How to Stay Relevant in Your Procurement Career

At some point in the past your career in procurement might have looked something like this: you started as an Analyst, and worked your way up to become a Category Manager. Then, if you worked hard, you might make it to an executive position, perhaps you’d even become the CPO. Then, having worked for one or perhaps two organisations over your entire working life, you’d happily retire. 

This was the past, and many of us look back at it with varying degrees of nostalgia (or perhaps horror). But we can all agree that it certainly isn’t the future. 

Nowadays, our careers can be so many things: perhaps you’ve carved out a career as a contractor, or perhaps as a consultant. Whatever it is you’re doing, it’s likely that the job has changed significantly since you started it. You now need a broader skill set than ever, including knowing how to wrestle data, automation and AI. 

While it might feel as if things are changing faster than ever and it’s hard to keep up, it’s absolutely possible to stay relevant and thrive in your procurement career. Here’s how to do just that.

Outsource Where Possible

Increasingly there is an expectation of delivering more with less when it comes to a procurement career. It might seem like you’re expected to not just be a knowledgeable category manager, but also a presentation designer, or even a copywriter when it comes to drafting templates.

But as you may have quickly realised, it’s extremely difficult to be everything to everyone. 

So, what should you do when this is asked of us? Why not consider outsourcing? Outsourcing is one of the best ways to enhance your productivity, but also ensure you can continue to thrive by doing what you do best. 

Here’s how to outsource: 

• Identify tasks for outsourcing: Outside of the core work of procurement, there’s always ancillary tasks, whether they be designing a presentation for the C-suite, or creating a training session on best-practice supplier management. Sometimes, these tasks can take you a long time, and are better done (or at least, started) by someone else. The first step is to identify these tasks within your workload. 
• Use readily available tools (or freelancers) to get you started: As a procurement professional, you’re likely familiar with the process for onboarding new suppliers. For this reason, as much as you’d like to, say, outsource the creation of a presentation, it might not be so easy to do so. But if it is, you should definitely try it and platforms like 99designs are a great place to start.

If using freelancers isn’t possible for you, there are other ways to get help with design or writing based tasks (more on this below).  

Stay Ahead of the Technology Curve

In days gone by, it was possible to either be a ‘technology’ person, or to say, no, thank you, that’s not for me. But nowadays? Given the increasing power, use cases, and relevance of data and AI, you not only need to be a technology person – in some cases, you need to be a technology expert. 

But don’t worry, becoming one isn’t as hard as it sounds. Here’s some tips. 

• Familiarise yourself with the basics: Did you know that ChatGPT – an AI-powered platform that can write just about anything for you – had the fastest uptake of any technology, ever?  If you haven’t used ChatGPT, give it a go. It could even help you with simple tasks, like planning a training session or summarising some important procurement information. 
  
  There are other basics that you should familiarise yourself with, too, for example, if you’re looking to create a PowerPoint quickly, try using PopAI. Getting to know these tools will not only help you complete basic tasks, but it will also help you develop the skills required to master these technologies. 
  
• Keep up to date with AI and data: Beyond the basics, it’s important to keep up to date with the ever-changing world of technology, as, before you know it, these technologies will be used for procurement systems (if they aren’t already being used). Two critical areas are data and AI. To stay up to date, consider reading widely on these areas, or even enrolling in a basic (free) course.

Hone Your Online Presence

Just like being a technology person, having an online presence might not feel like your ‘thing’. However, if you want to take advantage of current and future career opportunities, it’s something that you need to be looking at. In a digital-first world, your skills and influence needs to be out there for all to see, especially if you’re considering a new role. 

• Establish a strong online presence: Whether it’s via LinkedIn or Procurious, ensure that your profile is up-to-date, and includes all of your current achievements, projects and skills. Where possible, also share your expertise virtually.
• Connect with online communities: The old adage of ‘it’s not what you know, but who you know’ from an online perspective is as true as ever. Ensure that you actively participate in online forums and procurement events

The online world – the digital one, the one where AI, data and algorithms now reign supreme – needs to become a big part of everyone’s everyday world in procurement. Ensure that you ready yourself for careers of the future (or even for skills you need today) by understanding the latest technology and honing the online version of yourself. 

Are you using AI or data in your everyday procurement life now? How? Let us know what you’re doing and how it’s going in the comments below.