The second session of the excelerateds2p Global Procurement Summit 2022 focuses on why procurement transformation matters. In this discussion, Paul Jones, General Manager EMEA at excelerateds2p, is joined by a very special guest from one of the world’s best-known soft drink manufacturers: Simon Mays, Transformation Director at Britvic.
While sharing their thoughts and insights on why procurement transformation matters, Simon and Paul will expand on their own experiences of recent transformation projects and explore how change management plays a critical role in the adoption of new technology.
We’ve rounded up the key takeaways from the session, however you can watch the full episode on demand here.
1. Build a business case for change
For any company, it is important to take time to prepare and cost a strong business case for change. Simon comments “We spent nearly a year building the business case, looking at governance of spend and internal processes, and understanding where we needed to make changes in our technology”. But crucially, it was early engagement and feedback from key stakeholders that proved invaluable. “Start working with your internal team as well as other people in the business to build a framework”.
Early stakeholder engagement is crucial to building your business case for change
2. Organise the structure of your core team
Having the right people to fill the right roles is crucial to your procurement transformation success. Simon says, “We ran change workshops while building the framework for the project which allowed us to take a good look at the existing structure of the team. We made some tweaks and created specific roles.” This helps to get the right team to prepare the groundwork for new technology and processes.
Look at your team structure and ensure you have the capability and talent to take the project forward
3. Investment in training and development
With more remote and hybrid working being implemented in businesses, Paul mentions that “investment in on-demand training and development is essential to drive successful adoption before and after the ‘go live’ phase ”. Simon agrees, adding “We invested in learning, training, and development videos and portals that people can access all the time. We were able to repeat the understanding and how the process would need to be fixed before we put in the technology.”
Investment in ongoing team learning, training, and development is vital for long term success
4. Design an intuitive user experience
Alongside early engagement and ongoing training, Simon highlights the importance of developing a user-friendly KPI dashboard. “As well as looking internally, we used external help to develop a dashboard, including benchmarking from SAP, and to make the technology easy for people to use”. But it is also about increasing adoption, even after training. Paul continues “Designing with the end-user in mind and having an intuitive solution can definitely increase the levels of adoption”.
Design easy-to-use technology with your end-users in mind for increased adoption
5. Maintain project momentum
Once your initial transformation project is complete, keep the momentum going to ensure it is built upon by future staff and stakeholders. Simon highlights the importance, saying “You need to have an infrastructure in place to keep the momentum going. You do not want to lose all the hard work that has been done up to that point.” Ownership can be moved to shared upstream and downstream service teams “who can act as an engine room for post-go-live success”, adds Paul.
Implement a solid infrastructure to ensure continued momentum and success
6. Have a category strategy in place
Implementing a category management strategy can help to divide both direct and indirect procurement spend. “Indirect spend can typically become very fragmented” comments Simon, “and direct spend, such as the straight-through pass rate for suppliers, can always be improved”. Technology and training can empower your teams, increase capability and maximise efficiency.
Put the right technology in place to simplify the processes and route spend efficiently
7. The importance of the transition phase
Paul comments that the transition phase is “often the most critical phase for any programme, whether it be transformation, technology, or a combination of both. And quite often it can get overlooked”. Simon suggests that “really understanding the overall structure and who is working on it and what the roles are in any future shared services area” is the key to managing future development.
Have a clear plan and approach to any transition phase to set you up for success
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