Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be bitten by a radioactive spider to become a superhero. As Batman has proven time and time again, you just need the right mindset and gadgets. Although sourcing and procurement professionals may not face quite the same foes as their comic book counterparts, they are still tasked with making important decisions to keep the good guys safe from harm.
Mary Kachinsky, VP of Strategic Sourcing (and resident superhero) at Kaleido Biosciences, knows that the right tools can help streamline this decision-making process and take sourcing organizations from zero to hero in a flash. At Kaleido Biosciences, Mary and her team use technology to take on their most complicated projects. With Scout, an intuitive sourcing and supplier engagement platform, they can centralize their data, track projects, manage suppliers, and collaborate with stakeholders all on one platform. Mary has proved that with the right technology, sourcing departments are spend management superheroes that make major impacts to the business’ bottom line.
Want to become a superhero in your own organization? Here are Mary’s top tips:
- Assemble your sourcing entourage.
Building and maintaining relationships is a critical function of the sourcing organization. Today’s procurement professionals require a modern platform with collaboration capabilities like tagging, task assignment, and real-time messaging to connect with their stakeholders and suppliers, and ultimately do more for the business.
- Get to know your gadgets.
A superhero can’t afford to have faulty gadgets. Similarly, sourcing and procurement teams simply don’t have time to struggle with clunky ERP software. They need intuitive, purpose-built, easy-to-use tools that will get them up and running and ready to defend the company’s bottom line in a flash.
- Anticipate the future.
It is more important than ever that sourcing teams are equipped with the right technology to help them stay ahead of the curve. As the rate of business accelerates, procurement professionals need increased visibility, streamlined processes, and automated workflows to increase organizational efficiency and business impact.
With 2020 just around the corner, it’s clear that email chains and spreadsheets will no longer make the grade. The scope of sourcing is expanding, and procurement professionals need modern, digital solutions to maintain this rapid growth.
If you missed CPO Rising this year or if you just can’t get enough sourcing inspiration, we’d love to invite you to SPARK 2020 – Register now!
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