HCKT2015-CPO-Key-Issues

© 2015 The Hackett Group, Inc.; All Rights Reserved. | CR_6000158 Procurement Executive Insight I The Hackett Group I 1

The Enterprise Context: Generating Organic Growth in a Continued Challenging EnvironmentAccording to our 2015 Key Issues Study, the top priorities for companies in 2015 are to keep growing the top and bottom line while expanding their global presence. The main targets of geographic expansion are in developing markets. As expected, revenue and margin growth are dominant financial objectives.

Compare this to last year’s study results, where innovation was revealed as the corner-stone of business growth strategies for a majority of companies in every industry. Our 2015 study findings reinforce this trend, but offer more detailed insight into different innovation-based strategies. Among companies participating in our study, 26% are truly innovation-led (Fig. 1), using disruptive innovation as a wedge to break into new markets. Another 26% of companies are primarily seeking to expand within their current markets, in many cases by sustaining innovation of existing product or service offerings. The third-most prevalent strategy is defensive in nature, focusing on improving return on current assets and prior investments. In essence, these companies are on the defense against the threat of disruptive innovation from competitors. This profile of dominant strategies has all the hallmarks of a highly volatile and dynamic business landscape.

By Patrick Connaughton and Christopher S. Sawchuk

Procurement Executive Insight

Study Results Analysis

January 22, 2015

Executive SummaryThe Hackett Group’s annual Key Issues study, representing a diverse set of businesses and executive viewpoints, identified the top issues shaping the procurement executive agenda in 2015. Procurement’s operating budget is expected to grow by just 2.7%, allowing for only a select few top-priority initiatives to be funded. According to the study, procurement leaders are planning to focus their transformation efforts in three areas to achieve the biggest enterprise impact in the coming year: cultivating procurement’s role as a trusted advisor; investing in next-generation training and development; and harnessing big data.

Key takeaways:• Nearly three-quarters of respondents ranked elevating procurement’s role to that of a trusted advisor as a critical

or major priority in 2015.• Although two top priorities – becoming a trusted advisor and increasing agility – are rated as highly important,

organizations have a low ability to address them, making them critical targets for capability development. • To close capability gaps, procurement will be looking for better ways to harness big data and renew training and

development efforts.

Key Issues for Procurement in 2015

The CPO Agenda:

Complim

entary Research

Procurement Executive Insight I The Hackett Group I 2© 2015 The Hackett Group, Inc.; All Rights Reserved. | CR_6000158

Changes Are on the Horizon for Procurement’s Key PrioritiesThe ultimate measure of procurement’s performance is its ability to support the company’s overall business strategy. Supporting the enterprise agenda will require some procurement organizations to make far more than incremental changes. But, with procurement’s operating budgets expected to grow by just 2.7%, only a select few of the highest-priority initiatives can be funded (Fig. 2).

Against this backdrop, our 2015 Key Issues Study reveals a change in procurement’s priorities from last year, when expanding the scope of its spend influence was paramount. In 2015, this and other traditional goals like reducing purchase costs are still important. However, as the role of procurement continues to evolve, a new set of objectives is com-ing into focus, namely, the need to elevate procurement’s role to more of a trusted advi-sor and improving its business agility. In fact, 72% percent of study respondents ranked elevating procurement’s role to that of a trusted advisor as a critical or major priority in 2015 (Fig. 3).

FIG. 1 Dominant business strategies, 2015

Source: Key Issues Study, The Hackett Group, 2015

Primary business strategy(% of companies ranking #1)

Secondary business strategy

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Innovate businessmodel, product,

and/or service offering26%

Expand existingproduct/service portfoliointo new markets

Innovation-ledmarket entry

Innovation-enabled marketexpansion

Portfoliooptimization

Marketexpansion

Expand product/serviceportfolio into existing

markets

Improve returnon existing assets /

prior investments

Expand existingproduct/service portfolio

into new markets

47%

26%Innovate business model,product, and/or serviceoffering

39%

19%Divest of non-core orunder-performingassets / businesses

28%

16%Expand product/serviceportfolio into existingmarkets

56%

FIG. 2 Year-on-year projected procurement operating budget increases, 2013-15*

2013

-0.4%

0.7%

2014 2015


* Revenue and budget increases projected in each year; 2013 data is the planned percentage increase over 2012 actuals, as reported in our 2013 Key Issues Study

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

2.7%


However, the study results also revealed that many procurement teams are not equipped to contribute to the achievement of these goals. Fig. 4 shows the both importance and ability to address each of the 2015 priorities. Becoming a trusted advisor and increasing agility fall into the “critical development” zone, i.e., both are rated as highly important but with a low ability to address. On a brighter note, procurement groups have a high ability to address more conventional priorities like reducing/avoiding purchase costs and increasing stakeholder satisfaction levels.

