ProcureCon Asia 2024 Blog

In an increasingly multipolar world that challenges the interconnectedness of global supply chains in the network, businesses must invest heavily in the right talent and capabilities to build an agile workforce and tackle industrywide shocks and uncertainties.

This exclusive Q&A touches on a holistic approach in building a high-performing team, instilling a collaborative and innovative culture within it, and progressing in big strides toward talent retention.

In the ever-evolving and dynamic business world of the Asia-Pacific region, procurement has transcended its traditional role to become a strategic linchpin in driving business innovation, efficiency, and resilience. For procurement leaders, the strategic decision to outsource procurement activities is pivotal. Read on to explore the guide we created for APAC leaders on maximising strategic value through it. 

AI has been implemented throughout the tech industry for years, it's only with the explosion of ChatGPT, other GPT models, and related, competing applications that it's been blown into the spotlight. Generative AI is reshaping their approach to procurement – making way for predictive analytics, strategic planning, and optimised operations. So let's explore how this impressive tech is helping propel a slicker, more future-focused world of procurement.

In this blog we hear Yinyin from ISS A/S, and Philipp Geissdoerfer from Schaeffle on insight into how businesses need to integrate digitalisation into their business strategy allowing them and understanding the efficiencies of having the right operating model within a procurement organisation. We also delve into how digitalisation allows businesses to create a diverse database of suppliers, maintain interpersonal relationships, and much more. 

In this engaging blog from their keynote panel “How do you develop a more tailored approach to build and maintain a lasting SRM practice”, Kai Yang Lee and Nelson Chow gives us their best tips and advices on how you can better manage the SRM programs in their companies to achieve common goals of a competitive advantage.

In an exclusive interview with ProcureCon Asia 2023, Sofia from Accenture discusses the plan towards growing a relationship with suppliers that is both responsible and sustainable, a key action when prioritising ESG goals. With their annual Sustainability Innovation Challenge to address the world’s most critical environment and social issues, thriving for business growth while reducing their environmental footprint by developing market-ready solutions

Rajat Sarna, Group Chief Procurement Advisor at PLDT, with most recent experiences at Chief Procurement Officer (Head of Procurement & Supply Chain) at One New Zealand and Vodafone New Zealand, shares about how key moments of his procurement journey, such as digitalising New Zealand’s first end-to-end contract management, reducing 50 processes to only 20 process maps, and what supported his journey in winning his procurement awards.

Chris Hampden from ArcBlue Asia shares how they’re able to leverage on their enhanced ecosystem and expert networks to help clients in enhancing their procurement process according to their capability, technology maturity, and more!

With an in-depth understanding and insight of APAC's market and global landscape, Chriss from Mondelez International speaks about the need for an established marketing procurement team, where they play a critical role in building the foundation between agency and supplier, crucial for brand growth.

Lalith Rajan from GEP Worldwide shares about the use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cognitive computing to solve issues based on a specific, context driven topic such as third-party risk management, and more!

Yinyin Hao from ISS A/S shares in an exclusive interview about the struggles that comes when procurement changes, especially with the need to ensure a smooth transition between stages, and steps she took to ensure a progressive change was made that was accepted by all.

Andrew Stafford from Ivalua highlights the significance of deriving valuable insights from benchmarking yourself among 110 of the top leaders in procurement across different industries to ascertain your position in the market, from current issues to technology adoption, and the future of procurement.

Prashant Choube, General Manager of Presales (APAC, MEA) at Icertis, with 17+ years of experience in leading technology providers like IBM and Oracle, is an expert at modernising the CLM function. Prashant spills his secrets on how procurement leaders can ensure their businesses are getting the best arrangements during negotiations, structuring contract data and connecting it to the systems, maintaining control of their commercial relationships and more!

With 20 years in the procurement field across education, merchandising, banking, and travel, ProcureCon Asia 2023 had an exclusive interview with Anne-Gaelle Gonet, Global Procurement Director at INSEAD. In a world where ESG is gaining widespread popularity, investors and customers are flocking to companies that are ESG-centric. The question probably on your mind is, how can you ensure that the business will thrive with sustainable actions integrated in every aspect?

