The Sourcing Hero

Although most procurement professionals are familiar with group purchasing organizations (GPOs), they may not have experience working with one. That can leave them wondering about adding complexity, and - most of all - what the ‘catch’ is.  In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Clay Kopp. Clay is an Account Executive at Una, and this conversation is part of an ongoing series focused on the members of the Una team.  Clay's background is in the fast‑paced world of transportation and logistics sales, and he now sits on the front lines of inbound and outbound GPO conversations. Clay shares what he has learned about procurement and GPOs from buy side members and supplier partners: How he walks people through Una’s “free to the member” model  Different levels of procurement maturity and how that changes the way they approach or incorporate a GPO Real life examples of how Una has been able to help procurement teams increase their impact Links: Clay Kopp on LinkedIn

While many organizations are adopting AI tools, fewer fully trust their outputs, particularly when financial accountability is at stake. Procurement professionals that have spent their careers learning the importance of transparency, governance, and focused use cases for digital investment, understandably find themselves feeling a bit skeptical about the ‘shiny’ promises made by AI-enabled solutions (let alone the answers those solutions offer). In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Chad Gaydos. Chad is the CEO of Procurify, an AI-enhanced procurement and AP automation platform created for the mid-market.  Chad shares his perspective on why this moment in digital procurement is so unique: The process and workflow related opportunities for procurement to simplify and streamline without sacrificing impact Why having specific use cases and pre-defined business outcomes are essential before implementing AI-enabled technology What will determine the ‘winners’ versus the ‘losers’ in the race to get ready for the next phase of digital progress   Links: Chad Gaydos on LinkedIn

Large companies want to work with small and medium-sized suppliers to benefit from their scrappy, innovative spirit. Small companies want to work with large enterprises so they can develop the processes and systems required to grow… that and for the sake of revenue stability. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Bronwyn Reid. Bronwyn is the Founder of Small Company, Big Business, where she helps small to medium-sized enterprises translate how large organizations think, procure, and assess risk into practical actions that SMEs can execute. Bronwyn shares her experience working on both ends of the large supplier - small supplier continuum to address: Why large enterprises and small to medium-sized businesses struggle to get along The communications and understanding best practices that can help them both The incentives that exist for small suppliers and large companies to ’get it right’ by working together more effectively   Links: Bronwyn Reid on LinkedIn

Supplier due diligence is one of the most important and impactful activities that procurement leads. Managing risk and ensuring visibility into supplier commitments on sustainability-related business objectives requires constant involvement and careful oversight. These programs depend upon senior-level commitment, but they must also be flexible enough to work across complex, decentralized organizations, and to allow different stakeholder groups inside and outside of the organization to participate.  In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Dru Krupinsky. Dru is a Senior Manager in procurement at Gilead Sciences. More specifically, he is focused on supplier risk and sustainability, initiatives that all companies are (or should be) increasingly focused on today. Dru shares his perspective on the conditions required for successful and sustainable supplier relationships: Recommendations for effective ownership and accountability structures  The importance of focusing on the quality and accessibility of data Partnership with key suppliers to manage risk and sustainability jointly   Links: Dru Krupinsky on LinkedIn

Supply chain transformation isn’t easy. Statistics suggest that 70 percent of all transformations fail and 88 percent stop short of achieving their original objectives. Compare that to another kind of challenge - like climbing to Everest Base Camp, where 60-70 percent of all people who start the journey make it to the top. Could this possibly mean that climbing Mount Everest is easier than transformation?  No, says this episode’s guest - but we can take a lot of lessons from why the Mount Everest success rate is higher. For one thing, climbers respect the challenge from their first moment of planning to reach the summit. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Ketul Patel. Ketul is the President of OMIIA Consulting, where he leverages his 30+ years in supply chain to help companies balance strategic intent and operational execution in pursuit of sustainable business success. Ketul is also the author of a newly published book, A Journey of Elevation: Lessons for Business Transformation from Everest Base Camp. Ketul compares the challenges of extreme climbing and supply chain transformation to offer advice about: Accepting that progress is not a straight line, and everyone has to agree on a shared definition of success How to overcome the inevitable obstacles that sit between, “Let’s do this,” and “We did it!” Why the decision to turn back or change plans should never be seen as failure - or as a matter of ego Links: Ketul Patel on LinkedIn

