John D. Cornetta, MBA

Scaling Procurement: It Starts with the Truth About Where You Stand In today’s complex business landscape, scaling procurement is no longer just about chasing the next best vendor deal or reacting to spend. It’s about building intentional, strategic infrastructure that empowers your organization to grow sustainably and profitably. But before you can scale, you must take a hard look at your current state. 1. Start with the Reality Check: Spend, Contracts, and Partnerships Scaling begins with clarity.    •   Spend Management: Where is your money actually going? Are you tracking spend by category, by vendor, by business unit? If not, you’re flying blind.    •   Contract Review: Are your current contracts aligned with your growth goals? Are the terms outdated, auto-renewing, or disconnected from today’s realities?    •   Vendor Relationships: Are your partnerships transactional or strategic? Are your suppliers treating you like a valued partner or just another PO? This phase is about visibility and honesty. No transformation can begin without confronting the inefficiencies, redundancies, and missed opportunities hiding in plain sight. 2. Re-Shape Your Contracting Strategy to Match Your Growth Ambitions Once you have a true picture of your current procurement landscape, it’s time to get strategic. Too often, organizations scale despite their contracts, not because of them. Contracts should be working for you, not locking you into outdated pricing models, unbalanced risk, or inflexible terms. That means:    •   Renegotiating where leverage exists (and it often does if you look closer).    •   Consolidating spend where possible to improve pricing and service.    •   Bringing in new vendors who align with where your company is going not just where it’s been.    •   Embedding performance and risk-sharing clauses to ensure accountability and protect your bottom line. 3. Balance the Risk. Share the Responsibility. Here’s the truth: The days of one-sided contracts — where all the risk is absorbed by your company — are over. As you scale, your spend becomes your leverage. Your market share, your volume, and your commitment all have value — and that value should be reflected in your agreements. It’s time to shift from compliance-only contracts to partnership-driven models. Ask yourself:    •   Are suppliers accountable for outcomes?    •   Are service-level agreements tied to penalties and performance?    •   Are you protected against supply chain shocks or market volatility? Risk-balanced contracts aren’t just good procurement practice they’re a growth strategy. 4. Final Word: Scaling Isn’t Just Doing More, It’s Doing It Smarter! Scaling procurement means making intentional decisions that allow your organization to grow without breaking its infrastructure. It’s a strategic reset starting with spend, evolving through contracts, and culminating in vendor partnerships that drive shared.

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Procurement Has Evolved And It’s Time We Talk About It In my 20+ year career procurement and strategic sourcing have undergone a quiet revolution. What was once a back office function focused on solely on COGS savings has become a strategic powerhouse driving innovation, resilience, and competitive advantage. As someone who’s seen this transformation firsthand, I wanted to share five key shifts that have redefined our role in the enterprise: 🔹 1. From Transactional to Strategic Procurement is no longer just about issuing POs and negotiating prices. Today, it’s about aligning sourcing strategies with broader business goals, whether that’s entering new markets, supporting product innovation, or enabling digital transformation. We’re now expected to be strategic advisors, not just operational executors. 🔹 2. Technology Driven Transformation The rise of digital tools has reshaped how we work. E-procurement platforms, contract lifecycle management systems, and supplier portals have streamlined operations. But the real game-changer? Business Intelligence (BI) tools. They allow us to visualize spend data, track supplier performance, and forecast risks with precision & empower smarter decisions elevating procurement’s role in strategic planning. 🔹 3. Legal Risk Mitigation Through Contracts In today’s volatile business environment, procurement plays a critical role in protecting the organization legally. Well-structured contracts and favorable terms aren’t just paperwork, they’re shields against supply chain disruptions, price volatility, and compliance risks. Strategic sourcing teams now collaborate closely with legal departments to ensure contracts are airtight, enforceable, and aligned with business continuity goals. 🔹 4. Elevated Role in Risk Management Global disruptions from pandemics to geopolitical shifts have made supply chain resilience a boardroom priority. Procurement is at the center of this conversation. We’re tasked with identifying vulnerabilities, diversifying supplier bases, and building agile sourcing models that can withstand shocks. It’s now proactive, data-driven, and deeply embedded in sourcing strategy. 🔹 5. Stronger Cross-Functional Partnerships Procurement has broken out of its silo. We now partner with finance, operations, R&D, and even marketing to co-create value. Whether it’s supporting product launches, optimizing working capital, or enabling ESG initiatives, our role is collaborative and cross-functional. Final Thought: Procurement isn’t just evolving it’s leading. As we continue to embrace technology, mitigate risk, and drive strategic outcomes, our function is becoming one of the most dynamic and impactful areas in the enterprise. If you're in sourcing or procurement, I’d love to hear how your role has changed. What shifts have you seen in your organization? #StrategicSourcing #ProcurementTransformation #SupplyChainLeadership #BItools #ContractManagement #RiskMitigation #CrossFunctionalCollaboration

