Procurement’s Future Formula
The 2025 CPO Study highlights two urgent priorities: more than half of companies place digitalization at the top of their agenda, while over 70% of CPOs emphasize the need to invest in people and leadership skills. We sat down with our experts, including Anna-Maria Kollenbrandt (Principal, Training & Enablement), to discuss what this means for procurement leaders today.
Turning Procurement power into boardroom impact
The following interview is part of our CPO Survey series, where we combined responses from over 330 procurement leaders with deep qualitative interviews across sectors. This anonymized conversation features a senior executive from the automotive supply industry who successfully positioned procurement as a core business driver, supporting 30% revenue growth in the last 7 years.
It explores how procurement is evolving into a driver of enterprise value through targeted cost transformation, selective risk mitigation, and capability development, at a time when global complexity demands both speed and structure.
Digital technology only creates impact when paired with a clear strategy and the right capabilities. Too often, procurement teams implement tools but only use a fraction of their potential: on average, IT solutions are used at just 30% of their functionality. The organizations that succeed approach digitalization differently.
First, leadership is actively engaged in the journey, working hand in hand with business and IT. Second, change management is treated as a real investment, with achievements tracked against concrete KPIs. And third, digital capabilities are paired with skills and talent development, so teams can translate data into actionable business insights. When these conditions are in place, digitalization is no longer seen as just another IT project, but as a core driver of procurement’s strategic role.
Digitalization and skills must advance together. Only by integrating both can procurement secure its seat at the executive table and demonstrate its full potential.
More than 70% of CPOs in our survey highlight the need to invest in people and leadership. It’s not just about technical expertise, it’s about building “bilingual” teams. On one side, procurement professionals need digital fluency, so they can work with data, analytics, and AI. On the other, they must develop business acumen and leadership skills to influence the executive agenda. Being able to translate insights into the language of EBITDA, margin, and shareholder value is what earns procurement credibility at the top level.
For the complete analysis of survey results, strategic implications, and a roadmap for impact-driven procurement leadership, explore our CPO White Paper.
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