CBRE clinched the Best Procurement Transformation Programme and Best Supplier Relationship Management Initiative at this year's ProcureCon Asia 2023 CIPS Asia Excellence in Procurement Awards. Here's how they did it!

Congratulations to Geodis Supply Chain Optimization for winning the Best Collaborative Teamwork Project at CIPS Asia Excellence in Procurement Awards at ProcureCon Asia 2023! Read on to find out how they did it.

Standard Chartered Bank has clinched the Outstanding Diversity & Inclusion Practices in Procurement Teams and Best Initiative to Build a Diverse Supplier Base at the CIPS 2023 Awards, a strong testament to its commitment to ensuring diversity in its business and talent development practices. Here's a look at how they did it.

CIPS’s Best Sustainability Project of the Year goes to PSA! Project Greenstone brings to life PSA’s Sustainable Strategy and Sustainable Procurement frameworks, by providing stakeholders with an all-in-one platform to engage and embed new ways of working. Here's a look into how they did it. 

 Edward Noortman, Head of Global Sourcing at ECCO Shoes and is responsible for strategic sourcing across all 6 different ECCO manufacturing units.He manages a team across Asia which is responsible for over 200 vendors globally and he is working on further developing the ECCO global sourcing strategy and footprint. Starting his career in 2014, he rapidly gained hands-on knowledge around the production and development of garments and footwear in the capacity of both a supplier and customer across the various positions held. Edward has had extensive exposure across Asian and European countries.In this exclusive interview he highlights how to go about finding the balance between agility and resilience, the application of Ai, ML, and RPA in procurement, the benefits of automation, vendor portals, and knowing your KPIs and how they connect to your decision making.

In a ProcureCon Asia and CASME collaboration, we have invited special guest Sachin Kasture, Digital Excellence and Capability Director, Procurement at WPP Group for the Pondering Procurement podcast to explore going beyond the hype with practical examples on the mindset needed for an AI future, and how AI technology will streamline RFP processes to help both buyers and sellers.

Jakarta-based Haris Komarla is the Chief Procurement Officer for Pulp & Paper, Indonesia. Haris drives the overall Asia Pacific procurement, supporting business operations across six continents. As CPO - Haris develops and implements Pulp & Paper’s procurement strategies, business plan objectives, policies, procedures, systems, structures and frameworks for all procurement-related activities. We discuss tactical vs strategic sourcing, why purchasing decisions either commercial and non-commercials are equally important and the way the CPO role has evolved in recent years.

Dr Christina Ooi tackles the topic of resilience in the context of talent. “Procurement leaders must first understand what resilience is before recognising it in our talent” before diving deep into the psychology of resilience, and the qualities to recognise when looking for the new X Factor procurement talent, right for your business.

By 2040, CBRE will achieve net zero carbon emissions through their own operations, the properties they manage for investors and occupiers, and their indirect supply chain emissions. To achieve this, they had to evaluate regular supply chains and adapt from these practices. Their 3 key drivers were managing risk to get ahead of regulation changes, driving profitability to become resilient during climate risk, and enhancing their reputation by eliminating greenwashing through accurate and transparent emissions data. This infographic also explains their 3 core elements to building a supplier reduction program, covering the challenges they faced, approaches they use when holding suppliers accountable for their performance, tips on managing and monitoring supplier performance, and more.

Haider Manasawala is the Regional Finance Head and Board Member at Chevron Products. Haider is here with crucial and insightful opinions on how in our rapidly changing world, finance professionals must embrace strategic initiatives to stay relevant. He covers topics such as the top 3 things CFOs must focus on in this VUCA world, how the relationship between procurement and finance increases the efficiencies in organizations. This is crucial as the collaboration between finance and procurement improves productivity, optimises savings with shared information, and provides a more accurate database for budgeting and decision making, among other reasons. He also discusses about integrating ESG considerations into business strategy.

Jan Piskadlo, GM Head Group Procurement at MISC Berhad, speaks about the the main issues that procurement leaders are now facing, the use of automation in procurement, the race to optimise productivity and more, in this time where uncertainty is on everyone's mind.

