strategy and relationship building
• Why monitoring the stakeholder experience and capturing satisfaction metrics are key to procurement’s success
• How to find new and better ways to create value, even in a “do more with less” environment

Links:

• Nick Heinzmann on LinkedIn
• Matthew Hardin on LinkedIn
• 25 Procurement Predictions for 2025
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

“One of the markers of a leading procurement function is when you see suppliers as more than just a source of supply but also as a source of value and innovation.” - Samir Khushalani, Partner at McKinsey & Company

Procurement is in a unique position right now. They have to balance immediate priorities and meet the needs of the business today while also navigating new realities and an uncertain future shaped by generative AI, geopolitical turmoil, shifting macroeconomic pressures, and an increasingly volatile global supply chain.

Procurement must reinvent themselves to find their footing in this rapidly changing environment, but they can’t stop generating value in the here and now.

In this episode, Philip Ideson talks about the nature of all this change and how procurement should respond to it with Samir Khushalani, Partner at McKinsey & Company. Samir explores how perceptions about procurement have changed and the ways their reputation has shifted from “bargain hunter” to strategic business partner.

But, there’s still significant opportunity for procurement to evolve and mature in response to all of the changes afoot.

In this episode, Philip and Samir discuss:

• How the combination of post-COVID supply chain stabilization, geopolitical changes, and trends in generative AI requires us to rethink procurement operating models and skill sets
• Why being agile and flexible are critical for procurement’s ability to demonstrate their value and secure their future
• Why innovative approaches to supply chain collaboration and relationship building will be just as valuable markers of procurement success as cost savings or risk management
  

Links:

• Samir Khushalani on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

“The industry is evolving faster than our willingness to accept it.” - John Ward, Portfolio Director, ProcureCon North America, Worldwide Business Research

For 25 years, ProcureCon has served as a cornerstone for procurement education and community-building with their well-known annual conference series.

In this episode, Philip Ideson talks about the evolution of ProcureCon (and procurement in general) with Frank Musero, Divisional Director, Content and Strategy, ProcureCon, B2B and Finance Events at Worldwide Business Research; Michael Dunlap, Portfolio Director, Worldwide Business Research; and John Ward, Portfolio Director, ProcureCon North America, Worldwide Business Research.

They discuss procurement’s evolution from cost center to strategic partner over the last two decades and how ProcureCon events have adapted in order to meet changing practitioner needs and expectations.

In this episode, they discuss:

• How perceptions about procurement as a profession and a career path have changed
• The ways ProcureCon has changed their approach to events to meet new realities in procurement, like AI and procure tech, shifting demographics of practitioners, and category-specific challenges
• How ProcureCon balances their coverage of emerging trends like AI while emphasizing interactive experiences that still address fundamental practitioner pain points

Links:

• Frank Musero on LinkedIn
• Michael Dunlap on LinkedIn
• John Ward on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

Procurement 6 is a short podcast from Art of Procurement that publishes in the Art of Procurement feed every Friday morning at 6am US Eastern Time.

Presented by a member of the Art of Procurement team, each episode has 6 short segments that summarize the week in procurement.

Segments range from procurement tips to podcast summaries, from details of events to news or overviews of blog posts that capture our attention.

“As we stand here at the start of 2025, it's clear that this moment isn't about minor tweaks or incremental gains. It's about embracing fundamental shifts that challenge our long-held assumptions.” - Philip Ideson, Founder and Managing Director of Art of Procurement

As we head into 2025, which also marks the 10th anniversary of Art of Procurement, Founder and Managing Director Philip Ideson pauses for his annual look at the state of procurement. This year, he examines five critical trends that are reshaping procurement and redefining their role in the business, including labor trends, the role of AI and automation, the return to stakeholder-led buying, and growing geopolitical and economic uncertainty.

Drawing from hundreds of conversations with procurement leaders and subject matter experts over the last year, Philip explores how procurement teams can best position themselves at what feels like an existential and transformative inflection point for the profession.

In this episode, Philip explores:

• How procurement will have to do more with less in 2025, and the role that AI and automation will play in making that happen
• The trend toward “invisible procurement” as stakeholders take back control of the purchasing process, aided by technology
• Why potential tariffs, inflation, and supply disruptions could present significant opportunity for procurement
• The four most important ways procurement can add value that machines and AI can’t compete with

Links:

• Philip Ideson on LinkedIn
• Art of Procurement Annual Letters
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement
• Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube