For senior procurement professionals, transformation often feels like a never-ending exercise in putting out fires. The pressure to cut costs, negotiate terms, and manage vendors is relentless. Everyone agrees that procurement’s future lies in optimizing tech stacks, operating models, and talent strategies. The "why" and "what" are crystal clear.
The problem? The "how."
- How do you stop fixing problems and start engineering them out of the system?
- How do you align procurement to business goals with measurable outcomes?
- How do you free up talent for high-value work while automating the mundane?
We sat down with Gabe Perez, Chief Strategy Officer of RiseNow, and Joël Collin-Demers, Consulting Principal at Pure Procurement, to unpack why transformation efforts often fall short—and what needs to change.
Why “Pain-Point Procurement” Doesn’t Work
Most procurement teams chase pain points: supplier onboarding, duplicate or missing POs, missed contract renewals. According to Perez, this is where organizations go wrong.
“Too often, procurement teams solve isolated problems—updating pricing here, fixing a supplier issue there—without linking those fixes to broader business goals,” Perez said. “You end up layering tools and processes onto an already broken system. It’s a recipe for complexity and frustration.
Collin-Demers agreed: “Procurement needs to shift from being pain-point driven to vision-driven. The question isn’t ‘What hurts right now?’ It’s, ‘How is what hurts right now tied to the broader outcomes we want, and how can procurement make that happen?’”
Tech: The Enabler, Not the Strategy
Perez and Collin-Demers both emphasized that technology is not the strategy—it’s a tool. And too often, organizations start with tools instead of strategy.
“Procurement teams approach the market like they’re on a dating app,” Collin-Demers quipped. “They swipe through vendors, endlessly searching for the perfect match, but never feel like they can commit because there might be a better solution out there... It’s not about finding the tech with the best features; it’s about finding solutions that will enable the capabilities you need to execute on a business strategy in the pursuit of objectives. In short, if you find tech that allows you to execute on your strategy, at a price point that makes sense in the business case, go for it. It doesn't matter what else is out there.”
Perez added: “The question isn’t, ‘What tech can solve my pain point?’ It’s, ‘What outcomes do I need, and how can technology enable them within my operating model?’”
Slow Down to Speed Up
Perez introduced a counterintuitive idea: slow down to speed up. It’s about taking time to reassess before diving into solutions.
“When something in your life isn’t working, you stop and reassess. Whether it’s hiring a personal trainer or seeing a doctor, you don’t keep pushing forward blindly,” Perez explained. “Procurement transformation needs the same pause. Spend 8–12 weeks evaluating your operating model, defining strategic objectives, and mapping out solutions. That small time investment can save years of frustration.”
Flipping the Procurement Mindset
The key to transformation is flipping the script. Instead of asking what technology can do, procurement teams need to start with strategy and then align the tools.
“CFOs don’t care about marginal efficiency gains,” Perez said. “They want to see how procurement contributes to the business—higher margins, increased shareholder value. If you can’t connect procurement to those outcomes, you won’t get buy-in.”
Collin-Demers offered a framework: “Focus on a few high-impact areas—what I call value levers. Whether it’s immature categories or structural inefficiencies, tie your strategy to the big buckets of value procurement can bring to the enterprise.”
Do This, Not That
Here’s what doesn’t work:
- Chasing Cost Savings: One-off savings don’t address enterprise-wide inefficiencies.
- Triage Mindset: Fixing immediate problems without addressing root causes.
- Siloed POCs: Proof of Concepts with no clear path to enterprise impact.
- Internal Overload: Trying to tackle transformation without external expertise.
Here’s what does:
- Focus on Outcomes: Target initiatives that drive revenue, margin improvement, or sustainability.
- Align with the C-Suite: Link procurement goals to executive priorities—and communicate them clearly.
- Strategic Value Levers: Identify 2–4 areas where transformation will deliver the most impact.
- Pause and Plan: Take 8–12 weeks to reassess and define your strategy. Perez calls this “slowing down to speed up.”
- Leverage Tech Wisely: Use tools to enable scalability and efficiency, but only as part of a broader strategy.
And all of that is really hard, which is why so many turn to experts for help!
The Time for Change Is Now
Procurement is at a crossroads. Shadow IT, fragmented solutions, and unsustainable tech stacks are eroding trust. The organizations that succeed will be the ones that pause, rethink, and reframe their approach.
“Procurement needs to stop solving pain points and start driving enterprise outcomes,” Perez said. “The tools are there. Now it’s about using them strategically to unlock value, drive transformation, and future-proof the function.”
"Essentially, all the technological capabilities you could ever want exist right now. You also know what the optimal procurement process is; there’s no need to reinvent the wheel." Collin-Demers added. "The missing piece is being versed in 'the art of the possible' and deciding on an allocation of resources, or business strategy, which correctly leverages technology in your specific context."
CPOs: It’s time to slow down, reassess, and focus on the “how.” The future of procurement depends on it.
Transforming procurement isn’t just about solving today’s problems—it’s about building a foundation for lasting success. Take the time to pause, reassess, and realign your strategy to what matters most: outcomes. Start building a smarter, stronger procurement future today with a RiseNow Organizational Health Check.