Years of surging economic growth came to a halt in 2020, replaced by volatility and a range of regulatory and technological risks, leading to uncertain times for Asian procurement. Regulatory risks to supply chains continue to grow and evolve. As the hub of global manufacturing and supply chains, as well as the focus of US-China tensions, these challenges are felt especially strongly in Asia. In this article, we dive into the best practices when facing structural and regulatory uncertainties.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations have become a critical aspect of modern business practices as stakeholders increasingly demand a higher standard of responsible conduct. Companies must ensure that their suppliers and service providers also align with their ESG goals, making supply chain contracts a key opportunity for businesses to realize their ESG objectives. In this article, we explore and navigate through the ESG landscape in procurement and provide some Insights into the APAC region.

2022 was a year of volatility, driven by inflation and the war in Ukraine, and came at the end of a deeply disruptive period for global supply chains. Corporate risk registers filled up as prevailing assumptions about the global economy were challenged. As the world’s manufacturing centre, home to over half the world’s population, and the world’s largest importer of raw materials from fertilisers to energy and minerals, nowhere were these disruptions felt with more force than Asia. In this article, we explore how we can respond effectively to market volatility and turn them into opportunities. Read on to find out.

In an increasingly digital-first world, spurred on by new and upcoming needs and technology during the height of the pandemic, it Is vital that organizations take ownership to digitize in an efficient manner. Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) impressed the judges at the 2022 CIPS Asia Excellence in Procurement Awards with their aptitude and an in-depth understanding of its end-users. They were hence awarded as the ‘Overall Winner’ and the organization which made ‘Best Use of Digital Technology’. Read the article to find out how.

The CIPS Asia Excellence in Procurement 2022 – Best Collaborative Teamwork Award recognises outstanding teamwork amidst global supply chain disruptions and overcoming adversities in their own industry. Read on to find out how the Supply Chain Management (SCM) team at Standard Chartered Mumbai managed the second wave of the pandemic and ensured the safety of employees, families, dependents as well as vendors. 

The CIPS Asia Excellence in Procurement 2022 - Best Initiative to Build a Diverse Supplier Base Award recognises supplier diversity excellence. In the landscape of a pandemic that has disrupted the overseas supply chain, this award is particularly relevant with a shift towards engaging local suppliers to maintain supplies. Read on to find out how the collaboration between L’Oréal China and GEP managed to clinch the award with their implementation of a successful sustainable sourcing initiative in China.

The CIPS Asia Excellence in Procurement - Procurement Team of the Year award is given to a procurement team who have made a significant and outstanding improvement to their performance and culture which has led to increased effectiveness, influence, efficiencies, savings and competitive advantage. The Supply Chain Division at Port Tanjung Pelepas Sdn Bhd impressed the judges with their contribution to the business as a whole, along with the team’s diligence, commitment and perseverance to continuous improvement. 

The CIPS Asia Excellence in Procurement - Procurement Team of the Year Award recognises the procurement teams who have made outstanding improvements to their performance and culture which has positively impacted effectiveness, influence, efficiencies, and savings and created a competitive advantage for the organisation. This year’s winner PSA Singapore stood out with their sensational story of sustained growth in times of extreme adversity. As an award-winning global port operator, PSA insources and self-executes a high proportion of its engineering, operations and maintenance activities.

The CIPS Asia Excellence in Procurement Leader of The Year Award recognises the most influential procurement leader who is pushing procurement and supply boundaries and making a positive contribution to the reputation of the profession, through the value, they deliver to their organisations and the ways they’re raising the wider profile of the profession.

This year’s winner - Terence Lee, Chief Procurement Officer, GSCO, Asia Pacific at Geodis impressed judges with his outstanding track record in leading major transformation projects for P&G, DHL, Philips, Essentra and Geodis as well as his philanthropic activities in offering advice to Governments and Associations on how to drive industry change and raise awareness for important issues such as sustainability, supply chain resilience and talent acquisition.

Sustainability has risen to the top of the agenda in recent years and for good reason. Economies and businesses must grow for people to prosper but not at the expense of the environment, or society at large. The CIPS Asia Excellence in Procurement Best Sustainability Project of the Year Award recognises the important role business leaders in Asia have in creating a prosperous future that benefits society and protects our planet by looking at the social, environmental and responsible procurement projects that accelerate sustainable outcomes and achieve sustainable goals.

This year’s winner DBS has continued to expand its sustainable operations and procurement by creating a framework that builds a restorative enterprise through supplier partnerships.