FIG. 3 Procurement’s top priorities in 2015


Increase internal stakeholder satisfaction

Enable innovation (e.g., tap supplier innovation)

Deepen influence on complex indirect spend categories

Expand scope/influence

Improve procurement’s business agility

Reduce/avoid purchase costs

Elevate the role of procurement to a trusted advisor

CRITICAL MAJOR

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Improve supplier delivery performance

Reduce supply risk

28%

27%

17%

24%

17%

18%

17%

14%

18%

44%

42%

51%

43%

43%

39%

40%

39%

32%

72%

69%

68%

67%

60%

57%

57%

53%

50%

What does it mean to be a trusted advisor?• Having an executive presence

at the table during planning and budgeting.

• Enabling business execution through forward-looking market insights/intelligence addressing business concerns.

• Being perceived as having a sincere interest in helping stake-holders achieve their business objectives (e.g., alignment with business objectives, supportive of top-line growth and cash manage-ment).

• Understanding each stakeholder’s business and organization and tailoring procurement’s message/approach accordingly.

• Being perceived as a change agent and facilitator

• Having the right set of skills (e.g., program management, communi-cation, business acumen).


To Achieve Its 2015 Objectives, Procurement Must Invest in New Capabilities In 2015, procurement organizations expect to continue investing in building core capa-bilities in strategic sourcing, category management and SRM. This is consistent with our study results from prior years. Fortunately, earlier investments in these areas are beginning to pay off – in many cases, these capabilities are reaching a relatively high level of maturity. But there is still work to do and capability gaps still exist, namely in talent management and data analysis/reporting (Fig. 5). To achieve the 2015 priorities, these capabilities will require more attention.

FIG. 4 Procurement’s ability to address its top priorities


Low

Ab

ility

to a

dd

ress

Hig

h

Low Importance High

CRITICALDEVELOPMENTAREA

IMPROVEMENTOPPORTUNITY

WELLSUPPORTED

Reduce/avoidpurchase costs

Expand scope/influence

Improve procurement'sbusiness agility

Enable innovation

Increase internal stakeholder satisfaction

Elevate role to trusted advisor

Reduce supply risk Reduce

working capital

Deepen influenceon complex

indirect spendSupport environmental

goals

Improve quality

Improve supplier delivery performance

Enhance new product development


Closing the talent capability gap will require new investments in training and developmentTalent management is one of the key challenges facing organizations today at all levels. To enhance its value proposition, procurement must maintain appropriate staffing levels and skill sets at a pace that is consistent with its rapidly evolving mission and goals.

Procurement organizations are aware of their shortcomings and will be addressing them in 2015. Projects related to talent make up three of the top five planned transformation activities (Fig. 6). Training and development will be the subject of major initiatives by a majority of respondents. An example of development programs is stretch assignments. According to The Hackett Group’s research, this is the most effective development tool for testing high-potential staff in a low-risk way to see if they have the ability to learn new skills. In recent years, these programs were scaled back to reduce costs. Now, with procurement facing a serious leadership gap, they have been widely reinstated. Coaching and mentoring programs are also used by many, with positive results.

Other projects are aimed making the task of refining job profiles and competencies more effective and better defining career paths. These initiatives reflect a desire to revamp the way procurement develops workforce skills, enables employee performance and grooms future leaders.

FIG. 5 Talent and data analysis/reporting are critical development areas for procurement


Low

Ab

ility

to a

dd

ress

Hig

h

Low Importance High

CRITICALDEVELOPMENTAREA

IMPROVEMENTOPPORTUNITY

WELLSUPPORTED

Strategicsourcing

Supplier relationshipmanagement (SRM)

Categorymanagement

Supply-marketintelligence capabilities

Talent management

Procurement software tools

Shared services

Centers of Excellence

Continuous improvementprograms

Data analysis andreporting capabilities


Building analytics and reporting capabilities will require harnessing big data to unlock business insightsAs the role of procurement evolves from transactional facilitator to trusted business advisor, mastery of the next generation of analytics – a.k.a. “big data” – will be a key enabler. Big data has been a game changer when it comes to customer analytics, offering an unprecedented ability to quickly model massive volumes of structured and unstructured data from multiple sources. For procurement organizations, taking advantage of the value of advanced analytics necessitates creating new technology roles, aligning agendas, and elevating the overall level of institutionalized technology knowledge.

Most companies have implemented basic reporting and data-access capabilities such as scorecards and self-service. However, achievement of the next level of analytical and reporting capabilities, such as multidimensional analysis, remains limited at present. The most sophisticated techniques, including predictive modeling, risk analysis and data mining, are being used by only a small minority of organizations.

The full potential of sophisticated analytical tools and methods can only be achieved when put into the hands of staff who have the appropriate skills and training to use them. Moreover, as organizations develop more sophisticated applications for analytics tools and methods, skills need to mature accordingly. To understand what capabilities are required, it is important to define the objectives and governance structure of the analytics program.