Procurement may just be one of the most social functions in the company. Not only does the team have to interact successfully with the executive team, budget holders, other stakeholders, and suppliers, but they must do so without having authority over any of them. Their relational skills - including communication, negotiation, and influencing - are constantly being put to the test.   In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Matthieu Garnier. Mattheu has extensive procurement experience, including in the automotive industry, where the results of a negotiation or a relationship are felt long into the future.   Matthieu shares his personal philosophy on the humanity of procurement, and why that will make all the difference as the world of business becomes increasingly AI-driven: The value of investing in a professional community Why procurement needs to develop their listening skills just as much as their communication and negotiation skills How to balance being relational with being tough, as circumstances require Procurement’s opportunity to ‘shine a light’ in the grey spaces that every company must travel through   Links: Matthieu Garnier on LinkedIn

The range of skills and talent procurement professionals need in order to be successful is dizzying, but that also means that they end up being prime candidates for other roles. As procurement professionals deliberately build and add to those skills, they both increase their individual career trajectories and also increase the impact and output of the function. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Pamela Gerber. Pamela is a senior procurement executive with a long track record of working in sourcing and procurement roles across industries. That experience has given her many opportunities to form a perspective on the importance of investing in procurement talent. Pamela shares extensively with her own personal experience in procurement to offer insight into and recommendations about: Why it is so hard to establish a talent foundation in procurement How procurement can build the influence and seniority that will open doors to bigger opportunities The importance of being willing to seize unexpected opportunities as they present themselves Whether she sees a trend of people ‘falling out’ of procurement and if she considers that a good thing or a bad thing Links: Pamela Gerber on LinkedIn

There was a time when the only objective procurement had to satisfy was saving the company money, and the only way to do that was to negotiate tough with suppliers. Today, however, the business’s expectations are much greater - a shift that is raising the bar for procurement professionals in all industries and across categories of spend. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes back Philip Ideson, Founder and Managing Director at Art of Procurement. They take the opportunity to discuss one of the broader themes we are hearing about in procurement today, and that is procurement skill sets and their connection to business outcomes. Phil speaks from his own experience as a procurement professional and as someone covering the space through this major shift: The most important skill procurement can employ while trying to save money and also support the overall business How changes in the procurement operating model and tech stack are affecting the skills needed on the team Differences in category strategy and stakeholder groups and how those (should) impact procurement’s approach Links: Philip Ideson on LinkedIn

While the options available to consumers may make payments seem simple, the underlying complexity is enough to make small to mid-sized business owners’ heads spin. Selecting the right payments provider can set a small business up for success - by allowing them to do what they do best. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Brian Goudie. Brian is the Executive Chairman at Aurora Payments. By providing secure payments solutions, Aurora has built a portfolio of more than 29,000 small and medium-sized merchants that process $12 billion annually. Brian is also a small business owner himself, so he understands the business challenges his clients are facing first hand. Brian pulls back the curtain on payments and shares expertise build up over 30 years in the payments space: How the payment platform has changed, from increased investment and sophistication to the lasting impact of COVID What small to mid-sized businesses should look for in a payments provider What makes payments so complex for businesses to manage Links: Brian Goudie on LinkedIn

How we think about inclusivity in today’s workforce has a lot to do with how we view diversity. The strongest, most resilient teams take the best characteristics, experiences, and approaches that each individual member has to offer, shine a light on those qualities, and then weave them together into an unbreakable fabric. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Andrés Tapia.  Andrés is one of the authors of the book The 5 Disciplines of Inclusive Teams: Unlocking Collective Power to Achieve Breakthrough. Andrés was a Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry for 12 years and now leads the Andrés Tapia strategy group. Andrés speaks about the power of inclusivity and the benefits of teams that continue to grow individually and collectively: Big picture ways to think about being inclusive in the modern workplace What it takes to go from a collection of talented people to a truly inclusive team How every team can become more inclusive than they already are Links: Andrés Tapia on LinkedIn