DHL, the ‘supply chain spine’ of the global logistics ecosystem is on a mission to create a circular economy and re-design supply chains globally. In this interview, we hear how Thibault Scheller, Vice President, Head of Procurement, South and South East Asia in DHL calls for collaborative action and why partner relationships are key to ESG success.

With 20 years of experience under her belt, Victoria Folbigg, the VP of Procurement at Zuellig Pharma reminds us that digital transformation shows no signs of slowing down. In order to compete in this world, she shares how they are translating the wealth of data they have into actionable insights with AI and ML, embracing automation to do more with less manual repetition and reach new frontiers, and drive outcomes in a sustainable fashion. As the way we do business changes, so do the systems need to adapt – find out how…

RightSpend, a marketing procurement data platform is designed to improve client-agency relationships, spend and ROI. We speak with Jamie Pierre, their APAC Client Services Director about making informed spend decisions through transparency and real world data! We understood that the ability to benchmark with accuracy and analytics will help empower negotiations and enhance partnerships with agencies. Watch to find out how RightSpend can give you the guidance in evaluating the success of your marketing initiatives!

ivalua believes procurement is vital to driving environmental initiatives. Sales Director, Louis Wong, shares with us that collaboration with suppliers is paramount to implementing effective ESG programmes. Fuelled with a strong foundation in data collection and analytics, digital support, and open communication with one’s goals- success in ESG and supply chain resilience can be optimised. Learn how you can benefit with Ivalua’s truly unified platform approach in this interview.

Transparency is Key! Be it in media transparency, financial or partnership transparency. In this interview, David Reid, Senior Marketing Manager of Media Marketing Compliance highlights the importance of transparency and how that allows for better collaboration between stakeholders.

David also discloses the importance of keeping media contracts updated as the media landscape changes and how good practices can either make or break a partnership.

Standard Chartered Bank’s commitment to support sustainable social and economic development is well-positioned and in a recent interview with their MD, Head of Supply Chain Management Asia, Tom Bollen, we get exclusive insights on how emerging markets are embracing ESG factors and the growing interest of investors to generate higher returns.

Despite being less developed than Western markets, Asia’s pace of change in sustainability is catching up and we look at how Standard Chartered is collaborating across its ecosystem in making net zero a reality!

More than ever before, transformation is an imperative. Global technology platform, Coupa’s Regional Vice President in Asia, Raymond Ngan shares his expert knowledge on how companies can overcome the challenge of change management. Unlocking visibility is very important in establishing clear communication with all stakeholders to achieving your goals.

And that’s what Coupa does- bring the team together, and we learn how here!

Ranked #1 in the Aluminium Industry in the 2021 S&P Dow Jones Sustainability Indices, Hindalco Industries Limited has successfully made a mark in reducing the environmental impact. Find out from Sanjay Agarwal, Advisor-Strategic Procurement on how technology is helping them stay ahead of competition while integrating ESG practices and staying efficient to save cost as well as the planet via innovation and a responsible code of conduct.

CIMB Bank Philippines is all about providing a consistent and superior customer experience in its digital banking services. Katlyn Ignacio, Head of Procurement, Outsourcing & Facilities tells us how building a diversified supplier base through localisation helped reduce the risks of disruptions during Covid and the need to strategically collaborate with suppliers instead of competing with them. Find out how they continue to optimize regionalisation opportunities to grow the Philippines economy while improving financial inclusion in the country.

There is no substitute for knowing your people according to Valda Tsang Tolentino, Director - Head of Global Indirect Sourcing, Supply Chain at Maxeon Solar Technology. The effectiveness of one’s leadership encourages the need to try and refine processes despite setbacks, build on a culture of innovation and work on strategic planning as a team to meet the organization’s goals.

She shares the importance of being a role model to inspire employees. Afterall, a successful team should be able to work hard and have FUN together while they’re at it!

With over 25 years of experience, Mano Manikkam is a procurement rock star with an extensive track record in Strategic Sourcing and Category Management. A strong believer in embracing change, he shares Visa’s roadmap for digital transformation and their focus on third-party supplier partnerships since the pandemic. As a world leader, Visa’s mission is to provide a seamless and secure payment network and we find out how they are innovating and overcoming challenges by adopting technology.

