Have you built your procurement roadmap?

As procurement professionals, we know there is never a dull moment in procurement and the need for a balance between, planning, anticipating, and reacting to multiple needs from the business. Amid this delicate balance, you should consider building a procurement roadmap to make sure you are not losing sight of your plan and vision to continue improving and transforming the procurement function and the results for the business you work for.

It does not matter whether you are starting your career as a procurement professional or if you are already a well-versed seasoned procurement executive, the benefits of having built a roadmap are twofold, as you can use it to plan ahead but also to reflect on your accomplishments over the years.

An example of a procurement roadmap could look like this:

You can put it as a 3-5 year plan that can include multiple dimensions; for example, a typical option is to divide it in terms of people, process, and technology, another approach could be using strategy, process, and supplier/category management depending on your function and what you are trying to accomplish year over year.

For each section within your roadmap, it is important that you reflect on what the business needs and what you can contribute as a procurement professional to build a competitive advantage over time. The goals should be broad enough to encompass a full year's worth of work, they should be challenging but achievable, and they should allow you to use the progress made during the first year to become your foundation for what you can accomplish the following year.

By getting into the habit of building a procurement roadmap, it becomes easier to see the areas where you are excelling and others that require further work or more resources.

This approach has been very useful in my career and has allowed me to better plan, organize, and correct course when needed.

If you have any questions related to building a procurement roadmap, send me an individual message. If you have already built procurement roadmaps in the past, feel free to share other benefits accomplished. I look forward to continuing to learn and share best practices.