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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐇𝐚𝐬 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞? Rewind to 2020, and blockchain in supply chain felt like a bold theory with few real-world applications. Many procurement leaders I spoke to saw potential—but also hype fatigue. Pilots launched and partnerships announced, but few could answer: "Where's the ROI?" Now, five years on, something interesting is happening. Blockchain is no longer grabbing headlines— but it's quietly integrating into the fabric of modern procurement. The difference? It's not trying to disrupt—it's enabling trust, traceability, and automation where legacy systems fall short. I've put together some info based on what I'm seeing in the market and from conversations with procurement leaders in this space. It would appear that blockchain in procurement is finally having its moment...Not in a "one platform to rule them all" sense. But in a quieter, more powerful way - as the digital infrastructure behind smarter, more ethical, more resilient supply chains. Would love to hear from others in the space. Are you seeing blockchain deliver tangible value yet—or is it still a long game? #Procurement #Blockchain #SupplyChain #ESG #DigitalProcurement #SmartContracts #Traceability #Leadership #CPO #FutureOfWork

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As I talk to CPO's and heads of Procurement daily, an area they struggle with, is where do you start when it comes to AI? They consistently have inquiries from their Board, C-Suite and executives around what are they doing. Don't know where to start, take a look. For stronger, faster AI outcomes, explore, evaluate and prioritize 1,000+ proven AI use cases and real-world case studies tailored to your industry. Learn what’s possible with Gartner, the world authority on AI: https://gtnr.it/4rePqpC #AI #AIUseCase #ArtificialIntelligence

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What if the best leaders in procurement weren't wrong — they were trapped? For over two decades, procurement has struggled with the same unsolved challenge: technology-first transformation doesn’t work. AI didn’t fix it. GenAI didn’t fix it. AGI won’t fix it. Because the foundation of success has never been software — it has always been readiness. Even the most sincere, intelligent leaders in our industry remain anchored in the equation-based model: the belief that the right platform can overcome organizational dysfunction. Not because they’re unaware of the issues, but because the structure of the industry pushes them there. Investors reward adoption speed, not governance maturity. Executives want transformation without disruption. Vendors are penalized for telling customers “you’re not ready.” Analysts built decades of frameworks around “solution-first” thinking. It’s a system problem, not a leadership problem. At the same time, the physics of transformation haven’t changed in 27 years: Technology amplifies whatever foundation exists. It doesn’t create one. Thoughts? Canda Rozier, Procurement Evangelist Joselina Peralta Claude Egli Don Osborn Vera Rozanova MBA, MCIPS Chartered, MEng (Hons) Yuri Hembitski 🇺🇦 Nick Nanos Ata Elyas Laura Barrett Joseph Martinez Jan-Henner Theissen Adriana Lobo Tanya W. Tahj B. ✨Brittany Thomas ✨Antonija Kos, MBA Albina Kussayeva, MCIPS, CIA Xavier Olivera Bertrand Lesné Bertrand Maltaverne Caroline Lacocque Benjamin Goodwin Stephen Klein Stephany Lapierre Justin Lyon Sam Gupta Marijn Overvest James Meads James E. Martin, CSP Gordon Donovan Burcu Gürel Piotr Pierzak Lutz Schirrmeister Mary Lue Peck Since Michael Lamoureux tagged you in another discussion stream, I thought I would invite you into this discussion Eleonora Cao. https://lnkd.in/gdfp75yv

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Vendor relationships aren’t built on contracts alone — they’re built on trust, accountability, and consistency. Strong procurement leaders understand that the right partners show up when it matters most, communicate transparently, and stand behind their commitments. Those relationships don’t happen by accident — they’re developed intentionally over time. When vendors are treated as partners, everyone wins.

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Procurement is having a well-deserved moment. A new study from SAP and Economist Impact shows that leaders are seeing procurement less as a cost center and more as a strategic driver. Nearly 80% of execs say they trust procurement to manage risk, and AI is quickly becoming part of the toolkit to make that happen. Sustainability is rising on the list too. More than half of leaders are making it a top priority in procurement decisions. Feels like the beginning of a much bigger change underway. #Procurement #SAP #BusinessStrategy #SupplyChain

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If you lead procurement and need to secure budget this year, read this. Procurement leaders face rising pressure to modernize, especially with AI. But approval often stalls due to unclear ROI, poor internal alignment, or legacy resistance. This guide gives CPOs and procurement leaders a clear playbook to: 🔹 Define problems in executive language 🔹 Map ROI and risk in real business terms 🔹 Build alignment across IT, finance, and legal 📘 Download The CPO’s Guide to Technology Investment Approval now: https://hubs.la/Q03yLYm90

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Extended procurement timelines aren't just delays—they signal a changing NEMT marketplace. Our latest blog explores why traditional procurement frameworks may unintentionally limit competition and how designing with flexibilty and innovation in mind can yield stronger outcomes. https://hubs.ly/Q03-qyj90 #NEMT #HealthTech

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Market chaos isn't always procurement's enemy. It could actually be your biggest opportunity to prove strategic value. 🎧 https://lnkd.in/gqSw4WxA In this Art of Procurement podcast episode, Adam Collins from Esker reveals how procurement teams can leverage fundamental sourcing strategies to thrive during tariffs, supply chain disruptions, and global market instability. He breaks down why "if you can define it, you can source it, and if you can source it, you can auction it" applies to far more than traditional categories, and how transparency with suppliers builds stronger partnerships during uncertain times. #procurement #strategicsourcing #marketchaos

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