In this interview, Rai Antonio De Jesus, VP of Procurement & Supply Chain at PLDT shares his perspective on how customers need to the centre of a business. He also shares how new technologies can benefit supply chain while highlighting the importance of capturing employees knowledge. 

He also goes on to share how thinking outside the box might not be enough when it comes to procurement and how procurement professionals should focus on collaborating with suppliers 

Supply chain issues made much more challenging due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the World Economic Forum, "Uncertainty is a characteristic of the international business landscape in which supply chains operate. As a result, major companies have become strongly focused on supply chain risk management. This means identifying where risks of any kind exist in the network, assessing the potential impact of these risks, and putting mitigation strategies into place."

In this article, we will explore how C-level executives can transform the function to meet the demands of the modern workplace. We’ll also discuss some of the ways procurmenet procurement leaders can successfully manage talent in the digital age.

Kai Ling, Executive Director and Head of Procurement Services in DBS Bank shared with us why sustainability needs to be taken seriously

It all began with a simple belief - that Procurement Professionals can turn their incredible sourcing power into a force for good. From this starting point back in 2019, the Sustainable Procurement Pledge (SPP) has evolved into a growing global community of over 7,500 people from 142 countries who share the same vision and are committed to driving change together.

As a non-profit organization - SPP won already the support of some well-known brands such as Accenture, GSK, the LEGO Group, Merck, Schneider Electric, Solvay, Tetra Pak, and Walgreens Boots Alliance, who have joined the SPP League of Champions and are actively supporting their mission and acceleration agenda in 2022. Every individual who joins the Pledge commits to embracing five core principles that make an impact on sustainable supply chains and ensure delivery on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. 

Read on to find out the steps that SPP is taking to ensure that they fulfill their pledge whilst creating a positive impact on ESG 

Katlyn Ignacio, Head of the Procurement, Outsourcing and Facilities department in CIMB Bank Philippines - the first digital bank in the Philippines. She has nearly 10 years’ experience in the banking industry and acts as a sustainability advocate, helping guide the establishment of a certifying organization in the country.

In this interview Katlyn reveals how she is pushing sustainable strategy, the risks of falling into a narrow focus and why a structured approach in supplier collaboration is needed. She covers mindset, supplier relationships, the importance of data and what she’ll be discussing during this year’s ProcureCon Asia.

Having gained international exposure working in 30 different countries with multi-cultural coverage in more than 60 nationalities in his career thus far – Kartik brings a wealth of wisdom, experience, and a strong vision for the future. In this interview, Kartik tells us about his thoughts on sustainability, his experience working with suppliers from emerging markets, what technology excites him the most and some of the biggest challenges he faces in his role.

Conversations about environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices are happening across the world and Procurement continues to play a significant role in bridging the discussions between suppliers and stakeholders. The theme has evolved over the last 20 years, with names that include environmental/green initiatives, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate responsibility, to stabilise during the last two years at the classification ‘Environmental, Social and Governance’ – the highest level in terms of scope.

Founded in March of 2012 - foodpanda is known as a digital pioneer. Having developed Singapore’s first food delivery platform and mobile ordering app, they have taken the food industry by storm with their innovative and sometimes outrageous approach to digitalisation. We had the great pleasure of interviewing Roberta, Head of Brand Media and Procurement at foodpanda APAC. Roberta talks to us about forming successful strategic partnerships, drawing on both her marketing and procurement background to apply an eclectic array of skills and experience into her role. We discuss forging successful partnerships, creating efficiencies, digital priorities and spearheading digital transformation to maintain their position as Asia’s leading food delivery marketplace.

Sustainable Procurement has become a buzzword on todays’ world, for good reason. As procurement leaders are under increased pressure to meet ESG objectives since it now occupies a much larger part of the procurement agenda - the big challenge is to maintain margins AND achieve sustainability objectives.

Here, we explore how procurement leaders are adapting their strategies to balance environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives with innovation and cost savings. We explore the implications of the ISSB report for procurement and supply chain finance programs (SCF) and what tactics are being used by those in the driving seat for change.

Read up on this interview with Vincent Teyssier the Head of Procurement Technologies, Operations & Development at Telenor! 

