The Index indicator analysis found that overall, across all six factors, the rate of change has risen sharply since 2019—183% over the past four years and 33% in the past year alone.
Source: Accenture, January 2024
Nothing stands still for long, but as I look around me, I cannot help but notice that we are all having to change and adapt to new business circumstances faster and more often than before. For some of us, this unrelenting wave of changes has meant learning new skills, and for others, it has meant developing new superpowers to support the business.
Marketing teams have always been close to Procurement teams. We couldn’t do our job without them, and we have somewhat of a symbiotic relationship. We come to them with endless last minute and urgent requests, new vendors to deal with, new services to source, and they must find ways to support us and cope with the admin burden that comes with it.
They are a team for whom change is a constant, and for whom adaptability can genuinely be considered a superpower. Those in procurement who have developed this new muscle memory are not just surviving — they’re thriving. Here’s why.
I first started my career in the FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) industry in the 90s, and back then procurement was all about cutting costs, negotiating contracts, and ensuring supply chain efficiency. Those skills are still important, but they are no longer enough. The world has changed. Globalisation, technological breakthroughs, and increasingly complex supply chains have introduced new challenges that demand a different kind of power—adaptability.
Recent global disruptions, from pandemics to conflicts, have underlined the importance of this superpower. These sudden events can impact supply chains severely, putting the spotlight on procurement teams who need to pivot quickly, anticipate challenges, and maintain operational continuity.
A quick google search will give you a definition for adaptability. It is the ability to bend without breaking, to evolve in the face of change, and to turn obstacles into new opportunities. In procurement, this superpower is about staying ahead of the curve, managing risks, and seizing new possibilities.
Like any superpower, adaptability can be nurtured and strengthened – this is something that I personally spend a lot of time talking to my team about. Here’s what I have often shared with them, which I think can just as easily apply to procurement teams and help them hone this critical skill:
It’s all very well but “how can I find the time to do all this when I am drowning in admin?”, I hear you say. Well, start by tackling the admin so that you can free up time to be much more strategic. I mentioned it already, but don’t accept what is uncomfortable just because it’s always been done that way. If there are repeated and mundane tasks taking considerable time from your teams, then I can almost guarantee that there will be a corresponding technology solution to help you. This is something that we specialise in at Soldo, and our customers are testament to how much time can be saved with simple tools.
The 2023 Forrester Consulting Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) Study found Soldo delivered a 358% ROI over a 3 year period.
Start small and implement tools that can be rolled out with minimal disruption, and this will provide the quick wins to spur you on.
In a world where change is inevitable, adaptability is procurement’s true superpower. It’s the force that enables teams to navigate disruptions, embrace innovation, and drive success in the face of uncertainty. Those who master this superpower of adaptability will lead the charge, and shape the future of procurement.
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Written by Isabelle Duarté
Isabelle Duarté is the CMO at Soldo. She leads the strategic direction for driving awareness and demand for the company.
With a multilingual and multicultural background, Isabelle has over two decades of experience building and executing marketing strategies for global software businesses like Okta, Symantec, BlueCoat and VMware.
Isabelle is fluent in five languages, and her obsession with technology crosses over into her love for Leica cameras and her one concession to fluffiness — her passion for Airedale Terriers and their canine cohorts.