The Purchaser - Issue 18

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THEPURCHASERMAGAZINE.COM JANUARY 2024

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR “When an opportunity comes your way, give it a go – worst case, you’ll learn something!”, is definitely a refreshing mentality to have going into a New Year, and one that we hope to put into practice in 2024 at Stroud & Clarke.

This is something that this issue’s cover star Ruji Akhtar Mahmud spoke about passionately during our discussion about her personal experiences, her career in procurement, and her role as Mayoress of Camden.

We talk to many other leaders who are keen to continue taking risks, innovating, and pushing for transformational change in the supply chain and procurement industry.

Agnes Krol of Valiant discusses striving to be a key influencer in the rapidly emerging field of electric vehicles, John Wilgar at NSG Group discusses how to affect positive change in the world, and the team at Roche talks championing digital transformation.

We also explore the work of innovative companies Xampla and Treepoints, who are both helping with our personal and business sustainability, tackling plastic usage and carbon footprints. And Guy Battle of Social Value Portal looks forward to what the UK’s new Procurement Act means for the future.

The New Year is traditionally a time for new beginnings, new experiences, and new goals for the year to come.

At Stroud & Clarke, we’re happy to say we have many exciting new projects, interviews, and publications ahead of us this year!

Look out for Our Voice launching on March 8th, Venue Magazine debuting in the summer, an exciting new podcast series, live events, leadership awards, and more.

Thank you for reading The Purchaser, and Happy New Year!

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FOUNDER & CEO JAMES PEPPER

FOUNDER & COO CHARLOTTE CLARKE

FOUNDER & CRO JACK PASCALL

CREATIVE DIRECTOR TOM CAMP

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR BECKY NORTHFIELD

MD OF THE PURCHASER HENRY ALLTON-JONES

EDITOR TARA QUINN

GRAPHIC DESIGNER KIMBERLEY STOTT

GRAPHIC DESIGNER HANNAH LEWIS

PROJECT MANAGER ALEX NEAGU

Stroud & Clarke is a cutting-edge multichannel digital media company that produces exceptional technology, business and lifestyle content via our portfolio of digital magazines, websites and social media platforms. © Stroud and Clarke Ltd 2024. All rights reserved. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that information is correct upon publishing, Stroud and Clarke Ltd is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information.

All information in this magazine is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy,timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information. This magazine may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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CONTENTS

6. INSIGHT EXEC SUMMARY News, views and insight.

12. INTERVIEW JOHN WILGAR - NSG On how to affect positive change in the world, transform our surroundings, and improve our environment through procurement.

24. PORTFOLIO TECH YOU NEED Innovations for work, leisure and the environmentally conscious.

34. INTERVIEW RUJI MAHMUD - GE HEALTHCARE On balancing her careers and excelling in the industry.

44. INNOVATOR TREEPOINTS On a mission to help people and businesses offset their carbon footprints.

46. INTERVIEW AGNES KROL - VALIANT TMS On the impact of the automotive industry and becoming an influencer in the rapidly emerging field of electric vehicles.

58. DISTRUPTOR XAMPLA Developing a range of plant-based, plastic-free materials that are environmentally friendly, fully biodegradable, and all-natural.

64. INTERVIEW SEBASTIAN, NICOLAI, PATRICK - ROCHE An innovative approach to digital transformation.

76. PERSPECTIVE GUY BATTLE The future of Social Value in procurement and how to manage it.

82. LIST WOMEN-LED START-UPS Those to look out for in 2024.

86. EVENTS The best events for 2023.

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A bitesize collection of news, content, ideas, thoughts, and papers from around the industry.

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UMMARY GOGORO CROSSOVER Taiwanese company Gogoro is known for being a pioneer in the Electric Vehicle space, especially due to its specialism in swappable EV batteries.

Now, Gogoro is continuing to break boundaries with the introduction of the Crossover.

An all-terrain frame, increased storage capabilities, different cargo-carrying options, a long-lasting belt-drive system, and real-time online vehicle controls create the ultimate user experience, no matter your needs. This helps Gogoro achieve its goal of helping riders “ride across life’s diversities” and “live with no boundaries.”

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GOGORO.COM

E X EC S U M M A R Y

Boldly claiming the title of the “first two-wheel SUV”, the Crossover is designed to be incredibly versatile and customisable, conquering rough terrain for outdoor adventures, but also taking to city streets with ease. Multiple colour combination possibilities allow for the user to truly feel as though they are making the scooter their own.

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PROCUREMENT PATHWAY

Mars is planning to invest $1 billion into driving climate action over the next three years, focusing on transferring to entirely renewable energy, stopping deforestation within its supply chain, optimising their products’ recipes, and working with farmers on regenerative agriculture.

MARS.COM

E X EC S U M M A R Y

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Many companies are spending time mapping out potential pathways within their supply chain towards a more sustainable future, and multinational confectionary company Mars is no different. The company has published an action plan to push towards achieving Net Zero emissions by 2030.

P H O T O: F IL I P Z R N Z E V IC

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FLYING TO SUSTAINABILITY

International travel and aviation demand are growing yet again, following the COVID-19 pandemic, and as such, so are concerns about environmental consciousness. However, many companies are attempting to remain on the right side of history when it comes to sustainable aviation.

VIRGINATLANTIC.COM

Meet Gemini, Google’s new AI model, which is the company’s most advanced to date. Currently available on Google’s Pro and Nano model products, the company plans to integrate it further into other services including Chrome.

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THE GEMINI ERA

E X EC S U M M A R Y

A historic Virgin Atlantic flight on a Boeing 787 has become the first to fly across the Atlantic Ocean using exclusively sustainable aviation fuel.

Flying from London Heathrow to New York JFK, the flight marks a step in the right direction for the decarbonisation of the aviation industry.

Gemini can generate code based on various inputs, translate and read across languages, and understand and generate text, images, video, and audio at the same time. This means Gemini has a greater possible understanding of complex information and can generate more in-depth answers and reasoning, making it more reliable for users.

DEEPMIND.GOOGLE

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HARNESSING AI

Despite recognising AI’s potential trajectory, 49% of senior leaders had low confidence in implementing AI in their organisation due to reasons such as it not aligning with current technologies, fear of security threats, and difficulty finding trusted vendors to work with.

WWW.DAE.MN

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According to a study from award-winning digital transformation consultancy Daemon, with assistance from market research agency Vanson Bourne, 99% of 150 businesses surveyed are looking to seize new opportunities in the adoption of AI, with 98% already having a vision of where to implement it.

P H O T O: A N D R E W N E EL

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P H O T O: A L E X PA GL I U C A

SHORTS

P H O T O: D A N I EL EL E D U T

Container x Change report shows that Panama Canal water levels are predicted to continue affecting trade in 2024.

Amazon will expand AWS capabilities with an additional four cloud application features in 2024.

P H O T O: A N D R E A L EO PA R DI

P H O T O: I S R A EL A L B O R N O Z

Toyota expands a previous deal with Redwood Materials to source recycled materials for its battery supply chain.

Nestlé moves half of its global shipping needs to greener fuels.

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W O R D S: B E C K Y N O R T H F I EL D

J O H N W I L G A R THE ART OF GLASS

JOHN WILGAR CPO AT NSG GROUP DISCUSSES HOW TO AFFECT POSITIVE CHANGE IN THE WORLD, TRANSFORM OUR SURROUNDINGS, AND IMPROVE OUR ENVIRONMENT, ALL THROUGH THE ART OF PROCUREMENT.

P H O T O: J O H N M A C D O N A L D J O H N W ILG A R | I S S U E E IG H T E E N

John Wilgar is a man made for manufacturing.

Starting his procurement journey over 30 years ago, he has a passion for the industry, explaining that he loves seeing raw materials being transformed from their basic state “into amazing products that change people’s lives.”

He is currently Chief Procurement Officer at NSG Group, one of the largest manufacturers of glass and glazing products for multiple sectors such as automotive, architectural, solar, and specialist applications.

Yet he began his career as a graduate trainee for a global car manufacturer – a joint venture between a U.S. and Japanese company – spending the first month working on the production line at the assembly plant.

“It was a very interesting cultural blend.

“By working on the production line – what the Japanese call gemba, which means the actual place or the place where value is created, I learned so much, learnings that are still with me today, even 30 years on.

“I’ve used that experience to understand the core of each issue on how to address challenges in front of me by going back to basics. This is really the power of doing a task to fully understand it,” he says.

Wilgar has always worked in manufacturing companies, and “in terms of the industry I’m currently in, glass is really an amazing product. It’s been around for thousands of years, and we continue to find new innovative uses for glass and the special coatings we apply to it.

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“Glass is infinitely recyclable, and we are developing new, thinner glass – some as thin as 0.3 millimetres, which is helping reduce the weight of glass in vehicles and in other applications. The coatings save energy in cars and buildings and help to generate energy in solar panels as they’re an active ingredient in some solar panel technologies,” he explains.

Wilgar points out that the problem with glass is that when it’s doing its job correctly, people don’t even see it. “It’s transparent and invisible, but I believe the future is bright for the glass industry. And our new challenge will be to decarbonise the way we manufacture glass,” he says.

NSG recently launched a new glass product called Mirai – the Japanese word for future – and it has 50% less embodied carbon than normal glass. “We can achieve this using renewable energy and alternative fuels like biofuel and hydrogen in our furnaces,” Wilgar says. “Our procurement team is instrumental in sourcing those resources to ensure we can manufacture lower carbon products today and in the future,” he adds.

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“Glass is infinitely recyclable, and we are developing new, thinner glass – some as thin as 0.3 millimetres, which is helping reduce the weight of glass in vehicles and in other applications.”

And with the scope of procurement, Wilgar has seen it expand massively, especially in the last five years or so and now, “procurement is instrumental in shaping our company agenda on sustainability, contributing to increases in innovation coming from the outside world from our suppliers, helping drive

Responsibly producing essential ingredients for a sustainable future.