The complexity and intertwined structure of today's supply chains makes them more vulnerable to disruptions, ranging from trivial occurrences like shipping or weather delays to more major disruptions like pandemics, cyberattacks, or natural disasters. Hence, a truly resilient supply chain means more than simply surviving operational disruption. It instead, uses ingenuity and creativity in dealing with challenges and then uses these issues to innovate and strengthen business operations, including strengthening supplier relationships. Organisations with advanced procurement functions will often find ways to unlock significant new sources of value by cooperating with suppliers, which in turn benefits both parties.

We’re living in “The Great Supply Chain Disruption” era. With the Covid-19 pandemic, ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict, climate change crisis, poor data management, ever-increasing customer expectations, and various other factors limiting businesses – building a resilient, networked, and collaborative supply chain is critical. To tackle the challenges and problems caused by supply chain disruptions and in their attempt to build resilient supply chains, businesses are investing their top dollars in supply chain technologies. In this article, we'll be discussing five ways on how businesses can build a resilient supply chain in 2022. 

Businesses have been forced to undergo technological transformations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From retail, entertainment, and F&B, to healthcare, insurance, and other essential industries – everyone has already felt the heat to transform around the evolving consumer behaviour. Specifically, in response to the fast-changing market and the pressures of the global health problem, advances in procurement technology utilization have taken a quantum jump. The COVID-19 dilemma has merely served as a spur for industries, speeding up the process of technology implementation.

Wondering if you have what it takes to be a successful procurement professional? It’s not one single attribute but a combination of many skills, traits and characteristics. We speak with the judges at CIPS Asia Excellence in Procurement Awards to hear what they have to say.

The CIPS Asia Excellence in Procurement Awards recognises the utmost innovators and achievers across the procurement and supply chain spectrum. Given the event's reputation as a benchmark for excellence, the very best judges have been selected to reflect that, with a mix of knowledge, expertise and skills - award entries are judged by the very best of the profession. So how can you ensure you make the cut? In this blog, we asked the judges what they're looking for.

How can you best position your people, process and technology to implement your vision for 2025 and beyond? This question brought together 3 procurement leaders from Telenor, Tata Steel BSL and DANA Indonesia from a recently concluded virtual summit, streamed to an audience of 300+.

As Singapore and many businesses went into the Circuit Breaker in April 2020, Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) rose to the occasion and responded to the government’s call and volunteered to manage two of Singapore’s largest Community Care Facilities(CCF) that housed 60% of Singapore’s COVID patients in a bid to contribute to the community. In this month’s spotlight, we speak with the winning RWS team to find out the challenges they faced to hit the ground running within 2 days, how they streamlined the processes and managed demand and supply to prevent disruption as well as attest to their strong culture of ''Kampung Spirit''.

As those responsible for maintaining supply routes and keeping organisations runnning, procurement leaders have been at the front line of dealing with the pandemic. With significant challenges to overcome, how can those in this position build back better around a revitalised procurement experience? Procurement leaders from DBS Bank, AIA Philam Life,  Bupa, Tata Technologies, and Bank Mandiri gathered at this key note panel to discuss themes around this question, moderated by Lucy Zhuang Regional Procurement Head Greater Asia, from Intel.

The CIPS Asia Excellence in Procurement Awards goes further and recognises the extraordinary, engaging, radical rethinking of progressive procurement leaders who exemplify best practice and demonstrate the highest standards of the profession. To find out what it means to be recognised for these incredible achievements, we asked last year’s winners what they had to say.

Ira Wolfe, President and Chief Googlization Officer at Success Performance Solutions, has emerged as one of HR’s most influential people on the subject of future of work, jobs, and talent acquisition. In this podcast episode, we discuss with Ira how the future of work has changed post-pandemic, the biggest mistakes recruiting mistakes companies make, and predictions for 2022.

In this exclusive interview, we spoke to Kevin Lai on how PSA, leading port group and trusted partner to cargo stakeholders, leveraged technology for greater supply chains resiliency and connectivity. Read on to find out how the company reacted swiftly to the changes brought on by the pandemic, and the ways they are adding value by collaborating with customers and suppliers.

After impressing judges with their best practices, solutions and outcomes, Geodis came out on top, winning 'Best Response to Supply Chain Resilience' at the recent CIPS Asia Supply Management Awards 2021. We spoke to the Geodis India team about their struggles, innovative approaches and processes in response to the lockdown and unexpected disruptions during 2020.

