Limited Ammunition: The CPO's Digital Dilemma

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Hi readers,

The 2025 ProcureTech Cup is behind us!🏆

What a show it was!

Watching the competition unfold, I was truly impressed by the wealth of high quality technology now available to procurement teams.

• Need intake & orchestration solutions to streamline operations and increase stakeholder satisfaction?

• Want AI agent supported autonomous sourcing to reduce cycle times and capture more savings?

• Looking for advanced spend analytics to drive strategic decision-making and identify cost reduction opportunities?

It all exists.

In fact, if you can imagine it, it probably exists somewhere in the market.

But as I watched these vendors compete, I couldn't help but wonder...

Are there disadvantages to having a ProcureTech landscape with 600+ vendors?

What’s the downside of having a market with all this tech available…?

That’s what I’ll tackle in tonight’s note.

Onwards!

📰 In this week’s edition:

• 🏆 2025 ProcureTech Cup Tournament Update

• 🌙 Limited Ammunition: The CPO's Digital Dilemma

Note: Some of the content listed above is only available in the email version of this newsletter. Don’t miss out! Sign up for free to get the next edition.

Grab the 2025 ProcureTech Cup Tournament ebook!

300+ digitally-minded procurement professionals have already grabbed this year’s edition of the ProcureTech Cup Almanac.

They’re using it to get an overview of ProcureTech’s latest and greatest in 2025.

The 64 ProcureTech Cup participants have provided their:

• Company details

• Solution category

• HQ location

• Solution demo links

• Etc.

It’s all presented in an easy to read and navigate format.

The 2025 ProcureTech Cup tournament has come and gone!

Our 2025 Champions?

Congratulations!

If you missed this year’s tournament, fear not! I’ve assembled a neat little page where you can get the entire summary of the event. This page gives you details on:

• What Is the ProcureTech Cup?

• Details on the 64 Participants

• How to Participate

• Official Rules

In addition, here are the links to catch up:

• Episode 1 - Tournament Setup (13 mins)

• Episode 2 - Round of 64, Group 1 Results (12 mins)

• Episode 3 - Round of 64, Group 2 Results (14 mins)

• Episode 4 - Round of 64, Group 3 Results (17 mins)

  • And special guest Karthik Rama!

• Episode 5 - Round of 64, Group 4 Results (13 mins)

• Episode 6 - Round of 32, Group 1 Results (13 mins)

• Episode 7 - Round of 32, Group 2 Results (15 mins)

• Episode 8 - Round of 16, Group 1 Results (10 mins)

• Episode 9 - Round of 16, Group 2 Results (13 mins)

• Episode 10 - Round of the Elite Eight Results (25 mins)

  • And Round Table with the Final Four! If you watch one show, let this be the one!

• Episode 11 - Final Four Results (12 mins)

• Episode 12 - Championship & Prediction Bracket Winner Announcement (22 mins)

Now, it’s time for little break on this front 😅

I’ll come back to you in a few weeks to discuss next season’s format!

What is the ProcureTech Cup? Start Here.

Limited Ammunition: The CPO's Digital Dilemma

How many bullets do you have in your "ProcureTech gun"?

What do I mean by that?

Simply put: Every function in your organization is vying for the same digital transformation dollars. HR wants their new talent management system. Finance is pushing for upgraded forecasting tools. Marketing needs a better customer data platform.

And your executive team? They're looking at all these requests and making tough calls about where to invest.

If you misstep with your technology projects, you won't have unlimited chances to get it right. That poorly implemented contract management system that nobody uses? That's going to haunt your next technology funding request…

With a 600+ player ProcureTech market, that’s a lot of pressure!

Not everyone has the luxury of having a "Digital Procurement Garage" where they can test and trial different solutions by design...

No, most of us unfortunately still operate in environments where resources are constrained, expectations are high and you don’t very many “ProcureTech Bullets”.

So how to we reconcile the need to be concise for executives with an exploding technology market that offers everything under the sun?

The Preparation Imperative

You need to be crystal clear on your fundamentals before you even think about firing your “ProcureTech Gun”:

• Know your spend profile inside and out

• Have a well-defined sourcing and purchasing channel strategy

• Articulate your objectives in business terms, not procurement jargon

• Identify the required capabilities to execute your strategy

• Develop a realistic roadmap that shows incremental value

• Build solid business cases aligned with that roadmap that speak to the broader organization

Many procurement organizations I've worked with focus too much on the technology and not enough on these foundational elements. But without this groundwork, implementing the best technology in the world proves to be very risky...

Why?

Your organizational context has not entered the equation yet… There are all sorts of “unknown unknowns” that could jeopardize your business case…

Speaking Business, Not Procurement

Here's another reality check: You're probably going to have to justify your project to many people who don't know anything about procurement.

Your CFO may not understand the nuances of contract lifecycle management. Your CIO might not appreciate why your existing ERP's procurement module doesn't meet your needs. And your CEO? They care about results, not procurement processes.

This means your business cases need to be crystal clear and aligned to the strategic imperatives of the executive team. This means using the correct verbiage and vernacular based on your organizational context. This means turning your business cases into stories that tug at your leadership’s heartstrings. This means being willing and able to repeat yourself endlessly, translating procurement concepts into business outcomes that resonate with different stakeholders.

Depending on who you’re speaking to:

• For a P&L Manager: Instead of "better spend visibility," talk about "decision-making with all your expense data at your fingertips"

• For a Production Manager: Rather than "supplier rationalization," emphasize "operational efficiency and production uptime"

• For a Sales Leader: Don't focus on "process efficiency," highlight "speed to market"

The language you use always matters… But even more so when you're competing for those digital transformation dollars.

The Obstacle Is The Way!

The constraints you face—limited budget, competing priorities, skeptical stakeholders—may feel like obstacles. (“Why can’t they just GET IT!?!” 😂) But in reality, these are all opportunities to sharpen your focus and build a more compelling case for change.

These challenges force you to think more strategically about your technology investments. They push you to engage stakeholders early and often (what we are always asking people do for purchases!).

Obstacles drive you to articulate value in ways that resonate beyond procurement.

The CPOs who thrive in this environment don't see these constraints as limitations—they see them as the pathway to building more impactful, widely-adopted solutions.

Final Thoughts

As we reflect on another exciting ProcureTech Cup, remember that no function is an island. Your success will ultimately be measured by how well your technology choices serve the broader organization.

It’s great to be digitally literate and master what the 600+ solution strong ProcureTech market has to offer.

BUT

In the end, digital transformation isn't about having the most bullets—it's about making sure the ones you fire create the biggest impact.

Choose your ProcureTech bullets wisely based on a well thought out technology strategy. Make each one count. And when you do pull the trigger, make sure you've lined up allies across the business who are ready to celebrate the hit with you.

Have you seen this dynamic at work in your organization?

Let me know in the comments 👇

P.S. Who are the internal stakeholders you need to talk to? Here’s my favorite tool to answer that question.

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