Find out more at wesoda • com

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new operating models for our companies, and driving digital transformation around different processes, whether that’s around source to pay, spend management, category management, or supply chain management,” he explains.

“There’s the sort of step change which you can associate with transformation, but there’s also continuous change. This is incremental.

In NSG’s procurement transformation, Wilgar says it was key to get people excited, not threatened by change, and they needed to see how it would improve their lives, jobs, what they can contribute, and the impact they can make on the world. “That could be in terms of addressing climate change, improving worker rights in our supply chain, or how our buying power can work for the betterment of society, with social and diverse procurement programs.

“The Japanese call it kaizen, and this is more of a continuous change rather than step change approach,” he says, believing both types of change management are important.

“Sometimes there’s a place for kaizen and sometimes more for transformational changes.

I think in our world today, there’s more transformational change because the pace of change is happening much more quickly. It’s important to not be stationary. Standing still

“Our new challenge will be to decarbonise the way we manufacture glass.”

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From Wilgar’s leadership perspective, transformation is perhaps an overused word, “and many companies and businesses talk about going through it. Often, they are, but I look at change in two ways.

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is not an option because that means going backwards, which can lead to stagnation, lack of ambition, and ultimately business failure,” he adds.

“It’s also about structure and discipline.

We can all have great ideas about transformation and what we’d like to do, but it must be tailored with reality, and needs to be properly structured and disciplined,” he explains. As there are many moving parts in any transformation program, Wilgar says being organised, aligned, and having good prioritisation is key to success, so it’s not just empty words and wishful thinking.

One of NSG’s recent transformations is the launch of its group Sustainable Supply Chain Charter in September 2023, which looks at human rights, greenhouse gases, and the importance of supplier collaboration.

Wilgar says they knew sustainability was going to be a key pillar, as NSG is an energy intensive company with high CO2 emissions.

Interestingly, NSG is a member of the Sumitomo Group of companies, which has a 400-year-history of being a responsible

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“Energy is our largest spend area and also contributes around half of our CO2 emissions in Scope 1 and 2. So maintaining cost competitiveness, managing supply risk and addressing climate change needs the support of key partners such as RWE, with whom we have a long standing strategic relationship.”

John Wilgar, Chief Procurement Officer at NSG Pilkington

Our Regional Experts

General Inquiry rwe.com

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company. “One of the principles of the Sumitomo Group is that business interest must always be in harmony with the public interest,” Wilgar says. “As such, we wanted to do more in terms of creating fully sustainable supply chains today and for the longer term.

“We wanted the buy-in and ownership of this initiative to stretch across the entire company. We formed a cross-functional team, comprising of members from all group functions and business units. It wasn’t just the procurement initiative we wanted to address – we needed ownership across the entire business,” he says. The Sustainable Supply Chain Charter was then launched, which sets out to address sustainability in the supply chain across eight impact areas, including greenhouse gases, human rights, labour 20

rights, water waste management, diversity, equity, inclusion, and so on.

“This Sumitomo spirit as it’s called, places this huge importance on integrity and sound management,” Wilgar quips.

“These principles are as relevant and valuable today as they were in the 17th century.

So, a strong ethical foundation is fundamental to NSG’s management style and ways of working. We conduct a lot of training and guidance around ethics. And each year, we have a global ethics and compliance week all around the world, with training, seminars, and different initiatives,” he explains.

When Wilgar took over the role of CPO in 2021, he knew that whilst there was a great team already in place, he felt they could do

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more to contribute to the strategic goals of the company. “We began a few projects, like challenging our operating model, increasing our focus on talent and diversity within procurement, looking at how we could contribute more to sustainability, and how we could transform our work through digital transformation,” he explains. And more than two years on, he’s very pleased with the progress they’ve made, including the increase of females in management positions, with the support of a women’s focus group in procurement and mentoring.

A centre of excellence for sourcing and category management has also been created, which looks to increase innovation from suppliers and around sustainability. “This last area, sustainability, is perhaps the most important of all. I see climate change spiralling

“Our procurement team is instrumental in sourcing those resources to ensure we can manufacture lower carbon products today and in the future.”

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out of control, and social inequality is unfortunately also increasing.

“We have a responsibility to address this, putting sustainability and sustainable supply chains at the core of our procurement strategy in NSG. We can reduce our scope 1 emissions via alternative fuels, and scope 2 with introduction and aggressive adoption of renewable electricity.

“Scope 3 represents around 50% of NSG’s total CO2 emissions as a company. The procurement team can impact this by working with our suppliers and incentivising them to reduce emissions.

“These challenges can only be addressed by working closely with our supply partners; companies such as RWE, with whom we have a long standing strategic relationship in the energy area. Energy is our largest spend area and also contributes around half or our CO2 emissions in Scope 1 and 2. So maintaining cost competitiveness, managing supply risk and addressing climate change needs

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the support of key partners such as RWE.” Wilgar says it’s also important to take a long-term view on challenges, particularly around climate change and sustainability.

“These issues won’t be addressed in a year or two years. We need a 10-year strategy for initiatives, goals, and projects that we’re working on.

“It will also involve some risk taking.

Traditionally, NSG and the glass industry is quite risk averse. But when we talk about alternative ways of manufacturing glass, it will involve some risk and we must manage that carefully by testing and validating new products and process innovations.

“We must be prepared to learn and develop our thinking on how to overcome big issues we face. Yet I’m confident NSG has the desire, ambition, and leadership to follow the right path towards our mission of changing our surroundings and improving our world,” he explains.

P H O T O: T IO M O T H Y S W O P E J O H N W ILG A R

Wilgar reckons leadership is largely about empowerment and trust of people around you – “allowing them to grow and realise their full potential. It’s also about two-way communication, not a top-down directive approach,” he says.

“It’s listening more and understanding what’s happening in people’s lives and how we can accommodate within certain roles to realise and support potential.

“If we all think the same, we will always get the same results,” he reckons. “To improve and lead, we need that diversity as an organisation.

I believe the same goes through our supply base.

“We will soon launch a formal diverse and social supplier program to enable suppliers with different profiles to have access to NSG as a partner. We want to use our purchasing power to affect positive change in the world, supporting the NSG mission statement, changing our surroundings, and improving our world,” he adds.

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And in leadership, Wilgar believes you should be a coach to encourage and create the environment for success. “We must also draw clear lines from the work people are doing, to strategic goals of the business. They need to understand what they do in their day-to-day work is contributing to strategic objectives of the business,” he says.

NSG also has a Leadership Behaviour Charter, which provides a clear set of behavioural guidelines for the company.

“If people like the purpose of the Company and believe leaders are committed to it, they will want to work here,” Wilgar explains. “Other important factors include financial rewards, development and growth opportunities, the physical working environment we provide, the culture and spirit of the team, flexible working practices, and the quality of the work itself,” he adds.

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PORTFOLIO

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Innovative and inspired items for work, leisure, and sustainable living

META QUEST 3 If you’re not already a VR enthusiast, now is a brilliant time to dive into the world, as recent Virtual Reality products are pushing the boundaries of everything we think is possible.

Meta’s new mixed-reality headset, the Quest 3, is no different, already making waves amongst tech lovers.

The Quest 3 is a huge advancement on the previous model, delivering double the GPU processing power

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of the Quest 2, leading to faster, more efficient gameplay. Storage options of up to 512GB make space for over 500 compatible titles from gaming to fitness, and room mapping capabilities and improved depth perception allow you to interact with virtual characters and objects while staying safe.

WWW.META.COM

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GET TOGETHER MINI 2 SPEAKER

The Get Together Mini 2 is described by by audio equipment manufacturer, Marley as a ‘portable powerhouse’, and it certainly seems to live up to that name.

The mini Bluetooth speaker comes with a series of perks that make it ideal for a multitude of situations.

With a 15-hour playtime per charge and dimensions of 19.4cm x 8.4cm, it is incredibly portable and easy to fit in your backpack. A 30-metre Bluetooth range and multi-pair mode make it ideal for parties where many people want to give their input to the playlist. Being made with sustainable materials and boxed using 100% recyclable, plastic-free packaging, the Get Together Mini 2 helps you stay conscious of your environmental impact when purchasing.

WWW.THEHOUSEOFMARLEY.COM

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MORRAMA LAB ISSÉ MIXED REALITY GLASSES With the Morrama concept glasses, the company aims to cement its place in the ever-growing technology and biohacking markets.

The conceptualised mixed reality wearable aims to be adaptable to

the needs of any wearer, whether they are an avid runner or simply enjoy the occasional walk in the sun. Using AI to monitor everything from heart rate and brain activity to blood sugar and sleep patterns, the glasses aim to help the user have a comprehensive, real-time understanding of their body.

Morrama Lab plans to manufacture the glasses using bio-materials that break down easily and can be digested by bacteria.

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WWW.MORRAMA.COM

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WWW.MORRAMA.COM

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NATIVE UNION W.F.A BACKPACK

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So many of us find ourselves carrying our work around with us on our laptops, and the Native Union W.F.A Backpack may be the best way to do just that. The bag is specifically designed for a digital lifestyle, featuring a cushioned laptop sleeve and compartments for essentials such as chargers and cables.

finishings and military-grade fabric on the exposed areas of the bag.

Native Union attempts to remain environmentally conscious too, using organic cotton straps, plantbased material accents, and recycled polyester from plastic bottles. The W.F.A backpack is the perfect companion for the digital worker.

The bag is minimalistic, but built to last, utilising water-resistant

WWW.NATIVEUNION.COM

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SONY LINKBUDS S X OLIVIA RODRIGO Sony has collaborated with one of the most popular names in music right now, Olivia Rodrigo, to release new wireless Linkbuds. The earphones provide highquality sound and noise cancelling, creating a truly immersive experience.

The Linkbuds include custom EQs, tuned

by Olivia and her music producer, to provide optimal listening conditions for both of her albums, as well as your other favourite playlists.

WWW.ELECTRONICS.SONY.COM

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The Linkbuds are created using sustainable materials, with the body and case of the earphone being made from recovered and reclaimed plastic bottles.