Host Danny Levy talks to Rishon Blumberg and Michael Solomon the founders of 10x Ascend and the authors of Game Changer. They get into why companies need to adapt to be competitive as it relates to the future of work, the talent economy and what this means for companies, and what makes someone a 10xer and what you need to know when dealing with them.

Most organizations have been challenged to mitigate the effects of supply chain disruptions and the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated these shifts. Organizations are forced to re-evaluate their supply chains to balance efficiency and resilience. In this exclusive interview, Tata Technologies, Global Head of Procurement, Vijayanand Choudhury shares with us how they are using their digital capabilities, developing innovative solutions and managing suppliers in this ‘New Normal’.

It is heartening to see how procurement has evolved to becoming more connected with its ecosystem of suppliers, customers and stakeholders, diversifying the supply base, employing digital solution etc. We managed to catch up with Anu Srinivasan, Head of Procurement at Bupa to talk about the lessons learnt and some recommendations to deal with a crisis.

In this episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership Danny Levy talks to Malcolm Harrison, CEO of The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) - A global not-for-profit organisation, serving the procurement and supply management profession. The discussion is over. The debate on understanding sustainability is no more. It’s no longer a nice to have or a philanthropic business initiative, it’s a business imperative. The reality is that we are running short of vital resources at a greater rate than we are consuming them.

When the spread of the SARS-COV-2 coronavirus and the COVID-19 virus first started to hit headlines at the top of 2020, nobody could have predicted the devastating effect it was going to have on our lives and businesses. Different parts of the world experiencing a different ebb and flow when it comes to levels of infection, with some almost free and clear and others dipping in and out of lockdown measures. It’s therefore important to understand the varying circumstances in different countries, especially when it comes to assessing supply chain risk and the way supply chains in the Asia-Pacific region are transforming.

There is no doubt that Digital has become a tool approach for greater efficiency and COVID-19 has amplified digitalization and made it a necessity than a desire. In an exclusive interview with Alex Drew, AVP, Head of Procurement Asia, Sun Life, Kenny Lin, Head of Procurement, China, UCB and Mangesh Kamalakar Agnihotri, Head of Strategic Procurement, APAC, Siemens Digital Industries Software. They shed some light on “how you can transition yourself to an agile ‘high velocity’ way of working.”

In this episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership Danny Levy talks to Terence Lee, Chief Procurement Officer, Asia Pacific Procurement & Supply Chain Optimization at GEODIS Singapore - A Supply Chain Operator ranking among the top companies in its field in Europe and the World. They get into why many people believe digital transformation is still hype, why more tech doesn't mean a more digitized company and different needs, different scale, different affordability.

The judges give their take on what constitutes a winning team for the widely recognised CIPS Asia Excellence in Procurement Awards 2021. Whether or not you are planning to take part this year, these are qualities of a successful procurement team. Are these qualities present in your procurement department?

Traditionally procurement holds the rap of being non-agile, boring and repetitive. Although most procurement teams are rooted within ‘traditional’ practices, hiring digital savvy millennials with quick decisions and a get-go attitude will inject new perspectives and drive the team forward. Darren Yang Jun Xi from Shell Eastern Petroleum (Pte) Ltd, the young talent winner from the 2020 CIPS Asia Supply Management Award shares about his journey and fosters aspiration in the new generation.

Ever wondered how true transformation can be driven by people, like yourself? During the ProcureCon Asia Virtual Summit held in December 2020, Amber Meriwether, Global Category Lead, Discovery & Pre-Clinical Research R&D Procurement at Astellas Pharma shed some light on how to influence others during times of disruption and build trust to bring about radical change within your organization.

The impact of COVID-19 had put immense strain on procurement teams across the world, but there are leaders who rose against the challenge; they kept supply chains moving and shifted their strategies to stay afloat. In this exclusive interview with 2020 Procurement Leader of the Year at the CIPS Asia Supply Management Award, Kobu Kotaraju, Deputy General Manager, International Procurement Office at Samsung C&T Corporation, shares his top tips and experiences. 