A Board of Directors plays a critical role in the success of the company they advise. Ensuring that the right members are on that Board, and that each Board has the right mix of personalities, experiences, and functional knowledge is a significant and ongoing challenge - but one that is worth the effort to get right.  In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes James Drury III, the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of JamesDruryPartners. Jim has over 30 years of experience advising Fortune 100 CEOs and senior executives, and has placed hundreds of leaders on the boards of influential companies.  Jim shares his detailed experience with - and insights on: What role a Board of Directors should fill in a company and what their relationship with the C-suite should look like How much a Board should know about the company’s supply chain The information a Chief Procurement Officer or Chief Supply Chain Officer might need to prepare in advance of meeting with the Board Links: James Drury Partners on LinkedIn

Supply chains must be a product of the geography they support, leading to specific requirements around transport modes, temperature control, and even warehousing capacity. This also means that supply chain experts must be as well versed in the infrastructure and logistics of their local area as they are that of their suppliers. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Samah Mahdi Abdulla. Samah is a supply chain professional with over 15 years of experience and a master's degree in Logistics, Procurement, and Supply Chain Management. She is based in Bahrain and has worked in industries as diverse as retail and food production.  Shares her unique perspective on procurement and supply chain: The benefits of specialized - and continuing - education in procurement and supply chain How working from an island nation has shaped her work The speed of business in Bahrain that supply chains must be prepared to support Links: Samah Mahdi Abdulla on LinkedIn

Most professionals have had the opportunity to work for both wonderful and less-than-wonderful leaders at one time or another. But while we are likely to notice the difference, being able to explain what makes one individual more successful than another may be challenging. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Dr. Shanda Gore. Dr. Gore is the Founder and CEO of Mays Associates, and the author of a new book titled The PinLeader Path: Identify, Engage, and Develop Effective Human and AI Leadership for Your Organizational Culture. Dr. Gore has been studying and coaching leaders to find out what characteristics make the greatest difference to their company and team. Dr. Gore talks about the idea of being a “PinLeader” in today’s corporations: Three major attributes that are present in all successful leaders How leadership intersects (or clashes) with company culture The role that AI is playing in companies, on teams, and on behalf of leaders Ways we should think about business etiquette today Links: Dr. Shanda Gore on LinkedIn

Communication is a complex craft. It involves speaking clearly and with a consistent message, actively listening to see how the message is received, and - the ultimate test - if we are communicating to persuade, watching to see if that message has the desired motivating effect. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Liz Milan. Liz is a former procurement executive and adjunct at the University of Portland Pamplin Business School where she teaches a course on Negotiation and Persuasion. She is currently doing board work for Open Adoption and Family Services. Liz speaks about why persuasive communication is so critical for procurement: Never forgetting the bigger picture dynamics that may be at play when making recommendations about supplier contracts Creating opportunities to learn as much as possible from the sales side of the business The sacrifice that may be required of anyone who aspires to hero status Links: Liz Milan on LinkedIn

Procurement thinks sales is always trying to sell them something that isn’t what they want, is over priced, or won’t live up to the hype. Sales thinks procurement is deliberately trying to throw a wrench in a long proposal process, only cares about price, and has no feelings at all. What if they are both wrong? In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Mike Lander. Mike is the CEO of Piscari, a coaching firm that helps sell-side teams improve their negotiating skills, better understand procurement buyers, and - ultimately - arrive at better commercial deals. Mike speaks from his experience in both sales and procurement about: How the two sides perceive each other and why those perceptions are dangerous for everyone The importance of understanding where you fit in the other side’s worldview, and how they see your company in return The conditions that have to be in place for sales and procurement to create value for both companies at the same time Links: Mike Lander on LinkedIn