This not only lessens the environmental impact of producing the product but also gives the earphones a unique pattern.

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W O R D S: B E C K Y N O R T H F I EL D

RUJI AKHTAR MAHMUD

THE TALENT OF BALANCE WITH A PLETHORA OF ACHIEVEMENTS AND EXTENSIVE INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN HER ARSENAL, CURRENT MAYORESS OF CAMDEN AND HEAD OF PROCUREMENT AT GE HEALTHCARE RUJI AKHTAR MAHMUD DISCUSSES BALANCING HER CAREERS AND EXCELLING IN THE INDUSTRY.

P H O T O: S I T H A M S H U M A N O J B I K

In my current role as the Head of Procurement Strategy, Transformation, and Operations at GE Healthcare (GEHC), I lead critical procurement excellence programs and play a pivotal role in operational excellence and value delivery. Currently, my focus is on the creation of a robust procurement function strategy. We’re working on developing a target operating model, formulating transformation roadmaps, and implementing digital solutions within the procurement framework. These initiatives aim to enhance our operational efficiency and contribute to the overall success of the organisation.

My extensive international experience, having worked for several best practice organisations, has shaped my strategic approach to procurement. Specifically,

I have spearheaded digital transformation initiatives and implemented cutting-edge technologies, leveraging my expertise to optimise processes and enhance overall effectiveness in the dynamic field of procurement.

R U J I A K H TA R M A H M U D | I S S U E E IG H T E E N

Can you tell us about your work?

In your experience, how has technology impacted procurement?

In my various roles, I’ve witnessed the profound impact of technology on procurement, particularly in datadriven advancements. Embracing these advancements has yielded tangible benefits such as streamlined processes, heightened efficiency, and overall effectiveness. From leveraging AI for demand forecasting, to implementing automated contract management systems, these technological innovations have 35

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P H O T O: R O H I T TA N D O N

not only enhanced accuracy and speed, but also significantly contributed to agility and strategic value of procurement operations. I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to design digital strategies and deploy advanced tools such as data analytics and automation. And strategic incorporation of technology ensures procurement processes stay at the forefront of industry trends, fostering a dynamic and resilient approach.

What are some challenges you’ve faced as a woman in the technology and procurement field?

As a woman in the male-dominated field of procurement and technology, I have faced hurdles including underestimation of my technical capabilities, talking over me in meetings, and needing to prove expertise significantly more than male peers. Earlier in my career, I struggled to have my voice heard and was not included in key decisions. I leveraged mentors to help boost confidence when facing doubts on my ability to lead complex projects. I quickly learned to clearly showcase technical knowledge, command the room, and confront biassed behaviours headon while bringing more women (diverse talent in general) onto my teams. There is still work needed regarding unconscious bias. I aim to lift

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“My extensive international experience, having worked for several best practice organisations, has shaped my strategic approach to procurement.” other women up through mentorship and calling out inequities.

Additionally, I actively sought mentorship opportunities and contributed to industry discussions, reinforcing my commitment to breaking barriers and driving positive change in traditionally male-dominated fields.

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For women entering procurement and technology, my advice is to seek mentorship, embrace continuous learning, and leverage networking opportunities. Being persistent, showcasing expertise, and actively contributing to industry discussions are key to advancement.

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Can you discuss the importance of women empowerment in the procurement industry?

In the procurement industry, women empowerment is not just a goal, but a strategic imperative. Embracing diversity, particularly through empowering women, brings unique perspectives and innovative solutions to the procurement landscape. Empowering women in procurement is not just about equality; it’s about driving excellence and sustainability through diverse leadership.

ethical and sustainable supply chain processes, and introduce supplier diversity programs.

I serve as a mentor to bring more female voices to the table. Diversity of thought yields better ideas and outcomes, yet women are severely underrepresented at senior levels.

Mentorship and sponsorship programs foster talent. Creating support structures for working parents and promoting work-life balance helps provide opportunities for talented women to advance.

By integrating sustainability into procurement practices, I’ve not only achieved cost efficiencies but also contributed to broader sustainable development goals.

This approach ensures procurement decisions align with ethical and sustainable principles, creating a positive impact on both business, wider society, and the environment.

How has your role as Mayoress of Camden influenced your approach to procurement and leadership?

At GEHC, you drive operational excellence using lean principles e.g., embedded sustainability, and identification of the latest tech. Can you talk about that?

Serving as Mayoress of the London Borough of Camden has influenced my approach to procurement and leadership by enhancing my community engagement skills. This role has strengthened my network and provided valuable insights into local concerns, aligning with my commitment to positive social and environmental impact.

Can you talk about the connection between your work in sustainability and career in procurement?

My work in sustainability and procurement are intricately connected, exemplifying a commitment to environmental and social responsibility. For instance, initiatives to reduce scope 3 carbon emissions, promote 38

“For women entering procurement and technology, my advice is to seek mentorship, embrace continuous learning, and leverage networking opportunities.”

At GEHC, lean principles play a pivotal role in optimising processes, eliminating waste, and enhancing overall efficiency in procurement. For example, by implementing lean methodologies, we are streamlining procurement workflows, improving resource utilisation, redesigning our daily management system, Kaizens on existing processes etcetera.

Embedded sustainability is a key aspect of our approach. Initiatives include incorporation of sustainable sourcing practices, reducing environmental impact throughout the supply chain, and fostering responsible supplier relationships.

P H O T O: O W E N B E A R D

The nexus between lean principles, sustainability, and technology doesn’t stop there. It significantly contributes to compliance management. By utilising the latest technologies, we establish robust governance frameworks, implement efficient control systems, and ensure adherence to regulatory requirements. This not only mitigates compliance risks, but also fosters a culture of transparency and accountability in procurement processes.

How do you balance your various roles and responsibilities?

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Identifying and integrating the latest technologies further amplifies our operational excellence. Leveraging advanced analytics, automation, and digital solutions within the procurement framework enhances decisionmaking processes and ensures real-time visibility into the supply chain.

Balancing various roles, including being a non-executive director and mayoress, involves effective time management and strategic prioritisation – that’s a given.

I selected these roles as they have a lot of synergies which allow me to learn from each role and add value to the other. For example, in one of the NED roles, I’m currently working on developing an ethical recruitment charter and governance framework, aiming to secure endorsement from key partners to establish industry best practices – this is the other side of the table to developing a supplier code of conduct. My diverse experiences contribute to a holistic leadership approach, enhancing my ability to positively impact both corporate and community realms.

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The pandemic provided an opportunity to reset outdated notions that work must be 9-5 in the office. I’m grateful for an understanding family and workplace flexibility. My children are older now, but my husband and I still divide responsibilities based on shifting bandwidth: one person can’t do everything!

Maintaining balance is always an ongoing work-in-progress as demands evolve.

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How do you incorporate your external experiences and knowledge into your work in procurement?

I incorporate learnings from past commercial roles, board service, and political advisory to promote ethical, sustainable practices.

External experiences, such as advisory roles with The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, being a Panellist for ProcureTech 100, and mentoring other procurement professionals, enrich my work in procurement by providing diverse perspectives and staying informed about industry trends. Non-executive director experience gives unique governance insights ensuring procurement decisions fully align to overarching corporate objectives.

What does your role as Mayoress comprise of?

As Mayoress, I serve as Chief Advisor, engaging with the community and fostering international cooperation. This role shares similarities with my other leadership positions, emphasising strategic thinking, community engagement, and impactful decision-making.

With the rise of artificial intelligence and automation, how do you see these technologies influencing the future of procurement, and what steps are you taking to prepare for these changes?

I see AI and automation as essential to improving procurement velocity, scalability and augmenting human capabilities. Over the next decade, wide scale adoption will dramatically transform elements of source-tosettle processes, though not entirely replace complex cognitive tasks. As we scale AI, ensuring transparency and ethical usage 40

is paramount. I believe the best outcomes require human and artificial intelligence combined – machines processing vast data to inform human strategic decisions.

As a female leader in procurement, have you faced any unique challenges or opportunities related to gender diversity in your career, and how have you navigated them?

Gender inequity poses persistent issues in procurement leadership which I have experienced firsthand. Navigating careers and motherhood poses hurdles for women which I directly encountered.

I have dealt with more than my fair share of hurdles related to gender diversity and unconscious bias. Early in my career, I was often excluded from key strategy meetings and found my expertise and ideas were not given equal consideration. At times, it felt deflating to have my contributions minimised compared to male peers. I was passed over for promotions when my children were young, and was told outright that leadership didn’t believe I could balance priorities with a young family. Meanwhile, my husband advanced rapidly into leadership positions in the tech sector during the same period.

The frustration was immense sometimes – I was left wondering if achieving my career aspirations and being an engaged mother were mutually exclusive.

However, with resilience, support from mentors, and prioritising what mattered most, I pushed through what felt like a constant juggling act during those intensive parenting years. I gained confidence and learned to overcome imposter syndrome, leverage my proven capabilities, and confront biassed behaviours head on.

After proving myself time and again, delivering complex negotiations, transformation programs and millions in savings these last several years, I finally earned the senior title to match responsibilities.

How have your past professional roles and experiences uniquely positioned you for success in your current position as Head of Procurement?

My breadth of procurement exposures – across both direct/indirect categories,

“My work in sustainability and procurement are intricately connected, exemplifying a commitment to environmental and social responsibility.”

R U J I A K H TA R M A H M U D | I S S U E E IG H T E E N

My approach has been multi-pronged – on an individual level I was seeking mentorship to combat doubts, learning to command rooms often dominated by men, while raising up other women beside me. While we still have far to go, the progress over my career has been immense, and I am committed to paving the way for the next generation of female leaders.

My experiences drive me to continue breaking barriers for women and working parents, and realise competitive advantages of diversity in my teams. The challenges faced made me a resilient, compassionate and a determined leader, passionate about finding others’ potential.

various sectors and global regions – allows me to rapidly understand nuances and drive improvements across our spend portfolio.