Strategic ImplicationsIn 2008, “business agility” was a favored corporate buzzword. Once the recession set in, agility took a back seat to resilience. Procurement’s attention was diverted to maintaining basic business continuity (i.e., “keeping the lights on”), to the detriment of responding quickly to the changing demands of the business.

With the green shoots of economic recovery starting to show, the focus is once again on agility. This time around, we believe, agility will prove to be a lasting, fundamental attribute of the way world-class organizations do business as opposed to just another passing business fad. Responding quickly to change requires a close connection with the business to understand and know where to look for the leading indicators of changing requirements early. To achieve agility, procurement has to develop the tools and skills required to harness data and provide business insights in real time.

Related Research“Proven Practices for Improving Talent Management in Procurement,” June 2013

“Five Characteristics of World-Class Procurement Organizations in 2014,” May 2014

“Procurement Analytics in the Era of Big Data: What CPOs Need to Know,” October 2014

FIG. 6 Procurement transformational activities planned in 2015


Training and development programs

Define KPIs to align performance with business strategy

Job profiles and competencies

Develop information/reporting strategy

Career pathing and progression

None Moderate Major

TECHNOLOGY TALENT

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0

Transformation:

About the data in this reportEach year, we conduct a study of midsized and large companies to identify their strategic priorities for the coming year. In late 2014, execu-tive management and leaders of finance, HR, IT and procurement or-ganizations were asked about their priorities and initiatives for 2015.

In addition to the findings discussed in these pages, The Hackett Group is publishing research reports for each business services function based on the study.

The survey findings also guided the creation of our 2015 research agenda. Issues cited by participants as key priorities or challenges will be addressed in further detail in the months to come, along with related best practices; empirical data to assist in building a business case for change; time-tested and emerging solutions; and case studies.

https://member.thehackettgroup.com/portal/hlink/?node=h_content_bpi&kmsContentId=1006868




About the Advisors

Patrick Connaughton

Senior Research Director

Mr. Connaughton leads the development of The Hackett Group’s intellectual property in the areas of strategic sourcing and procurement. He has over 15 years of experience in supply chain and procurement research and advisory roles. He has published groundbreaking research in areas like spend analysis, contract life cycle management, supplier risk assessments and services procurement. Prior to joining Hackett, he was principal analyst

at Forrester Research, where he focused primarily on helping executives mitigate risk through more effective supplier relationship management. Previously, Mr. Connaughton was a consulting manager at Manhattan Associates and Accenture.

Christopher S. Sawchuk

Principal & Global Procurement Advisory Practice Leader

Mr. Sawchuk has nearly 20 years of experience in supply management, working directly with Fortune 500 and midsized firms around the globe and in a variety of industries to improve all aspects of procurement, including process redesign, technology enablement, operations strategy planning, organizational change and strategic sourcing. Mr. Sawchuk is a regular contributor to business publications, a frequent presenter at

industry events, and co-author of ePurchasingPlus. He has been recognized by Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine as one of its “Pros to Know.” Mr. Sawchuk’s back-ground includes engineering and operation roles with both United Technologies and IBM.

For more papers, perspectives and research, please visit: www.thehackettgroup.com Or to learn more about The Hackett Group and how we can help your company sharply reduce costs while improving business effectiveness, please contact us at 1 866 614 6901 (U.S.) or +44 20 7398 9100 (U.K.).

The Hackett Group (NASDAQ: HCKT), a global strategic business advisory and operations improvement consulting firm, is a leader in best practice

advisory, business benchmarking, and transformation consulting services including strategy and operations, working capital management, and

globalization advice. Utilizing best practices and implementation insights from more than 10,000 benchmarking studies, executives use The Hackett

Group’s empirically-based approach to quickly define and implement initiatives that enable world-class performance. Through its REL group, The

Hackett Group offers working capital solutions focused on delivering significant cash flow improvements. Through its Strategy & Operations practice,

The Hackett Group consulting services in the Consumer and Industrial Products, Pharmaceutical, Manufacturing, and Financial Services industry

sectors. Through its Hackett Technology Solutions group, The Hackett Group offers business application consulting services that help maximize

returns on IT investments. The Hackett Group has completed benchmark studies with over 3,500 major corporations and government agencies,

including 93% of the Dow Jones Industrials, 83% of the Fortune 100, 87% of the DAX 30 and 48% of the FTSE 100. Founded in 1991, The Hackett

Group was acquired by Answerthink, Inc. in 1997. Answerthink was renamed The Hackett Group, Inc. in 2008. The Hackett Group has global offices in

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Amsterdam | Atlanta | Chicago | Frankfurt | Hyderabad | London | Montevideo | New York | Paris | Philadelphia | San Francisco | Sydney | VancouverThis publication has been prepared for general guidance on the matters addressed herein. It does not constitute professional advice. You should not act upon the information contained in this publication without obtaining specific professional advice.


HCKT2015-CPO-Key-Issues

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