Insights

How did you come to have a passion for Procurement as a profession?

My first encounter with the procurement profession was when I was the Senior Programme Manager driving and managing the end-to-end delivery of the Procurement Transformation Programme. This gave me a new perspective on procurement, where I could see the realisation of cost benefits and its material impact on the bottom line. I subsequently had the opportunity to take a leadership role in different aspects of the procurement function like Category Management and Procurement Operations, while concurrently driving Procurement Transformation, before I joined Keppel Data Centres as the Head of Procurement.

It’s been an exciting journey to chart the transformation journey for the procurement organization, oversee strategic sourcing and management of all purchase categories, and be able to coach and mentor a team of procurement managers and specialists. Outside of work, I am also actively promoting the procurement profession through volunteering as an Advisory Board Member of SSON Asia (Shared Services and Outsourcing Network), and as a Career Mentor.

How has the profession of procurement evolved through the years?

Traditionally, procurement was a governance role and sourcing was conducted tactically. Over time, the profession evolved to include a strategic emphasis on category management, where an organisation could achieve spend efficiencies through analysing data and cultivating a deep knowledge within the products and marketplace of that category.

Today, we’ve gone beyond that – Think of the procurement profession like ‘Reverse Sales’. The trend has shifted towards “Entrepreneurial Procurement”, where we proactively build relationships with suppliers, and partner Product Development – both within and without, to drive business outcomes. By understanding the product and developing its supply chain, the procurement function becomes an integral part of the business value chain. This enables the organisation to offer cost-competitive solutions, which not only contributes to the profit margin, but also grows top-line revenue.   

What are the big trends in procurement today?

One big trend is the push towards data analysis in the procurement function, where the use of historical data to segment and analyse category spend helps to identify inefficiencies and maximise suppliers’ competencies. Using the market data of the category will also allow the procurement team to predict future trends. Putting together past and future data thus enables “future-forward” planning in category management.  

A second big trend would be the concept of ‘Business Partnering’, where the procurement team partners the individual business units to better understand the business goals and outcomes. This enables the smart crafting of requirements and a targeted approach to product purchases.

What advice would you give to someone interested in the procurement profession?

Procurement goes beyond sourcing and governance. End-to-end procurement also helps to build up skills in contracting, project management, procurement performance, procurement technology and a strong customer orientation.

It is important for procurement professionals to build such comprehensive skillsets and be interested to learn new skills beyond what they already know. Be curious and stay up to date on the latest product roadmap and technology trends. This enhances your value as a knowledge centre to better partner business units in their procurement journey.