I leverage past cost savings program leadership to continually identify opportunities for efficiency gains and innovations.

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Transformation program management equips me to effectively lead complex change initiatives, overcoming adoption hurdles with structured plans. Data analytics and systems implementation experience enables me to pinpoint how technologies can address pain points through process automation or otherwise. And my commercial negotiations history brings rigorous sourcing strategies targeting value beyond purely cost – spanning risk mitigation, innovation, sustainability and more from suppliers.

Reflecting on your career journey, could you share a pivotal moment or experience that significantly shaped your approach to procurement leadership?

Earlier in my career, while leading a complex system implementation, ambiguity on requirements and approach led to tensions between my team and business partners. I failed to engage stakeholders effectively throughout.

Upon launching, significant issues emerged, making me reflect on the value of transparency.

I pivoted to over communicating, meeting constantly with project teams and leadership to discuss options, tradeoffs and progress. Initiating two-way dialogue, and really listening to needs while setting clear expectations, built immense trust and consensus. We turned things around after several months. Now, proactive stakeholder collaboration is integral to my leadership style for aligning priorities early and often. I still remind

myself each day to over communicate!

As a procurement leader, how do you stay informed about industry trends and emerging technologies to continually improve procurement practices?

Staying abreast of developments from blockchain to data analytics allows me to pinpoint innovations capable of driving value, whether through supply chain transparency, forecast accuracy improvements, or invoice processing cost reductions. With any new solution, structured change management is critical – I involve stakeholders early, and persistently communicate the “why” behind changes to gain buy-in. Quick-win pilots provide proof points on capabilities and user experience before judiciously scaling innovations more broadly.

What advice would you give to aspiring female leaders?

When an opportunity comes your way give it a go – worst case you’ll learn something!

And keep pushing those doors until they open, and once you’re in, hold the door open for others.

WWW.GEHEALTHCARE.CO.UK

INNOVATOR TREEPOINTS CARBON RESPONSIBILITY The past few years have seen waves of positive business change when it comes to our personal and company carbon footprints.

With the universal growth in carbon reporting legislation, and consumer, business, and investor wishes to work with companies who are open about driving towards a sustainable future, it is more important than ever to get on top of our carbon footprints.

This is where Treepoints comes in. The UK-based startup, which launched in 2020, is on a mission to help people and businesses take action to understand and offset their carbon footprint.

Treepoints champions transparency and keeping an open dialogue with their clients, using data from the World Bank and World Wildlife Federation to calculate carbon footprints. They then work with the client to move forward with reducing their carbon footprint in whatever way works best for them and help them to make necessary steps on their sustainability journey.

So far, Treepoints has been able to plant 365,000 trees, offset almost 8 million kilograms of carbon, and recycle 90,000 plastic bottles. This goes to show that, with a little assistance and collaboration from others who want to make a difference, we can get on top of our carbon footprints and kickstart the journey to net zero, both as businesses and as individuals.

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W O R D S: B E C K Y N O R T H F I EL D

A G N E S K R O L

ART OF AUTOMOTIVE

VALIANT TMS’ AGNES KROL DISCUSSES THE IMPACT OF THE INFLUENTIAL AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY AND HOW HER ORGANISATION STRIVES TO BE A KEY PARTNER IN THE RAPIDLY EMERGING FIELD OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

In my current role, I’m the Executive Director of Global Procurement and Quality at Valiant TMS. We operate in 11 countries and specialise in designing, building, and integrating intelligent automation solutions for the world’s leading companies, focusing on the automotive sector.

In this role, I’m responsible for developing and deploying departmental strategies that align seamlessly with our organisation’s overarching vision, which drives shareholder value, leveraging the best opportunities in the global market.

I’ve spent over 25 years in the automotive industry - it’s the only career I know.

I grew into and with this industry in various roles and functions, learning along the way, an investment which has evolved into a fulfilling career.

Throughout my career, the function of procurement has played an influential role, whether directly or indirectly. As I progressed in my professional journey, opportunities to advance presented themselves, allowing me to leverage my prior experience in manufacturing and quality management, seamlessly transition into a leadership role in procurement, and take on an integral role as part of the global executive team at Valiant TMS.

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Can you tell us about your work and experience?

I was fortunate to meet great mentors and influential people along the way; individuals well recognised for their achievements in the industry, they have played a vital role in shaping my career. Their guidance and support have been instrumental in shaping my career, and I’m immensely grateful for that. I intend to pay forward the mentorship and support I’ve received by assisting others on their career journeys within this dynamic industry.

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You are responsible for the business that manufactures the very equipment you used to procure. Can you talk about that journey?

My journey into the automotive world started with my choice to study mechanical engineering – a conscious decision to join this industry. From the very first day at the university, I understood the undertaking I was embarking on — what I would study, where I would work, and the impact I could make in the automotive sector.

Automotive is my life; I grew up in this industry. I’ve chosen it as my professional path. After 25 years, I remain as passionate and enthusiastic as when I first began — learning, growing, and building a professional network.

Early in my career, I worked on the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) side of the

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business. This experience gave me a strong foundation and significantly impacted my career path. I started as a manufacturing process engineer, launching new vehicle programs and significant retools for highvolume automated assembly equipment.

This role provided me with experience working alongside global suppliers, collaborating closely with procurement teams, managing project budgets, and overseeing milestone timing, all in preparation to meet critical product launch deadlines.

As the years went by, my journey took a turn, leading me to the other side of the automotive spectrum — becoming a supplier to OEMs and Tier-1 customers. This shift required some adjustment and took me out of my comfort zone. However, I adapted by drawing on the wealth of experiences I had gained on the OEM side. I continued to embrace diverse roles, expanding my reach and

labour practices to ensure long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships and growth.

What do you think have been the key drivers or trends behind the procurement evolution?

Transformation is necessary for multiple reasons. We must adapt to societal changes, specifically environmental and consumer sentiment, rapid trends and technology transformation, and changes in consumer behaviours and expectations. Transformation is necessary to maintain a competitive edge in the market, align with changing customer demands, and improve operations efficiency.

Procurement has gone from being a transactional function to a strategic one.

Like many companies, our organisation now integrates procurement with a broader business strategy, fostering alignment with finance, operations, and strategic planning.

Additionally, procurement has transitioned to a partnership approach with suppliers, emphasising risk mitigation, transparency, accuracy of reporting, communication, sustainability, environmental impact, and fair

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remaining open to the countless opportunities the automotive sector offered. With each step, my scope broadened, and so did my determination and desire to contribute more to the organisation and its stakeholders.

Why is transformation necessary, and how do you do it successfully?

Leadership and organisations must recognise the need for these changes and that transformation is not just a single event. Leadership must plan, execute, and adequately prepare the company for change, understanding that it’s a continual process.

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P H O T O: M IC H A EL F O U R S E T

Your organisation strives to be a key influencer in the rapidly emerging electric vehicles (EVs) field. Can you dive into what you do in procurement to make that happen?

Our sector is going through a substantial transformation into EVs, the next generation of the automotive industry. This trend is driven primarily by government demand through strict environmental and safety regulations, incentives, and consumer demand for clean energy solutions. Humanity is expecting this and is excited by the EV movement.

Although procurement is an essential element of this transformation, it alone cannot meet the expectations — it’s one part of the overall movement.

Focusing on sustainability and a circular economy will influence the procurement discipline by selecting equipment, components, and materials that can be reused or recycled. The biggest challenge for procurement professionals, as market data

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shows, is that the price of sustainable and circular economy solutions are more costly than traditional ones. We must work to offset the higher cost through creative engineering solutions, exploring new markets, and considering new partnerships.

So, it’s a joint effort that starts with circular engineering, innovation, and sustainable procurement.

What does the automotive industry look like from a procurement perspective compared to other industries?

The automotive industry has a significant impact on society and humanity.

It represents the cutting edge of technological advancements by merging various fields like robotics, computer science, engineering, AI, and data analytics. For professionals in this field, there is the allure of working with the latest technologies and engineering solutions, offering a wide range of opportunities, challenges, and numerous career advancement opportunities.

The automotive industry has been at the forefront of applying scientific achievements and technological solutions for the benefit of consumers. It has shaped consumer expectations and trends like very few other industries.

Procurement in the automotive industry is fundamentally different when compared to other sectors. The complexity, rapid technological changes, consumer-driven cost considerations, global supply chain footprint, and sustainability are among the topics that continuously challenge OEMs and automation line integrators and make procurement in the automotive industry much more dynamic and fast-moving than others.

As automation becomes more prevalent, regulatory bodies worldwide are keenly

The industry offers exciting professional opportunities due to its innovative nature and significant impact. From a procurement perspective, it presents unique challenges and considerations compared to other sectors, requiring specialised knowledge and strategic abilities.

Valiant TMS specialises in advanced automation and robotics technologies – what advancements in this tech have appealed to you the most?

As consumer behaviours, demands, and expectations evolve, we must adapt by utilising technology. Consumer trends indicate the need for more vehicles, more models, speed to market, and cost-friendly options

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Procuring for the industry can be intricate due to products’ technical complexity, dynamic market conditions, and shifts in automation technology, which can affect procurement strategies and timelines.

That requires procurement professionals to stay updated with the latest advancements to make informed decisions.

interested in setting standards, guidelines, and growing emphasis on sustainable and green technologies. Automation procurement decisions might lean towards suppliers and solutions that are more environmentally friendly, which contradicts the cost expectations of OEMs and consumers.

The procurement professionals must be well-equipped to find an equitable solution for the benefit of all stakeholders.

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offering more functionality than currently available on the market.

Augmented reality is one example of a new technology we have adapted and used in our industry. Overlaying digital computergenerated models in physical environments has improved design reviews, equipment assembly, integration, and commissioning.

It’s even reduced our need for costly travel — improving our sustainability objectives.

We’re applying this technology in new ways as it provides alternative and modern solutions that enhance our business processes.

