The Real Reason I Write About ProcureTech

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Hi readers,

Why do I insist on writing this gosh darn procurement technology newsletter every week? Don’t I have better things to do with my time? (A valid question I get a lot… 😅)

I could just run my solo consulting practice, hoard my knowledge and do just fine…

Why bother exposing myself to public criticism by making my ideas available for public scrutiny?

Well… Today I’m pulling back the curtains on my motivations…

And you know what… I think this story will get you fired up.

I think you’re going to want to go into work this week and raise hell (at least I hope…).

Onwards!

📰 In this week’s edition:

• 📋 5 procurement jobs that caught my eye

• 🏆 The Road to the ProcureTech Cup : Episode 23

• 🌙 The Real Reason I Write About ProcureTech

Tap the poll at the bottom of this email after reading.
It helps me ensure I haven’t yet turned into a mad scientist…

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.

👀 In Case You Missed It…
My Best Linkedin post this week:

Steal my ProcureTech startup idea…

The Journey Continues…

This Friday ProcurementIQ comes on the show to *exclusively* demo their newly revamped market intelligence platform. Exciting!

Don’t miss it!

Last Episode

Axiom was on the Valentine’s Day themed show last Friday to demo their very impressive private marketplace platform which promises to solve a lot of the problems that still exist with catalog management platforms today.

If you missed it, I’ve made ALL the replays available for you on YouTube:

What is the ProcureTech Cup? Start Here.

Did You Know…

There’s a Pure Procurement Newsletter YouTube Channel?

Lots of content planned for 2025. Subscribe now.

The Real Reason I Write About ProcureTech

If you’ve been reading this newsletter for some time, you’ll have noticed a key theme I tackle time and time again... You won’t have noticed it explicitly though… Because it’s always hidden in the subtext... Can you guess what it is?

Productivity.

This newsletter is ALWAYS about how to do more with less in the context of your procurement organization:

• Sometimes, it’s about developing new, mostly digital, skills (people).

• Sometimes, it’s about being more efficient in your work with the tools and skills you already have (process).

• And sometimes, it’s about correctly leveraging new tools and systems to optimize the way you do business (technology).

However, in all those cases, it’s always about making you more productive.

Why?

Quality of life.

You, your family, neighbors, city, country and continent… You all benefit from a higher standard of living when you are more productive.

All things being equal, when societies are more productive, everything gets better:

• Health indicators

• Quality of education

• Infrastructure

• Environmental health indicators

• Political and social rights

• Social indicators (crime, community engagement, etc.)

Additionally, in study after study after study, there also seems to be a virtuous cycle between happiness and productivity.

The more productive you are, the happier you are.

The happier you are, the more productive you are.

So, in short, being more productive = having more impact on society leading to higher levels of happiness.

And if I can help this occur by sending out an email a week, that’s pretty powerful stuff.

So there you have it… The secret’s out!

Now you know why I write this newsletter… #Manifesto

If you correctly apply this type of thinking to your procurement function… BAM! Only good things happen.

But why am I telling you this?

Times… They are a Changing…

In our modern “western world” lifetimes, all we’ve known is the post-second world war productivity explosion…

Just look at this time-lapse and you’ll see what I mean…

Here’s what it looks like in graph form:

This consistent march towards higher productivity has also produced incredible side effects worldwide — even in less productive nations:

However, the configuration of the world order which produced these incredible results is currently being challenged by key players in the system…

This has created uncertainty via shifting trade barriers, labor shortages, regulatory uncertainty, and geopolitical instability.

These are all things that reduce global economic efficiency, raises costs and slows innovation.

In short, this dynamic is a killer for global productivity…

The Role of Procurement Leaders

While influencing global policy may be out of reach for the readers of this newsletter, you are not powerless.

The power to enhance organizational productivity and, by extension, the living standards of your family, neighbors, city, country and continent lies within your sphere of influence… Today.

Your procurement function can be a catalyst for positive change, starting with your next technology deployment decision, which is where I believe you have the most leverage on this issue.

By systematically, purposefully, and rigorously implementing ProcureTech solutions, you're not just doing more with less, you're executing on a proven path forward.

The data is clear.

Each automated process, each data-driven decision, each streamlined workflow adds up to something greater: a more productive, more certain, and ultimately more prosperous organization.

With this newsletter, I’m trying to show you that the tools exist and that, if you’re diligent about how you use them, the roadmap is clear (it’s still very possible to break your face with technology implementations…).

While the broader economic and policy debates continue, you can take concrete steps today to enhance productivity in what is the impactful work of your procurement function (assuming you’re aligned with the mission of your organization).

All other things being equal, it’s always better to be more productive than less productive… It just gives you more options.

What do you think? Am I overestimating the role of productivity?

Let me know in the comments 👇

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