Art of Procurement

• BTW EP 21: Planning for People: Behavioral Architecture with David Loseby

  Procurement's toughest problems rarely come from spreadsheets or contracts. They come from people. In this episode of "Buy: The Way…To Purposeful Procurement," David Loseby – professor, former CPO, and self-described "pracademic" – joins Philip Ideson and Rich Ham to explore why procurement's incentive systems often fail not because they're wrong on paper, but because they ignore how people actually think and act. Unfortunately, he says, most systems are designed for tidy models, not messy human behavior. Drawing on behavioral science and front-line experience, David introduces the idea of "behavioral architecture," a practical approach to shaping decisions by understanding how different audiences think, decide, and act. Finance wants the spreadsheet. Marketing wants the story. The CEO wants 30 seconds and a decision. A single, one-size-fits-all KPI (which we know is usually "savings") can't carry that load, and when it tries, it often drives the wrong behaviors. Instead, David makes the case for incentives that create shared ownership of outcomes across functions. He walks through a concrete example of shifting an energy "re-tender" into an enterprise-wide consumption program that improved P&L results through local engagement, gamification, and rapid payback actions – all proof that when the metric matches the mission, the business moves. He then applies the same logic to sustainability, customer experience, and resilience, showing how to frame the same initiative in different "languages" across the business without diluting the goal. David also offers actionable guidance: build balanced scorecards that include the business's priorities (not only procurement's), tie a portion of bonuses to stakeholder metrics, and tailor communications so each audience sees their value in the work. It's a call to action for procurement that may be uncomfortable, but it's exactly what they need to hear: if you want purposeful outcomes, you have to design for human behavior, not inhuman systems and processes. Links: David Loseby on LinkedIn Rich Ham on LinkedIn Learn more at FineTuneUs.com

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• 838: Protecting Competition: Inside the DOJ's Fight Against Procurement Collusion

  "Fraudulent conduct robs the government – at all levels, local, state, or federal – of the benefit of competition. Competition is free and open; it is the Magna Carta of the American economic system, and robbing the government of that benefit is inherently wrongful." Public sector procurement faces mounting challenges, not least of which is the threat of collusion and fraud that quietly erodes budgets and public trust. The Department of Justice's Procurement Collusion Strike Force is taking this seriously, with a coordinated and data-driven approach to cracking down on anticompetitive conduct at all levels. In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Daniel Glad, Director of the Procurement Collusion Strike Force at the DOJ, who walks listeners through the reality of prosecuting bid rigging and price fixing in public contracts. Daniel shares compelling stories, actionable red flags, and new tools (like the groundbreaking whistleblower reward program) that empower honest players to speak up. Learn what triggers a federal investigation, which spend categories are especially vulnerable, and why the risks (and penalties) for collusion have never been higher. In this episode, Daniel discusses ways to: Identify which purchasing patterns often attract collusive behavior Detect early warning signs that suggest fraudulent bidding Leverage whistleblower programs to protect your organization and career Understand how technology and data analytics are changing enforcement Prepare for the scrutiny of the DOJ's proactive investigative methods Links: Daniel Glad on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

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• 837: Mastering Influence: Procurement's Internal and External Edge W/ Giuseppe Conti

  "Too many procurement professionals have developed a push energy. If you take that same approach with internal stakeholders, it won't work. We need to develop pull energy — asking questions, listening, and creating a shared vision." - Giuseppe Conti, Professor, Author of Negotiation + Influence = Success: Quick Lessons to Help You Win in Corporate Life Procurement leaders know how much the field has changed, but the biggest barriers often come from within. As procurement's role expands, it has become essential to influence internally, manage expectations, and go beyond data-driven persuasion. In this Art of Procurement podcast episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Giuseppe Conti, a seasoned procurement executive turned business school professor. Giuseppe reveals why internal negotiation is so much tougher than dealing with suppliers, and offers strategies to shift procurement teams from "push" to "pull" influence. If your team's technical skills are strong, but your impact could be greater, this is a must-listen. Giuseppe's practical tools – like a 20-minute, one-page prep template and real-world active listening techniques – will give any procurement leader an edge. In this episode, Giuseppe explains how to: Diagnose and close the gap between perceived and actual listening skills Move from "push energy" to "pull energy" for genuine, lasting influence Set realistic internal stakeholder expectations and avoid common missteps Balance data with emotional intelligence to drive decisions Links: Giuseppe Conti on LinkedIn Negotiation + Influence = Success: Quick Lessons to Help You Win in Corporate Life by Giuseppe Conti Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

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• BTW EP 20: 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

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• 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

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