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Can you tell me more about your work at Valiant TMS? My procurement journey with Valiant TMS started with supplier quality. We launched a supplier management program for the organisation, focusing on supplier evaluation and qualification, outsourcing plans and execution, monitoring and reporting, continuous improvement, and supplier development program.

As my transition into procurement continued, it provided me with the opportunity to lead the purchasing organisation along with the quality team I was already managing.

I started by initiating a detailed GAP analysis of the department. Restructuring followed, optimising the organisational structure, implementing processes and the right resources, and building a team aligned with organisational needs and expectations.

We established a department budget with performance monitoring and reporting.

We communicated the goals and objectives of the department to all stakeholders in alignment with the company vision.

Key procurement goals and objectives focused on generating value for shareholders and other stakeholders, leveraging the global supply chain to offer innovative and costcompetitive solutions, and developing a corporate structure to provide full authority to procurement for all commercial and financial negotiations.

The biggest challenge was to change the 52

organisation’s culture, what traditionally was considered as a transactional function to a strategic one and to allow procurement to have authority over all commercial and financial negotiations, acting in the best unbiased interest of the organisation.

What key initiatives have you worked on, and how did they help evolve the organisation’s function?

The complexity of the global procurement role comes with many responsibilities and great opportunities to impact the organisation, deploying strategies and leading the change.

One of the biggest challenges in the last decade has been expanding our global footprint and increasing market share. Our ability to adapt to new cultures and understand and operate within new market conditions, customer standards and requirements has been challenging but rewarding.

The movement for more sustainable engineering solutions has challenged the organisation and our teams to reach new levels of responsibility and innovation.

Our success will depend on how we inspire our partners and suppliers to join and support this movement with sustainable solutions. We already offer successful engineering solutions — reusing and recycling equipment and more economical power consumption options.

Much of the focus has also been on standardisation of global processes, optimising outputs and improving efficiency.

Our strategic partnerships with Siemens, Festo, Turck, and DESTACO, as well as many others, have been key to our success in supporting customers on a global scale.

How have challenges the industry faced impacted the role of procurement?

The uncertainty and financial challenges that various industries have faced over time, particularly notable during periods like the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, have significantly impacted the role and work of procurement in several ways:

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Siemens Canada is a proud manufacturer and supplier of automation and motion solutions for Valiant TMS. Customer Interaction Center 1-888-303-3353 siemens.ca

Procurement has evolved from being a transactional function to a strategic one.

Companies and our organisation recognize the need to integrate procurement decisions with business strategy, procurement teams are now actively engaged with other functions like finance, operations and strategy to ensure alignment with broader business objectives.

Organisations invest more in systems that give them greater visibility into their supply chains.

There’s a shift from short-term, transactional relationships to long-term, collaborative ones. Companies have realised that working closely with suppliers and transforming them into partners can lead to mutual growth and stability, especially in turbulent times.

There’s a heightened emphasis on cost savings and cost avoidance. Procurement teams have expanded their scope beyond just purchasing.

They identify ways to reduce costs, renegotiate contracts, find alternative suppliers, and develop partnerships offering better terms.

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The focus on supply chain risk management has intensified. Teams now actively assess supplier health, geopolitical risks, and other external factors that could disrupt supply.

Diversifying the supply base and creating contingency plans have become a priority.

The unpredictable nature of global challenges means procurement teams must be agile.

They must develop flexible contracts, manage a diversified supply base, and quickly adapt to changing circumstances. Relying on a single supplier or geographic region has proven risky. As a result, there’s a drive towards diversifying suppliers to prevent potential disruptions.

Strategic partnerships and collaboration have proven to be the most successful approaches during challenging periods. Instead of just transactional relationships, companies are collaborating more closely with key suppliers to ensure continuity and mutual growth. We have done that successfully with supplier

While looking for cost advantages, companies internationally expanded their supply bases.

However, global events have also shown risks of over-reliance on specific regions.

Now, there’s a balanced approach to global versus local sourcing.

Regular supplier performance assessments have become more rigorous, including lead times, quality, and financial stability.

Effective governance focusing on ethical procurement, transparency and compliance is fundamental to conducting business globally.

Supplier vision and belief, as they relate to transparency, accuracy of reporting and communication, sustainability, fair labour practices, and environmental impact, play

a more central role in our decisions to develop long-term partnerships. Regular audits and stricter compliance measures are in place to ensure our organisation and suppliers adhere to the required standards and regulations.

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partners like Siemens, who continue to work closely with us to prioritise material flow, take extra measures to minimise risks, and maintain product deliveries during challenging times.

What is your approach to leadership and teams?

Leadership is the most critical factor determining the organisation’s success.

It is more like a philosophy, concept, or model adapted, developed, and implemented in an organisation. I firmly believe that strong leadership needs to demonstrate perseverance to achieve goals and objectives.

Leaders must articulate a clear vision, define the purpose, develop and establish strategic goals and objectives for the future and explain why they matter. They should inspire and motivate their team towards that vision.

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D AV AI GD N E MS ILL K R EOL R | | I IS S SU UE E E SIG E VH E T NE T EE NEN

Leaders must clearly understand a rapidly changing world and society, technological trends and development, create an environment that empowers people, encourages innovation, and equips them with the tools, resources, and autonomy to succeed.

Effective modern leaders celebrate diversity of ideas, backgrounds, and experiences to foster trust, open communication, and collaboration.

They ensure people participate and contribute to success. The ability of an organisation to create a platform to enable people to further their personal and professional development is essential for a successful team and positive culture. Investing in the growth of team expertise and skills and adapting new technologies will result in higher participation, practical contributions, and a better team collaborative environment.

Well-defined and communicated roles and responsibilities, expectations, and goals to achieve within the organisation and the team are a perfect recipe for highperforming, winning teams and a positive organisational culture.

Therefore, effective modern leadership involves strategic thinking in building a positive culture by working with committed and motivated teams. The modern leader develops an organisation’s social and technical framework to enable people to contribute to the overall success and prosperity.

What do you think the future holds for your industry?

The automotive industry has always been at the forefront of adopting automation and integrating advanced technologies into its production lines. With the rapid advancements in automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, and digitalisation, the future of automotive line integrators and the automation industry looks promising. Also, society’s demand for more sustainable solutions will significantly impact the future.

With growing concerns about environmental impact, there will be a shift towards a more 56

circular economy and engineering, sustainable production processes, materials, and waste management techniques. The shift towards EVs will continue rapidly, and our industry must adapt to produce electric powertrains, batteries, and other EV-specific component production lines. The level of automation will increase with the next generation of robots, offering more flexibility and the capability to handle complex tasks, including a higher degree of collaboration with humans.

AI and IoT applications will play a central role in the future of the automation industry, and we must prepare to adapt and provide similar solutions. With connected devices and data collection, the manufacturer will be able to monitor and optimise production processes, anticipate problems, optimise operations and production in real-time, predict maintenance needs, and reduce downtime.

After facing challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and supplier disruption, the automotive industry will focus on creating more resilient, transparent, and adaptable supply chains, including the increasingly critical need for a skilled workforce to manage, maintain, and innovate.

In summary, the future of automotive line integrators and the automation industry will be shaped by technological advancements, changing consumer demands, and global challenges. Companies that can adapt, innovate, and integrate these emerging trends will be well-positioned for success in the coming years.

WWW.VALIANTTMS.COM

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T H E DI S R U P T O R

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DISRUPTOR XAMPLA A PLASTIC-FREE FUTURE

Xampla has developed a range of plant-based, plastic-free materials that are environmentally friendly, fully biodegradable, and all-natural. The materials are incredibly versatile, with the possibility to use them in everything from soluble films that cover dishwasher tablets and substitutions for the microplastics in laundry detergents, to edible, single-use food sachet packaging.

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UK-based company Xampla recognises that “we all want to live without harming the planet”, and makes it their mission to make that as easy as possible. Recently, the company launched Morro, its first consumer brand. Morro utilises a natural production process where they take sustainable plant-based feedstock, extract natural polymers, and rearrange their structure to create alternatives to single-use plastic.

DI S R U P T O R

We talk a lot about single-use plastic waste in this magazine, but it remains relevant because it is a huge and constant global issue. In Europe alone, over 40,000 tonnes of microplastics are released into the environment every year, billions of plastic water bottles are used across the continent, and, despite a push to recycle, only 9% of plastic produced gets recycled.

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W O R D S: M AT T H IG H

PATRICK SEBASTIAN & NICOLAI REIMAGINING DIGITAL PROCUREMENT AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IS A CRITICAL ENABLER OF ROCHE’S NEXT-GENERATION PROCUREMENT TRANSFORMATION

ROCHE

Rather, every conversation with Foelck or any of the supremely capable team he works with is a school day – and a good one, at that. The importance of taking calculated risks (think, turning your back on the large procurement technology providers out there to tell the

business you’re building something better, and from the ground up), the intricacies of working fast and flexibly with innovative tech startups in a way that few in the industry do, the sheer complexity of creating customised digital strategies that support broader transformation work, and building a procurement department centred around experiences and problem solving supported by technology. You name it, it’s covered.

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You’d think, two articles into our series exploring the next-generation procurement transformation at Roche, I’d join Patrick Foelck and his colleagues knowing what to expect.

In some ways, I do: bold ambition, a truly innovative approach to the profession, an understanding of not just how to change but why, and a confidence in the entire team’s ability to evolve, rise to any challenge or business problem, and bring real value to the organisation. That it’s all delivered in an honest, frank and engaging way makes it all the easier. But don’t think that makes each discussion any less inspiring or unique.

Roche is in the midst of a journey to nextgeneration procurement built both on design and necessity - Foelck matter-of-factly told me during our first discussion, that if the procurement function doesn’t transform to offer superior outcomes and value beyond the savings story, it will get replaced by digital solutions and specialised external service providers. For Roche, next-generation procurement is based on an understanding 65

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“Solutions out there now enable procurement for users and let the function drive a completely different role in the enterprise that isn’t self-contained or insular any more; it’s helping us to break out of the mould we’ve been set in for the last 30 or 40 years.” Nicolai that it holds a unique value proposition that can only be unlocked by reinvention: end procurement for procurement’s sake, focus on value creation, ditch the outdated savings-focused approach to procurement performance, and embrace innovative approaches and technologies to support the delivery of solutions that meet real business problems like security of supply, shareholder value, ESG and more.

