William Tagoe (seated left), Group CEO, Harley Reed; Edith Uyovbukerhi (2nd from left), Ghana Country Manager, and Tom Tagoe (4th from left), Group Chairman of the organisation, with the participants

Procurement professionals urged to incorporate technology in service delivery

Vincent Amenuveve Aug - 09 - 2024 , 09:57 2 minutes read

Procurement professionals have been urged to develop strategic frameworks that will incorporate digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) into procurement processes.

Such a measure will ultimately help boost the industry to accelerate the growth of businesses in the country, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Harley Reed, a professional services firm, William Tagoe, has said.

"I sit in meetings where procurement officers are asked to present their strategy, and they end up presenting their procurement process, which is not a strategy." Mr Tagoe said.

He was speaking at a Procurement Leaders Network Breakfast Meeting in Accra on the theme: "Driving value through change."

The event was attended by procurement professionals and supply chain experts from both the public and private sectors to discuss new trends in procurement in the digital era.

Challenges

The CEO discussed the latest trends impacting procurement to include supply chain disruptions and the integration of digital technology and AI in procurement processes.

Mr Tagoe emphasised the critical role of procurement professionals in their respective organisations and urged them to recognise their importance and create value to foster healthy working relationships among stakeholders.

"One of the key functions of procurement and supply chain professionals is to develop a procurement competency framework and not just the process," he added.

Mr Tagoe stressed the need to tailor procurement strategies to meet specific needs of different business units.

He also said that procurement specialists must regularly communicate with different business units within an organisation to understand their unique requirements and challenges to help them to develop strategies that were flexible enough to accommodate the specific needs of each business unit and stakeholders.

The CEO also urged the professionals to ensure that their decisions were made with the end customer in mind by selecting suppliers who can reliably deliver high-quality products or services that meet customer expectations.

Mr Tagoe further said that a procurement strategy must be aligned with the overall strategy of every organisation.

Experience sharing

Participants in the meeting stressed the need to share experiences and knowledge on new procurement trends in the digital era. They agreed on the need for them to evolve and adapt to the changing landscape of the profession.

The integration of digital technology, AI and ESG considerations into procurement strategies was recognised as pivotal in driving value and ensuring sustainable practices within organisations.