In this episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership Danny talks to Graham Crawshaw, Global Service Director at CASME on 'Why we need to kill off procurement and start again'. Taking a more professional strategic approach that adds value to your business is the way to go. Learn how you can get much more out of a win/win relationship with your suppliers and ultimately help innovate and drive your business forward. 

Digital transformation has been a hot topic across the width and breadth of global industry for some years now, with businesses the world over discovering new and innovative ways to deploy digital technology. These technologies have been helping companies reach new markets, streamline operations, reduce errors, automate processes, and generally become better and more effective forces in their respective industries.

Overall winner at the 2020 CIPS Asia Supply Management Awards, DBS Bank's CPO Donna Trowbridge shares with us her thoughts on striving to deliver the best value despite the coronavirus disruption CIPS recognised DBS Bank as winners of Ethical Procurement, Risk Mitigation and the Overall Winner.

In this episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership Danny talks to Russ Macumber, Strategy Director & GM at Impress!ve Digital for his #BSradar series. Danny shares his top interview tip and why it helps him uncover the key attributes he's looking for in candidates.

A well organised category management can consolidate spend data, reduce supply chain risk, and drive innovation in different supply chain categories. And right now, its about preparing for and adjusting to the new normal.

This episode talks through three points that will help you get the best out of yourself inside and outside of work. This includes tactics to cut down the time you work by giving 100% focus and effort, doing the harder thing (deciding what NOT to do), managing physical and emotional energy, mastery of work, home, relationships and self and how to manage stress by doing the small things instead of the big ones.

High demand and a lack of candidates make digital transformation in procurement more important than ever.

Traditionally, the procurement function has been a transactional one, with professionals measuring their value to the organisation in terms of successful negotiations conducted, cost savings, process improvements, and efficiency gains.

Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) and strong partnerships improve communications and increase revenue and efficiency, while reducing costs and risk.

According to the United Nations Development Project (UNDP), “Sustainable procurement means making sure that the products and services we buy are as sustainable as possible, with the lowest environmental impact and most positive social results.”

This episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership brings a unique angle. Keith Carter from the National University of Singapore shares 3 steps to think differently, implement a data strategy that actually works, and why the new economy will radically alter how we think and learn.

With unprecedented supply chain challenges coming from all sides, the procurement function is changing fast to cope with the ‘new normal’ of working smarter in a post-COVID world. However, while many things are changing, one element of the equation has remained the same: the value of trust. We offer up a few rapid fire insights from the community on building trust with your stakeholders.

In this episode Danny talks to Rob Halsall, the Founder and Managing Director of the Executive Athlete, a leadership development and training, high performance coaching, commercial consulting and advisory firm. They share 6 Leadership Habits you can develop to Elevate, Inspire & Create.

We bring you a written summary of one the key sessions during the ProcureCon Virtual Summit. In times of crisis, our panel for the day discussed how you can transition yourself to an agile way of working to make good and rapid decisions and meet the demands of your business.

COVID-19 has put the spotlight on procurement with disruption to businesses, worsening economic downturn, risks in supplier relationships, uncertainty of supply chains and outlook of a new business landscape after the rebound. In the turmoil of things, procurement leaders need to strategise, and holistically look at all the problems and solve it by turning to technology.

In recent years, procurement has faced a radical change with expectations to deliver greater value by not only contributing to profit maximisation and business growth but playing a part in strategy. For the modern procurement function to thrive in today’s time, procurement teams have to adopt innovative strategies that would enable the business to remain competitive and stay relevant to the business’s needs.In Part 2 of our chat with Sebastian Chua, we touch on the subject of Innovation- one of the hottest topics in procurement in recent years.

With procurement playing roles in finance, inventory, operations etc., the whole ecosystem should have a voice in how decisions can be made with communication being transparent and open. Being able to anticipate where and how a disruption may come about, gives you lead time to come up with a mitigation strategy. Lets find out more with Sebastian, Former Procurement Senior Director, Asia at Alcatel-Lucent, on thinking ahead strategically.

In this webinar, we speak with Kaustubh R. Wadekar, Group Chief Procurement Officer at Singtel who shares how Covid-19 has affected his day-to-day operations and the challenges he faces, managing the need to be proactive without making reckless decisions, how he leads his teams when they’re working from home vs. being in the office and so much more.