Digital transformation underpins the work of Foelck and the team. It is, he states, a critical enabler of the entire next-generation procurement evolution. But unlike in many organisations, for which ‘digital’ has simply become a byword for doing exactly the same but faster, or with less human interaction, technology is viewed with an entirely different mindset and culture

by Roche’s procurement team.

In this instance, it is considered from the perspective of customer-centricity and user

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experience, as a set of tools to enable those in the function to work differently and do new things, and in more value generating and innovative ways. It is a facilitator of transformational change rather than incremental improvements, and from a ‘bestof-both’ strategic stance: co-create a solid foundational core with a tech partner that can be simply and rapidly complemented with other digital assets, fit-for-purpose solutions built in collaboration with startups, and by creating and investing in a digital ecosystem that helps enrich and enhance procurement’s work. To find out more about what this looks like in practice, and the steps taken so far in delivering the vision, I spoke to Foelck for one last time. We were joined

by Roche Procurement Digital Enablement Lead Sebastian Ebers, and Nicolai Jensen, CEO of LeanLinking, one of several startups contributing to Roche’s transformation journey.

DIGITAL AS AN ENABLER “Technology is critical for our future success, enabling our evolution to next-generation procurement,” says Foelck, expanding on how innovation is helping to drive evolution.

“In terms of enablement, there’re a couple of ways you can look at it. Digitalisation lets us become lean, more automated and efficient, and enables a higher return on procurement investments. I call that the ROI choice – do what we do today, but do it more efficiently.

The problem is, if you focus your digitisation efforts solely on efficiency gains, it becomes a threat to the function: in a highly digitised core-procurement process environment there’s limited value creation by the procurement practitioner and no meaningful communication between procurement and the business and, if everything is automated, we can no longer leverage the unique capabilities and great talent we have and hence may not be needed in the future.

“Rather, we see technology as the tool that lets us step up and take what we do to another level,” he says. “That means digitising or automating to augment what we do, and help us work more efficiently and effectively to then refocus/reinvest the freed-up capacity, the great people we have across the function and

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their capabilities to deliver true shareholder value, develop solutions to business problems, bring ideas from the market and co-create with suppliers, and become embedded in the business. That’s the road we’ve chosen: use tech to become better at what we do today, invest in new value-add capabilities and deliver a user experience that delights the business and helps to strengthen the relationship through credibility and trust.”

Successfully navigating that road falls in large part to Ebers and the team he heads up, which shapes procurement’s digital strategy, identifies opportunities, scouts solutions and partners like Jensen and LeanLinking, and has built an effective backbone upon which a digital ecosystem can flourish. “I often talk about the two Cs,” he says, discussing the 68

evolving use of technology in procurement.

“Previously, we’ve had legacy procurementcentred solutions that everyone in the function had to use, and which were set up largely for compliance and control reasons.

The other ‘C’ – contribution – is where we’re focused. That means viewing technology as a vehicle to move away from just compliance, reporting and processing, to a future where we contribute to the organisation far beyond savings, and focus on ease of use and user experience to drive adoption of our strategies and solutions.

Things like workflow automation, predictive technologies, Generative AI, cloud, low-code/ no-code, and more open up a whole new space for us to explore and make the potential we have really exciting.”

“Digital became the critical enabler to help answer that question, meet our ambitions and goals, become more efficient and reinvest in new valueadd capabilities and areas that we hadn’t considered relevant for procurement before.” Sebastian

No change can occur in isolation. Roche embarked on its operating model evolution centred around shifting procurement from a reactive to a proactive organisation, building on the belief that procurement can deliver far superior outcomes through

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BUILDING A DIGITAL STRATEGY

an efficient core, new value-add capabilities and a stronger focus on customer needs and priorities. The team knew a dedicated digital strategy was essential. Within this, a core procurement technology solution represents a lean backbone focused on operational and transactional activities across up and downstream workflows, and is complemented with relevant innovative solutions from the digital ecosystem, delivering superior user experience, automation efficiencies and self-service capabilities. Fundamental principles of the digital strategy include co-creation and collaboration with external partners, a best-of-both approach, the ongoing engagement of multiple stakeholder groups, and the rapid deployment and ongoing evolution of solutions in order to drive continuous improvement.

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“Sebastian is right,” says Jensen, a start-up leader with 15 years of experience in leading various tech companies and building and implementing innovative digital solutions and strategies for small and midsize businesses and enterprise clients. For Jensen, digital innovation is all about being truly bold and challenging the status quo - and always being user centric. “Regardless of whether any of these monolithic legacy solutions is good or bad, the point really is that since the 80s it’s been procurement for procurement’s sake, technology for the procurement community, focused on procurement‘s measures of success. But it doesn’t always drive a great deal of value and impact across the organisation in the broader sense.

The solutions out there these days enable procurement for users and let the function drive a completely different role in the enterprise that isn’t self-contained or insular any more; it’s helping us to break out of the mould we’ve been set in for the last 30 or 40 years.”

“You can’t create a future-leading organisation without challenging your processes and your technology, and we knew from the outset that we wouldn’t transform if we looked at the typical pillars of people/organisation, process and tech in isolation – it had to happen together,” says Foelck. “We also knew there was no way we could rely on the traditional method of bringing in technology to a large corporation: select one big solution provider, spend years and significant amounts of time and money on customisation and, 5 years 69

later, realise it’s already outdated. It just wasn’t an option. Instead, we had to rip out what we already had and take a more creative approach driven by the best-of-both mentality and approach we’ve defined in the strategy.”

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“The operating model evolution was built on a key question: ‘What do we want to achieve as an organisation?’,” says Ebers, which led to the new approach to technology. “Digital became the critical enabler to help answer that question, meet our ambitions and goals, become more efficient and reinvest in new value-add and business critical capabilities and areas that we hadn’t considered relevant for procurement before – it opened a very

“We define our own roadmap, our own priorities and pace, and the people we work with who can bring innovative ideas, fresh perspectives and approaches to our business problems that we can incorporate into our journey and may never have considered.” Patrick different procurement world. In terms of what that looked like, it came down to an openness to embracing new ways of working, thinking more about solutions, outcomes and user journeys, and putting the customer and their experience in the centre. Transferring this customer-centric approach to the digital transformation means running customer experience sessions, for example, for our user community both to get buy-in and understand what they truly need. It allows us to userenhance our digital ecosystem and drive up adoption, and digital and procurement strategy realisation.”

As a representative of one of the best-ofbreed startups, with which Roche is working to complement their backbone, Jensen has the enviable position of bringing an outside

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perspective to this considerable programme of transformation. “You don’t see this kind of approach that often,” he says. “There’s a real perspective in Roche, as well as a clear vision and understanding on what to build and not build, and what direction we’re going in together. Very often, that’s lacking. The change management piece Sebastian talks about is essential in that. Often you see large corporations look at a typical transformation as 70% of your budget goes into the change you’re making and 30% has to go into managing that change. When it comes to digital transformation you flip it because it has such a big impact on the way that people work. To bring in digital effectively, you need

a different mindset and approach to learning: think big, start small, move fast and keep innovating, while bringing everyone along with you. It’s critical to making this kind of strategic direction a success.”

THE BEST-OF-BOTH APPROACH Equally as critical is the core foundational layer or backbone upon which digital assets and best-of-breed solutions are added. Says Ebers: “In the past, the decision always had to be ‘do we do best-of-suite or best-of-breed’, but we felt we didn’t want to make such a binary decision – there is no one size fits all, so the first step was working with our IT and business process management teams to have everyone agree with the direction and endorse the change of mindset. We believe in the

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“It’s an important point about e2e technology vs point solutions,” adds Ebers. “E2e Technology is good to address foundational requirements, but you only start to deliver real value and provide superior user experience when you complement it with innovative solutions. These solutions address specific challenges and opportunities you have and fuel the ecosystem with relevant content, and that’s what we can now do by working with startups – that’s where teams like Nicolai and

everyone at LeanLinking comes in. They have an idea, we have use cases and we bring them together and go on the journey collaboratively in an environment where we’re co-invested, joined up for the same outcomes, and learn and develop together. Yes, we believe in endto-end connectivity and having something as a connecting tissue, but we’re also inspired by tapping into all of the other opportunities out there because one solution just can’t have the best of everything. This way means we really can provide more value to the organisation faster.”

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cloud and in standards, but we also believe in continuously adopting and enhancing in a way that makes sense to us as a unique business and not to the solutions provider’s roadmap, supporting their profit margin or growth agenda. We chose an established technology as our backbone to drive core processes, from sourcing and buying right through to paying invoices and it was really important to establish that base. But that’s also just doing procurement more efficiently, so best-of-both really means thinking how we can advance by complementing the foundational layer with a broad toolbox of innovative startups, content, and other point solutions.

Foelck expands on why the best-of-both approach is the right one for Roche’s next-gen procurement vision. “As a large corporation and with the complexity we have in our business, it just wouldn’t have been possible to have best-of-breed startups addressing all our requirements and use cases, and somehow connect those solutions together effectively. We had to have a foundational layer to connect core workflows, and enterprise technology with processes and use cases we have covered by startups and point solutions. However, we had to keep it 71

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light and agile – so, we didn’t invest heavily in time and money draining customisation and tailored modules that are too special and complex to ever change again. Our backbone partner was willing to go down this co-creation journey with us; be part of an environment in which we constantly evaluate new solutions to understand whether they fit existing or new use cases better or not, scale back or take backbone modules out of scope, and develop and connect startup and point solutions in parallel. It’s getting us closer to a true digital ecosystem customised to Roche’s needs.

