The Deloitte Global CPO

Survey 2013

www.deloitte.co.uk/cposurvey

Welcome
Welcome to the 2013 findings of the Deloitte Global CPO Survey.
This year we are yet again able to present you with a truly international outlook, reporting on the responses of over
180 Chief Procurement Officers and Procurement Directors from 17 different countries across the Americas, Europe,
the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australasia.
The Survey continues to be a benchmark of Procurement sentiment, tracking key business indicators such as cost, supply
market security and price volatility as well as the CPOs perceptions of financial prospects, plans and expectations for the
immediate future.
play video

This release contains specific insights into the challenges of business partnering, the growing accountability for risk
management, the opportunities associated with the digital revolution and the development of top talent.
In the report you will find:
Chapters on the major topics, with infographics presenting the key findings.
Observations and practical tips from Deloitte and some of the senior Procurement professionals operating in the
market today.
A breakdown of the major differences between industries and geographies.
We hope you will find this report a valuable tool to help you in your role as a trusted Procurement leader. To the many
executives who have provided input into the Deloitte Global CPO Survey 2013, thank you for your time and your insight.
We look forward to continuing the dialogue with you.
James Gregson
Head of Sourcing & Procurement, UK
Partner, Deloitte LLP

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Executive summary
Executive
Summary

View from
the market

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

Risk
Accountability

This years CPO Survey describes a function that is performing strongly, while at the
same time concerned about its broader impact in the business. CPOs are proud of their
achievements with 88% having delivered or exceeded their savings plans, but with almost
two thirds feeling they have been only somewhat effective at delivering value to their
stakeholders.

The Digital
Age

Tomorrows
TAlent

INDUSTRIES

Regions

About the
participants

Contacts

PRIORITIES

DIGITAL

As we start to move into a time of economic recovery and growth, we witness global
corporates starting to reprioritise the development of new products and new market entry.
CPOs are becoming acutely aware of the limitations of the cost-reduction agenda they have
been playing to and the shortcomings in their arsenal as they face the call from the business
to pivot and serve a new expansionary agenda.
Growth will still need to be funded, so cost management and cash releasing strategies will
continue to be a priority. But expansion will also likely mean the need for new suppliers
and more innovative supplier incentive models as businesses lean on their supply chains for
competitive advantage. The nature of the risks associated with this shift in strategic focus
may be different to recent years but just as prevalent, if not more so. Procurements ability to
service, or in some cases shape this agenda, will be defining of its continued relevance during
this next stage in the economic cycle.

85%

SEE NEW
PRODUCT OR MARKET
DEVELOPMENT AS
A PRIORITY

EFFECTIVENESS

68%

ARE INVESTING IN INSIGHT

THROUGH ANALYTICS

In this report we examine how CPOs are responding to these challenges and looking to close
the expectation gap by:

61%

Reviewing their business partnering models to improve their internal engagement

and influence

ONLY SOMEWHAT
EFFECTIVE AT
DELIVERING VALUE
FOR THEIR
STAKEHOLDERS

R
 ecognising the need for their teams to become more embedded in the risk management
agenda
Investing in new analytics solutions to improve supplier insight and enhance the overall
experience of working with Procurement
P rioritising broader business acumen over traditional procurement skills in their teams, and
taking fresh approaches to developing the talent of the future.
Procurement must continue to adapt and evolve to remain relevant. Such a shift may require
handing back, abandoning or outsourcing those activities that once defined Procurement
but now are seen as easy to replicate or adding little value. Funding growth, mitigating its
associated risks and working alongside the business to develop differentiated and robust
supply models will be the indicators that demonstrate Procurements ability to deliver value
for their stakeholders in the years ahead.
VIEW FROM THE MARKET

50%

THINK THE LEVEL OF PROCUREMENT

RELATED RISK HAS INCREASED IN
THE LAST 12 MONTHS

RISK

48%

FEEL THEIR TEAMS LACK THE

SKILLS NEEDED TO DELIVER THEIR
PROCUREMENT STRATEGY

CAPABILITY

View from the market Key findings

Executive
Summary

View from
the market

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

Risk
Accountability

The Digital
Age

Tomorrows
TAlent

INDUSTRIES

Regions

What happens after green shoots?

