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The Procurement Show Podcast
WELCOME TO THE PROCUREMENT SHOW PODCAST
Tackling the hot procurement topics we all need to be thinking about, The Procurement Show sets out to explore the more interesting aspects of procurement! Hosted by procurement expert and award-winning author of a series of acclaimed procurement and negotiation books,
and the CEO of Positive Purchasing, Jonathan O’Brien.
AllAICategory ManagementCircular EconomyClimate ChangeCommunicationDataDigitalDigital ProcurementFood crisisNegotiationPrice increasesSocial ValueSupplier Relationship ManagementSupply ChainSustainabilitySustainable ProcurementTechnology
Latest Episode
November 2024
34:50
Episode 47 – Lessons from the Frontlines
There’s an old song by Oasis where they sing about starting a revolution from their bed. In this episode we meet someone who did exactly that. Well, from his bedroom in Pennsylvania during lockdown. Luká Yancopoulos founded Grapevine – a company using tech to reimagine the world’s medical supply challenges – and without any prior knowledge of procurement. Jonathan and Paul find out how and why he did it. We also discover that Jonathan and Paul are quite old.
November 2024
45:13
Episode 46 – Is Procurement Undervalued (and Can Tech Help?)
Jonathan has been out and about in Amsterdam (but he very sensibly didn’t take Paul with him…) The reason for his travels was DPW – the most notable conference and digital tech showcase for those in the procurement world. You can hear from lots of people that Jonathan met, but most prominently he talks to Michelle Baker, CPO of Virgin Money, who discusses a wide range of procurement topics, with a focus on technology and AI. We also find out if Jonathan still possesses any of his old vinyl…
October 2024
38:31
Episode 45 – Why Procurement Tech Implementations Fail
There’s a lot of old and crusty tech out there that can often be of little use these days. But why is it that when some new procurement tech is implemented, it can often be not up to scratch or can even fail altogether…? In order to investigate this, we have CEO of Kinetic Talents and an Advisor to Apty, Matt Palackdharry. Unsurprisingly the question of AI pops up. Perhaps more surprisingly, Paul wants to bring back Clippy.
September 2024
35:31
Episode 44 – Cyber Security in the Supply Chain
In procurement, cyber security is extremely important, because you’re not only dealing with your information, but also the information of your clients and suppliers. So, how do we tackle threats? And how do we make sure our information is secure in the hands of others? To take us through the dilemmas and the solutions, Jonathan and Paul are joined by the Chief AI Officer at Resilinc, Sumit Vakil. And listen out for what you should and shouldn’t measure in Ask Jonathan.
August 2024
38:40
Episode 43 – The RFP is Dead! Long Live the RFP.
A bold statement, but is it true? Why do RFP’s fail? Is all the technology and the ever-evolving AI making RFP irrelevant? To guide us through all of this and more, Jonathan and Paul are joined by a man who makes RFP’s easier and more sensible, Chris Heard, CEO of Olive Technologies. We now just need to figure out who Duncan is and what his role is in all of this.
July 2024
38:40
Episode 42 – Why We Need to Orchestrate Procurement Tech
There is a lot of new tech about and there will no doubt be more on the horizon, but why does so much procurement tech implementation fail? There is a need to “orchestrate our tech”. But what does that mean? To help them find out, Jonathan and Paul are joined by a self-proclaimed “Procurement Geek” – namely, the Co-Founder at ORO Labs, Lalitha Rajagopalan. Elsewhere in this episode, Paul invents a new word.
July 2024
43:28
Episode 41 – Time for Procurement to Return to the Office?
To return or not to return? That is the question. After everyone was working from home due to Covid, some businesses are insisting all staff return to the office. Others are doing partial returns. But what’s best for staff? What’s best for businesses? And how does it effect procurement? Jonathan and Paul are in the studio – not at home – and they’re asking all these questions to Kathleen Harmeston, who has over 30 years’ experience in consulting and operating at executive level in procurement.
Episode 40 – Implementing SRM
Implementing effective supplier relationship management in a global organisation is a huge challenge. So, in this episode, Jonathan and Paul talk to someone from a huge organisation – namely, Graham Scott from Jabil. This is a company that has revenues of over $34billion and employs 140,000 people in 28 countries. So, Graham knows what he’s talking about. Meanwhile, this episodes Fun Fact might not be all Fact…
May 2024
38:35
Episode 39 – The Future of Digital Category Management
How do you think digital category management will transform how we determine and implement breakthrough sourcing strategies into the future? Well, in this episode, Paul and Jonathan ask that very question to Stephane Morel, who is Director Procurement Capabilities & Standards for Fresenius Medical Care. Not only will you find out his answer, you’ll also find out in this episode that Excel spreadsheets are quite exciting.
April 2024
39:19
Episode 38 – Driving Gender Equality in the Supply Chain
Jonathan and Paul speak to Amy Cross about gender equality in procurement. Amy is a columnist, author and senior editor for magazines, including the first US magazine for midlife women. Amy founded Gender Fair, which explores how companies serve women. Together they discuss gender equality around the globe in business and in the procurement process, including how everyone can assess how they are doing and make changes for the better.
April 2024
58:46
Episode 37 – AI in Procurement – Cutting through the BS
Is Jonathan really presenting this edition? Well, it’s possible. Although it sounds as though he and Paul will have to fight for the right to the Procurement Show. They’re eventually joined by the CEO of Voiceovers Ltd, Gary Churcher and data scientist, Emily O’Brien. There are also a couple of other surprise guests. Together, they tackle the fascinating issue of AI in procurement. Is it scary? Or is it all hype? Let’s find out. NB: Some sequences have been shortened for easier listening.
March 2024
41:37
Episode 36 – How We Will Negotiate in 2050?
Jonathan and Paul hop into their very expensive time machine and travel 26 years into the future to find out how we will negotiate, the domination of AI and if people will actually be required in the negotiation process. We also discover whether or not Paul is a human being.