“Sourcing and how we came to work with Nicolai and LeanLinking is an example,” he adds “We wanted a negotiation capability that would enable more and better negotiation outcomes, delivered faster. We understood that our existing sourcing module did not cover our requirements in terms of negotiation enablement. So we scouted the market for the right solution and partner, identified LeanLinking as a potential candidate, and went into a proof of concept phase following our own methodology on how to engage with and bring in startups. We truly co-created a solution almost from scratch together over the course of 18 months that we’re starting to roll out now, and which really helps our sourcing team to deliver more and better negotiations, and avoids spending precious training budget and hours on traditional procurement negotiations training.

“From the start we’ve known it’s an approach that requires a very different mindset and a different way of looking at risk taking,” says Ebers. “It’s quite unique to find an organisation of our size working with very small, but very innovative startups like this and truly co-creating together something that has a big impact on the business. Selecting and implementing products from a well established and big solution provider often doesn’t win you many brownie points in terms of user experience and value-add but also doesn’t get you into much trouble. But, having taken the decision to say ‘no, we don’t want the big approved solution providers with their often functioning but one-size-fits-all solutions and multi-year roadmaps’, it means a lot of risk and responsibility falls on us. The flip side 72

of that of course is that it absolutely puts us in the driver’s seat. Usually when you select technology and work with larger partners, you’re dependent on their roadmap and development strategy to a degree. Here, we define our own roadmap, our own priorities and pace, and the people we work with who can bring innovative ideas, fresh perspectives and approaches to our business problems that we can incorporate into our journey and may never have considered. It’s a fundamentally different approach to excellence and succeeding that will enable us to achieve next-generation procurement much faster while delivering superior user experience and greater returns from our tech investments along the way.”

THE POWER OF CO-CREATION LeanLinking was built on a vision to transform supplier relationships and negotiation management in order to help organisations like Roche capitalise on the value creation potential that exists in procurement. It has two solutions it is working with Roche on: LeanLinking RELATIONS and LeanLinking DEALS. The former is a solution that helps Roche effectively manage supplier relationships, governance, and performance on the strategic, operational and tactical levels. The latter is centred on empowering and enabling negotiators to deliver the best possible negotiation outcomes faster and more efficiently for all parties involved. It uses Roche internal and external data, and market intelligence to guide users through best-practice negotiation workflows, while providing automated insights and benchmarks along the process.

“What Roche has managed to do,” says Jensen, reflecting on the two companies’ cocreation journey from a partner perspective, “is to have created a nimble and flexible organisation that doesn’t feel like working with a large enterprise customer – as the solutions provider it makes it very easy to buy into that culture and the transformation that’s happening. The best-of-both approach makes a material difference in, first, how solutions are selected to plug into the backbone, and secondly, how the engagement with us as

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“We’ve two key programmes,” he continues.

“One is around managing supplier relationships for larger strategic and business critical suppliers that drive a lot of value and/or are key to Roche’s ability to operate and continue providing life-saving medicines to patients. The second is centred on empowering and enabling negotiators to deliver the best possible negotiation outcomes faster and more efficiently for all parties involved. When Roche first approached us, they explained very clearly that they needed a supplier management solution that meets their needs, delivers value in practice within months not years, and one that can complement their technology backbone. This gave us the opportunity to really demonstrate the benefits of working with a startup,

in terms of approach, mindset and actual solution performance. Because we’re smaller and more focused, we are more agile, go faster and deeper than larger solution providers that claim to do everything.

And that was really needed. Roche has a large number of suppliers on its books that support many different business areas with varying requirements across the globe, and that level of complexity can’t be managed with the same diligence – you have to have the ability to segment, prioritise and align with specific processes, while providing a practical and scalable solution. That was the capability we brought.”

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a solutions provider happens. It’s far more targeted, we are very much part of one transformation team, and I’ve not really run into any other companies that are building their technology capabilities in this way.

From this initial scope of work, says Jensen, the relationship between the two organisations quickly developed with LeanLinking presenting its supplier negotiations solution concept and its potential to create more impact faster, and deliver better results with less effort. “We pitched it, and the team said very quickly ‘let’s do it, you bring the 73

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technology and we’ll bring the content and the subject matter that makes your solution relevant’. This true co-creation approach is really important to recognise in terms of how we collaborate. As a solutions provider you can bring technology, and that’s great, it works and helps. But it’s only really useful if you furnish it with the right content and within the context of an organisation that wants to do things the right way. That’s why, in terms of what we’re talking about, one plus one makes far more than two and our relationship is closer to that of a joint venture than a technology provider because Patrick, Sebastian and the team work very differently.

From our side, it requires a willingness to jump in and take the risk and the ability to invest in constant market exploration so I can have an intelligent, informed conversation with the team and bring the right external perspective to supplier relationship management and negotiation to constantly evolve and enhance the solutions.”

CONTINUING THE JOURNEY There is, of course, always inherent risk in any transformation of this magnitude and Foelck concedes the work to date has been challenging. The team under Ebers, he says, is fundamental to the success of the programme, explaining that the nature of the approach to bringing in multiple innovative digital solutions that complement the backbone whilst deploying it across 150+ company codes across the world, meant it was essential to build up new capabilities and bring skills to the organisation.

“We have a ‘one team’ mindset, and open and honest conversations,” says Ebers. “It’s a different set of skills we’re looking at, it’s not traditional procurement 101. We have someone dedicated to user experience, for example, which traditionally isn’t a capability you would find in procurement.

You need to step into the users’ shoes, bring tech that they see value in and tell the story

using their words; our role is to ensure everyone in the business understands how the technical landscape translates into their work and what the benefits of the tech we bring are.

That drives buy-in and adoption and that’s why it is important to care about user experience rather than just focusing on getting the job done. We have tough conversations across the organisation, balancing different, sometimes conflicting, requirements and priorities, e.g. functionality versus user experience, and that’s this team – right at the intersection between the wider internal community and our needs, as well as our partners internally and externally.”

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“The framework stays the same, but what evolves is the value each of the solutions can bring,” says Jensen. “That comes down to continuous learning, exploring and development. Take the negotiating solution as an example. It was originally built around a few use cases for a smaller group of procurement users working with strategic suppliers. But now the environment is evolving, there’s a new influx of talent, inflation and other disruptions that mean

“The house is built, now it’s about content furnishing, fueling the solutions with data and information and continuously evolving our digital ecosystem based on user feedback to bring the technology to life,” Foelck expands. “For everyone, this notion of supercharging technology with knowledge will be critical. Our function has never been more important. We need knowledge from a broad spectrum of people built into the solutions that are being brought forward, be it risk, sustainability, negotiations or anything else, which will also allow us to be a catalyst for talent in procurement. If you bring somebody from finance, from manufacturing, from a commercial function into procurement and allow them to leverage the talent that they have within the context in procurement enabled by the solutions we have deployed, then you have a material step forward to drive more value from our procurement function.

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Roche is just over a year into its new operating model and well on the way to next-generation procurement. Specifically with regards to technology and the delivery of the digital strategy, Ebers explains that driving adoption, tackling new challenges and opportunities and continuing to develop as a team will be key. “It’s a case of bringing stability to the organisation, while continuing to change most of what we are just getting used to,” he affirms. “We’ve established the core and are now enhancing it based on usability and functionality topics in order to further drive value for the business, for our suppliers, and our colleagues in procurement.

We’re also embarking on co-innovation initiatives when it comes to enabling things like Roche’s sustainability roadmap, supply chain continuity, and risk management frameworks. It’s not just point solutions, but what I call platforms that enable so many more use cases to be explored and connected.

That’s not just about working differently, but together in that wider ecosystem to really increment the value delivery.”

we already need to change and evolve the product so it addresses more use cases and is accessible to a wider audience in Roche.

Roche procurement has a huge agenda around bringing in solutions to complement the backbone, which means we have to constantly be very sure we’re addressing the relevant pain points and challenges at any given moment.

“We are well underway on our journey towards next-generation procurement, already delivering significant value in areas far beyond the traditional procurement scope and known measures of success; digital plays a critical role enabling our step-change in performance, functional productivity and user experience, and allowing us to invest in new capabilities and value-add services.”

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PERSPECTIVE

T H E DI S R U P T O R

| ISSUE SEVENTEEN

THE UK’S NEW PROCUREMENT ACT WILL UNLOCK SOCIAL VALUE THROUGHOUT THE SUPPLY CHAIN, SETTING THE TONE FOR RESPONSIBLE PROCUREMENT ACROSS THE WORLD.

Guy Battle, CEO of Social Value Portal and Co-Chair (Public Sector Chapter) of The Sustainable Procurement Pledge, discusses what the new Act means for the future of Social Value in procurement and how to manage it.

There is also greater emphasis on procurement as an enabler to deliver wider benefits for the public good - which is where Social Value comes in.

Social Value is the value an organisation contributes to society beyond a reported profit Itis often delivered without an organisation realising that is what it is, particularly in the small business community.

Examples of Social Value initiatives include donating staff time for volunteering, committing to sustainable procurement practices, offering apprenticeships and

PRIORITISING VALUE FOR MONEY VS VALUE FOR THE COMMUNITY Value for money will of course remain a high priority, but national strategic priorities such as job creation, improving supplier resilience, reducing emissions and driving innovation are also significant determining factors.

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The focus of the Act is to streamline and improve public procurement of supplies, services and works, while making it easier for suppliers to do business with the public sector. This involves making public procurement simpler and more transparent, as well as removing barriers to new entrants such as small businesses, voluntary, community, faith and social enterprises.

training programmes, buying and employing locally, and reducing carbon emissions.

Building commercial partnerships based on a wider understanding of value has the potential to deliver a step change that will benefit people, communities and the economy.

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Following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, the new Procurement Act, which will come into force in Autumn 2024, replaces and improves on existing legislation while remaining compliant with international obligations.

The big difference for Social Value when the Act comes in will lie with the legal requirement for public sector buyers to shift from awarding contracts based on M.E.A.T (Most Economically Advantageous Tender) to M.A.T. (Most Advantageous Tender).

