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Over the last 20 years, I’ve worked closely with procurement teams across industries, helping them build the right resourcing strategies, navigate moments of transformation and drive clarity in times of chaos. As a procurement resourcing specialist, my role goes far beyond resourcing. It is about truly understanding a client’s goals and building solutions that help them gain control and confidence in their procurement practices.
One of the most interesting times in any organisation is when a new leader steps into a senior procurement or finance role. Whether you are a Head of Procurement, Finance Director or CPO, those first few months are filled with both opportunity and pressure. You are trying to get an understanding on what you have inherited, align quickly with business objectives and demonstrate early wins, all while building trust with your new team and internal stakeholders.
But this transition is not always smooth.
What I have seen time and again is that new leaders often walk into roles where supplier management lacks transparency. Contracts are scattered across inboxes and folders, and there is no clear view of supplier performance or risk. You might find expired contracts still in use, suppliers who have not been evaluated in years or even data that lives on spreadsheets but tells you very little. Without visibility, it is difficult to make informed decisions. Yet those are the very decisions expected of you from day one.
Another common challenge is understanding where your procurement function sits on the maturity curve. Is the team strategic or have they been in firefighting mode for too long? Are processes being followed or are people just getting by with workarounds? You may also be surprised to find how disconnected procurement and finance are, especially when it comes to forecasting, savings visibility or spend tracking. These silos only become more pronounced when your systems do not speak to each other.
Another trap I have seen leaders fall into is underestimating the complexity of contracts. It is not just about what is signed, it is also about what is not being monitored. Missed deadlines, non-compliance with clauses, no clear audit trail… all of these can lead to operational risk or legal exposure that sits hidden until it becomes a crisis.
Then there is the external world which is unpredictable, with geopolitical tensions rising and tariffs shifting overnight. Your procurement strategy needs to be agile and your data must support fast decision-making. But when you are sifting through noise instead of insights, agility becomes wishful thinking.
Mistakes in the early days are understandable, but they can be costly. Prioritising cost-cutting over long-term value, delaying digital adoption for the sake of short-term firefighting or trying to fix people issues without first addressing process gaps, these are common and avoidable missteps.
That is where the BuyingStation comes in.
We built BuyingStation with one clear goal: to help leaders bring clarity and control to procurement, faster. It is a tech-enabled platform designed by procurement professionals who understand the realities you are walking into. From day one you gain access to a centralised view of your suppliers, contracts, risk assessments, savings pipeline and spend, all in one place. Whether you are identifying which suppliers are non-compliant or tracking savings against targets, the insights you need are right at your fingertips. This visibility allows you to move with greater agility, respond quickly to challenges and make confident decisions without delay.
The platform does not just give you data. It gives you direction. It helps you understand where your procurement function stands today and what levers you can pull to get to where you want to be. As the geopolitical climate continues to shift, BuyingStation supports agility by standardising processes, simplifying reporting and making procurement easier to manage across regions and teams.
As you settle into your new role, know that you do not have to do it all alone. We are here to be your partners, supporting you with flexible resourcing, strategic insight and a platform that turns complexity into clarity.
Because in procurement, the right start makes all the difference.