"It ain't about how hard you get hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward." - Rocky Balboa Supply chain professionals know how to take a hit. In most cases, they are strong enough to get back up time and time again. How quickly they are back on their feet each time is an indication of resilience, an essential quality that can be improved through reflection, examination, and analysis. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Sunder Balakrishnan. Sunder is the Director of Supply Chain Analytics for LatentView Analytics, where he specializes in consumer products, retail, technology, and industrial automotive. His background includes roles focused on process and data, all with the end goal of solving some of the biggest challenges facing companies today. Sunder takes on both the idea of resilience and the effort to make our supply chains more so: Where the majority of disruptions take place in supply chains today The level of visibility most companies have into their multi-tier supply chain at the beginning of their resilience journey How to focus on getting back up faster, putting processes and systems in place to offer supply chain teams a much-needed boost Links: Sunder Balakrishnan on LinkedIn

It is common for business strategy discussions to start with a definition of ‘Why?’ This makes it easier for leadership teams to formalize and articulate the reasons behind a set of decisions, and to share that vision with the rest of the company. As hard as it is to define a shared ‘Why?’ pairing that with an effective ‘How?’ may be even harder.  In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Tara Milburn. Tara is the President and CEO at Ethical Swag, a Certified B Corp and the leading on-line distributor of sustainably sourced promotional products in North America. Tara speaks about how she and her team combine their ‘Why?’ and ‘How?’ across everything they do: The ‘North Star’ that guides the company from the top, but also by empowering each employee to keep the team on track How digital advancement is creating opportunities for companies to align with change in families and communities What “meaningful work” looks like in practice, and the benefits of creating these kinds fo opportunities Links: Tara Milburn on LinkedIn

The discussion about how much technical category knowledge procurement should have is ongoing - and the right answer depends a lot on the company in question. When close collaboration is needed between procurement, R&D, and suppliers, technical expertise is a must, but so are humility and curiosity. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Chuck Shehadi. Chuck is the COO at Solugen, a chemical manufacturing company based in Houston, Texas. When it comes to the skills required to be considered a talented procurement professional in his world, that means technical - highly technical - and with the right level of category specialization. In this interview, Chuck talks about the unique backgrounds he and his team have and how they put them to work: Why former engineers and PhDs would choose to pursue a career in procurement How they balance having that knowledge with the experience brought by R&D and suppliers His advice for someone in procurement looking to become more technically proficient or someone in engineering that might want to step into procurement Links: Chuck Shehadi on LinkedIn

For most procurement professionals, the only contact they have with finance is when their savings projections are being audited or approved for internal communication. Those are hardly the circumstances under which collaborative relationships form - but that doesn’t have to be the extent of their contact. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Mark Gilham. Mark is the Vice President and Head of the Enable Advisory practice. Most of his past positions have been strategic finance and accounting roles, allowing him to develop a first hand perspective that can certainly help procurement teams today. In this interview, Mark talks about the opportunity that exists for finance and procurement teams who can work together: What it looks like when finance takes a broader, more commercially-minded perspective Forms of value beyond savings that finance can help procurement make the business case for achieving The number one thing procurement should never (ever) do to finance Links: Mark Gilham on LinkedIn

Procurement is the kind of job where success is largely fueled by the strength of your relationships. Having trust and respect between procurement and the business, as well as between procurement and suppliers, can often make or break an effort. But it all starts with the team dynamic that exists within procurement. In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Dr. Cindie Burkett. Cindie is the Vice President of Procurement for Specialty Dental Brands where she is busy building out her procurement team and forging relationships with suppliers for the good of the organization.  Cindie shares her point of view on relationships, and why they are so critical to business success: Healthy ways individuals can process their mistakes in a way that everyone benefits Why having close relationships with suppliers doesn’t reduce procurement’s leverage at renegotiation time or when there are performance issues How procurement can resolve perception-based issues that the business has with a supplier’s performance Links: Dr. Cindie Burkett on LinkedIn