This means considering the wider benefits for the community in which the contract will be delivered, such as creating local employment opportunities, carbon emissions reduction or using a local supply chain all of which naturally fall under the umbrella of Social Value.

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What many of our members have learnt is that by delivering Social Value in the communities in which they operate, they also stand to benefit from a more resilient and motivated workforce, forming a virtuous circle where all parties flourish.

have benefitted hugely from holding a ‘meet the buyer’ event, which provides potential bidders with a chance to hear and discuss what the focus areas and expectations will be, gain a clearer understanding, and in turn, provide better bid submissions.

EMBEDDING SOCIAL VALUE AT THE VERY START OF THE PROCUREMENT CYCLE

This type of event also provides insights for potential supply chain partners to make a stronger Social Value case to tier-one suppliers, thus unlocking Social Value across the wider supply chain.

Social Value needs to be close to the top of the list of priorities at the very inception of a new project, starting with planning, preparation and market engagement.

The very first step is to identify the needs of the community in which the contract will be delivered. For instance, does the area have a high number of unemployed people, a high crime rate or a poor standard of shared outdoor spaces?

This information will inform how a supplier can make a positive difference. We’ve known a number of procurement professionals who 78

SETTING CONTRACTUAL EXPECTATIONS FOR A RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE SUPPLY CHAIN Broadly speaking, the bigger the company, the more scrutiny it comes under. Yet RepRisk, a due diligence database on ESG and business conduct risks, recently found that nearly one in three public companies linked to greenwashing are also associated with social washing.

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Setting out key performance indicators to benchmark results against

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Identifying who is responsible for the delivery of agreed Social Value initiatives and what the arrangements are should things go wrong

For Social Value, the main points to cover in the contract should include:

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Including remedies for non-delivery of Social Value objectives.

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Being clear about the importance placed on Social Value through the evaluation weightings applied

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Supporting bidders by providing sufficient information to ensure they understand Social Value and have the capabilities to deliver

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Stating expectations regarding regular reporting of Social Value deliverables during the contract delivery phase

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Buyers have an integral role to play in ensuring that their organisation’s supply chain is beyond reproach when it comes to sustainability and Social Value performance, so setting out clear expectations at the contract stage is critical to managing the ongoing relationship.

These points will help to ensure that the contract and, more importantly, the contractual relationship with the appointed supplier is positive. This isn’t just about the results - which are of course the end goal. It is also about creating a mutually beneficial, open and clear working relationship that will deliver Social Value and potentially generate more positive outcomes through repeat business in future.

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has multiple benefits and is worth spending the extra time on.

For the buyer, assessing Social Value delivery from the outset means: •

Budgets will go further, getting the best possible results for the public

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Concrete evidence of benefits created for the community can be delivered, enabling opportunities to promote successes with credibility Compliance requirements are legitimately covered Improved supplier collaboration and engagement.

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For the communities where the contract will be delivered, it means: •

Wider access to employment and upskilling opportunities

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Stimulus for local businesses

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Cleaner, greener spaces, maintained by sustainable practices

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Healthier, safer and more empowered communities.

USING SOCIAL VALUE TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE With COP28 recently serving as a reminder to persevere with our efforts to meet net-zero commitments, it’s important to remember that Social Value and reducing environmental impact go hand in hand.

Climate change is felt differently by different groups, with lower-income and disadvantaged groups more likely to be affected, despite contributing to the causes of climate change the least.

As Social Value is all about spearheading improvements that will lead to a flourishing local economy, it gives buyers a unique opportunity to support the just transition by helping disadvantaged groups on the road to net zero. In practice, this can mean anything from providing learning opportunities in local schools and colleges to running a cycle-to-work scheme.

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INCREASED TRANSPARENCY AND REPORTING OBLIGATIONS WILL FILTER THROUGH TO ALL PARTIES IN 2024 Greater transparency and accountability in public procurement spending decisions have been built into the new Procurement Act, with obligations to publish information via transparency notices at various stages made available to the public. This includes the estimated value of the contract and the date when the contract will be entered into.

This will provide insights for citizens into how their tax-payer money is spent, what for, and who with.

In turn, this will place a greater emphasis on the need to continually track, measure and report progress, outcomes, and alignment with initial contract requirements, which will filter through the entire supply chain.

MEASURING, TRACKING AND REPORTING ON SOCIAL VALUE DELIVERY The most effective way to capture and report Social Value performance is by using the Social Value TOM System™ . Endorsed by the Local Government Association, it ensures procurement spend goes as far as possible, enabling buyers to track and measure Social Value from commitment to delivery. It is fully compatible with the UNSDGs, works alongside the central government Social Value Model, and is the most established and widely adopted method for recording and reporting Social Value in the supply chain.

Where profit is measured in standard accounting terms, Social Value is measured by actions, with a Social Value £ attributed to it. For instance, employing someone who has been long-term unemployed saves money for the government in benefit payments and provides income to the newly employed individual who will be able to spend in the local economy. Also, as a result of having that job, they are likely to be healthier for longer and so not become a burden for the NHS. All of these benefits can be valued.

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The TOM System is fully transparent and the data is validated by a third party, which adds another layer of protection against accusations of greenwashing and social washing.

Demand for third-party data validation and reporting is naturally expected to increase under the new Act, with both suppliers and buyers relying more heavily on measurement frameworks such as the Social Value TOM System. After all, reporting inflated results has the potential to do significant harm to an organisation’s reputation.

SOCIAL VALUE IS HERE TO STAY Social Value has been steadily gathering momentum in the UK, from the Public Services Act in 2012. to the new Procurement Act.

It’s encouraging to see organisations across the public and private sector gaining a wider understanding of the many and far-reaching benefits to be had from generating Social Value throughout the supply chain.

We are also starting to see other countries, such as the Republic of Ireland, Canada, and Australia, moving towards embedding Social Value into procurement legislation.

The rest of the world will be watching the UK as the new Procurement Act comes into force and we must all remember that behind every £1 of public money spent, there is a person, a life, and a community that will stand to benefit.

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WOMEN-LED S TA R T - U P S YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT Many Start-Up companies can be found at the forefront of modern business, development, and innovation. With the freedom and flexibility to experiment and take risks, we find that startups are often driving a lot of the progress in fields from technology and artificial intelligence to sustainability and renewables.

MOTIVO HEALTH In recent years, the push for mental health awareness and support has grown, which is a huge positive. Due to the huge changes in the workplace over the past few years, easy access to mental health assistance is at the forefront of many companies’ goals. Therefore, any way to add more convenience to the lives of mental health professionals is a positive too.

Motivo Health, founded in 2018 by Rachel McCrickard, is an online platform that connects therapists with clinical supervisors. This makes it easier for therapists to gain understanding beyond their current knowledge and even apply for certain licenses and certifications.

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We are also seeing women-led start-ups in multiple industries turning heads due to their talented teams and cutting-edge products. Here are some of the best female-led start-ups of recent years, that you should pay attention to in 2024.

TIMELESS Founded by celebrated technology innovator Emma Yang when she was just 16 years old, Timeless is an app which allows patients with Alzheimer’s to stay connected with their family members, sending them reminders and updates about daily tasks and family events.

The app has already been well received, even being recognised as Winner of The Women Startup Challenge.

TIMELESS.CARE

SCALED Founded in 2020 by Natalie Kerres, a design-engineer, London-based start-up Scaled develops wearables for athletes, designed to leverage injury prevention and assist in minimising longterm effects of joint injuries.

Scaled’s innovative material, made up of interlocking scales, can be tailored to the specifications and needs of the wearer, maximising their ability to continue with their active lifestyle, training, and leisure activities, whilst being protected in areas where they are most prone to injury.

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LI-TECH Norweigan company Li-Tech was founded in 2021 by Ida Marie Pedersen and Synne Sauar. The company’s mission is “to create a safer, more efficient and environmentally friendly waste treatment”, by detecting and removing incorrectly sorted lithium batteries in fragmented waste streams. With the production of lithium batteries rapidly increasing, leading to a greater danger of damage and fires at waste facilities, Li-Tech’s work is relevant and important.

LITECH.AI

IMPACT FOOD Impact Food entered the scene in 2020, and aims to bring sustainable, plant-based seafood to the market. After meeting and deciding to combine their areas of expertise, founders Kelly Pan, Stephanie Claudino, and Adrián Miranda are making it their mission to tackle climate change and prevent further damage to our oceans, by finding more sustainable alternatives to our current global food systems.

Currently producing vegan tuna which can be used in a variety of dishes and prepared in many ways, the company is always looking to grow and see their product feature in new restaurants.

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FERMATA In 2022, Valeria Kogan was listed on Forbes’ 30 under 30 list. Today, as founder and CEO of Fermata, she works with a team to help farmers and growers save precious time and money. Fermata’s Croptimus™ platform utilises AI and advanced machine learning to provide 24-hour surveillance over crops, detecting diseases and pests way before human scouts could.

This helps reduce crop loss and save money on scouting.

FERMATA.TECH

GO JAUNTLY Founded by Hana Sutch, with co-founder Allan Weir, Go Jauntly is a communitybased leisure app that promotes walking as a great way to improve physical and mental health. The app allows users to find curated walks that fit their personal needs in terms of length or time.

The app encourages users to develop a positive relationship with nature, ditch their cars, and reduce transport emissions.

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EVENTS

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT 12/01/24 - 14/01/24 SINGAPORE The World’s Most Important Gathering of CSCOs and Supply Chain Executives.

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SUPPLY CHAIN SYMPOSIUM 06/05/24 - 08/05/24 ORLANDO, USA Top supply chain organizations navigate through the turbulence by solving present-day issues.

WORLD PROCUREMENT CONGRESS 14/05/24 - 16/05/24 LONDON, UK Now in its 18th year, the World Procurement Congress has welcomed over 1100 CPOs through the door.

PROCUREMENT SUMMIT 12/06/24 - 13/06/24 HAMBERG, GERMANY The Procurement Summit is the exhibition for digitalization and innovation in the procurement sector.

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