Art of Procurement

In the final episode of "Buy: The Way...To Purposeful Procurement," Philip Ideson, Rich Ham, and Kelly Barner reflect on 18 months of exploration, 32 episodes, and a remarkable roster of guests who collectively proved that procurement's incentive problems are both bigger and more solvable than most realize.
The flaws we uncovered aren't just procurement's problem, and there are often far-reaching, real-life consequences. For example, when buyer-side dysfunction enables seller-side exploitation, consumers absorb higher costs. When short-term savings metrics kill long-term initiatives like energy efficiency investments, the climate crisis deepens. When procurement is measured on fictional savings rather than actual P&L impact, the entire profession gets relegated to asking for a seat at the table instead of earning one.
Building on Alan Veeck's call from the previous episode to convene "the smartest thinkers in our industry," the hosts sketch out what should come next from pragmatists alongside visionaries, skeptics alongside believers, and C-level advocates outside of procurement who can sell the vision to their peers.
We don't need philosophical discussions about value, but actual business cases quantifying both the harms of keeping things status quo and the upside of change. Not just theoretical frameworks, but practical answers to the logistics of administering new measurement systems. Not just ideas, but examples shown in action that give others confidence to follow.
As automation commoditizes tactical work, procurement has never been under more pressure to articulate what they stand for and how they connect to business value. The pace of AI-driven change makes solving the incentive problem more critical than ever, because the function needs to know what higher-value work looks like before the efficiencies arrive.
So, while the series may be ending, as Rich notes, it feels more like a beginning. Thirty-two episodes proved the story was worth covering. Now comes the harder part: turning all of that conversation into action.
Links:
Rich Ham on LinkedIn
Learn more at FineTuneUs.com

"If you focus on stakeholders' needs and add value, the savings will always follow." - Brad DeHart, Senior Vice President, Customer Growth, Continuum
Procurement leaders have always been expected to deliver value under pressure, but when resources are thin, the old playbook just doesn't cut it. What does it take to truly become a trusted partner to the business and move beyond savings-only conversations?
Art of Procurement host Philip Ideson welcomes Brad DeHart, a seasoned leader who's helped shape marketing procurement functions across industries. Brad's experience spans both the buy and sell sides, giving him a front-row seat to what works, and what might set your team back.
In this candid discussion, Brad challenges common assumptions about where procurement should focus their efforts, why some models falter, and how the right mindset (and soft skills) open real doors to influence. He shares memorable stories and actionable advice for CPOs and category leads navigating complexity and stakeholder fatigue.
In this episode, Brad covers:
- Redesigning relationships with marketing to move beyond 'just savings'
- Recognizing why the 'strategic vs. tactical spend' debate misses the point
- Structuring teams for trust, influence, and long-term results
- Building soft skills that matter as much as procurement expertise
 
Links:
Brad DeHart on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/braddehart/ 
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"Procurement has to become an ecosystem builder for the enterprise, because no enterprise can do everything by itself in today's world." - Saurabh Gupta
Procurement leaders are feeling the pressure to "be AI-first," yet most struggle to get past the hype and deliver real business value. With AI reshaping buying categories and challenging process norms, now is the time to rethink procurement's role.
In this ProcureTech Insider episode, Saurabh Gupta, President of HFS, joins Jyothi Hartley to talk candidly about how AI is forcing procurement to confront old habits and rethink category strategy. Saurabh introduces practical frameworks for CPOs striving to become strategic partners, not just operational gatekeepers. He shares how blending services and software is creating a new buying challenge, and why procurement must finally forge closer ties to business outcomes and work across traditional silos.
In this episode, Saurabh discusses how to:
Pinpoint the "debts" holding procurement back from adopting AI
Build a balanced 4P framework for tracking AI's value
Prepare for the rise of "services as software" and what it means for category management
Shift the procurement mindset from reactive support to enterprise ecosystem builder
Links:
Saurabh Gupta on LinkedIn
The CPO mandate: Seize the AI moment and claim the strategy seat
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"Digital masters aren't just deploying technology. They're changing the way procurement runs." - Chris Riley, Partner - Supply Chain and Procurement, Deloitte

As AI-enabled tools shift the landscape from efficiency to true strategic impact, CPOs are tasked with making sense of new operating models, changing expectations, and how to redeploy talent toward higher-value work.
In this episode, Deloitte's Chris Riley, Ryan Flynn, and Jocelyn Mayfield join Philip Ideson to break down the findings of Deloitte's latest CPO and AI surveys. They reveal what sets digital masters apart, how top teams link digital investments to business outcomes, and what it takes to move from process efficiency to business advisor.
Whether you're rolling out AI for the first time or redesigning your operating model, this conversation dives deep into practical lessons and next steps for forward-thinking procurement teams.
In this episode, Chris, Ryan, and Jocelyn will discuss:
- What "digital masters" do differently 
- Why operating model design now has existential importance for procurement
- The real opportunity (and challenge) in reskilling for the AI era
- How cultural change and reward systems drive sustainable transformation
Links:
Chris Riley on LinkedIn
Ryan Flynn on LinkedIn
Jocelyn Mayfield on LinkedIn
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"Isn't it true that everybody talks about supplier management, but nobody does it?" 
This observation from Summit Procurement CEO and Founder Alan Veeck captures the delta between procurement's aspirations and the reality on the ground. It's a gap, he says, that AI might finally help close, but only if organizations resist the temptation to simply slash headcount when AI-powered efficiencies arrive.
In this episode of "Buy: The Way...To Purposeful Procurement," co-hosts Philip Ideson and Rich Ham speak with Alan Veeck to explore what it might look like if procurement was unleashed to pursue actual value, and why the resistance to that vision remains so formidable.
Alan presents listeners with a thought experiment: imagine a CPO given two directives: first, embrace AI to drive maximum efficiency, but second, keep every team member despite the bandwidth freed up by AI. His answer reveals momentous untapped potential: those 25 entry-level people whose salaries total $2.5 million annually? In a billion-dollar enterprise, he says, they could find 10x that value "in their sleep" within months through proper supplier engagement, category management, and relationship building. 
This notion also brings procurement's existential challenge into the light. Without fixing flawed incentive structures, procurement will "continue to be the ones asking for a seat at the table." 
One-off conversations and content won't solve these issues. Instead, Alan says it's time to convene "the smartest thinkers in our industry" into what Rich dubs a "fellowship." The goal: creating industry standards for measuring value across different contexts, giving organizations practical frameworks to escape the savings delusion.
As Rich notes, there's no general ledger line item for savings, only costs. Procurement can be "the hero of the expense side of the ledger," but only if they muster the collective confidence to take the necessary steps.
Links:
Alan Veeck on LinkedIn
Rich Ham on LinkedIn
Learn more at FineTuneUs.com