For the first time since we launched the CPO Survey in 2011, economic commentators have
moved away from talk of double or triple-dip recession and may now be reaching for a new
phrase to describe what happens after the green shoots of recovery. While confidence
signals are mixed across regions Europe and China have falling confidence but it is picking
up in the UK and US the World Banks latest Global Economic Prospects report shows
overall global growth on the up, with aggregate GDP now rising at 2% a year.
Growth is not likely to return to pre-crises levels any time soon, however many indicators have
reversed more recent trends. Industrial commodity prices are easing as new supply comes
online, M&A activity is picking up, and 54% of CFOs say now is a good time to take greater
risk onto the balance sheet the highest for 6 years1. In the words of Deloittes Chief Economist
Ian Stewart: Austerity is out and expansion is coming in. Cost control and cash conservation
are moving out of favour. Expansion is, once again, the top priority for corporates.
Cost still the top priority for CPOs
As the global economy navigated turbulent and often unpredictable waters, CPOs remained
certain of their focus taking cost out and supporting a return to profitable growth.
This focus has not changed, with cost reduction still the top priority of respondents,
but expectations are changing. Our respondents recognise this shift and new products
and expansion have risen to join cost reduction at the top of CPOs priorities for the
coming 12 months.
As the agenda starts to change, CPOs seem to recognise the challenge to their status quo
and are questioning their ability to stay relevant. While 88% of CPOs stated they either
delivered or exceeded their savings plan last year, a large number commented that sustaining
this level of value delivery was the primary cause of sleepless nights. This uncertainty is
reflected in the wide range of levers respondents plan to use to deliver value.
Re-badging
This shift will pose a number of major questions to Procurement leaders: Are they set up with
the right skills and tools to address new challenges? How can alignment be driven between
Procurement and its stakeholders in this new climate if they have become synonymous with a
cost cutting agenda? How will Procurement ensure the supply base makes a real contribution
to the shifting business agenda through the introduction of innovation? In many ways,
Procurements ability to manage a change in priorities will prove whether or not the function
has come of age in the way many commentators have been claiming for some time.
1. Deloitte CFO Survey, Q3 2013.

PARTNERING not process

About the
participants

Contacts

CPOs WILL DEPLOY MULTIPLE

PROCUREMENT LEVERS
Consolidating
spend

44%

Increasing
competition

play video

37%

Specification
improvement
Increasing level
of supplier
collaboration

CPOs TOP 3 PRIORITIES

52%

79%

cost reduction

50%

organic expansion

PROCUREMENT PERFORMANCE

88%

29%

Reducing total life

cycle/ownership
costs

NEW

new product/
market development

32%

7%

4%

No plan

Below plan

32%

On plan

Reducing
consumption

25%

Restructuring
existing
relationships

25%

Optimising supply
chain costs

24%

Restructuring the
supply base

21%

Outsourcing
non-core S&P
activity

EXCEEDED OR ON
PLAN IN LAST
12 MONTHS
56%

Exceed plan

26%

14%

Reducing
transaction costs

10%

Managing
commodity price
volatility

10%

Partnering not process Key findings

Executive
Summary

View from
the market

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

Risk
Accountability

Creating the right agenda

Effective business partnering is recognised as a critical component of any successful
enabling function today. However, when asked to self-assess, the clear majority of
CPOs felt that their ability to deliver against internal stakeholder expectations was
only somewhat effective.

The Digital
Age

Tomorrows
TAlent

PROCUREMENT EFFECTIVENESS

That 56% of respondents have no formal measure of internal customer satisfaction is

something that can be addressed rapidly. But alignment will be driven by a broader
set of measures than just satisfaction. With fewer than one third of CPOs measuring
innovation, operational efficiency or compliance, there is clearly still some opportunity
to balance the Procurement scorecard. Ultimately, Procurement should be looking
to adopt the language and measures of the business rather than defining its own
indicators of success. This in turn may make it more palatable and relevant for CPOs
to communicate their results outside of the function (something that only 57% are
doing today).
Making the time to partner
Balancing the Procurement scorecard will have a direct impact on the time invested
in non-sourcing related activities. Business partnering, like supplier management or
risk management, is frequently underinvested due to the prioritisation, or singular
measurement of sourcing related savings.
This might force a review of activities undertaken within the team as 36% of
CPOs today do not feel they have sufficient resource to optimise value delivery.
However, we believe that prioritising the development of business partnering skills,
and dedicating time and resource to these activities, will significantly advance
Procurements influence in the business and improve its overall effectiveness at
delivering stakeholder value.
PARTNERING not process: next steps

Regions

About the
participants

Contacts

PARTNERING STRATEGIES

61%

ONLY SOMEWHAT
EFFECTIVE AT
DELIVERING VALUE
FOR THEIR
STAKEHOLDERS

When you consider that almost 9 out of 10 CPOs delivered or exceeded their plan last
year, this raises questions as to whether that plan was correct, or more pertinently,
if the business placed sufficient value in that plan.
Making measures relevant
Cross-functional working and physical co-location with internal stakeholders are
clearly not the only answers to successful alignment as three quarters of respondents
are doing that already. It appears more likely that a lack of true integration between
Procurement and broader business objectives is hampering effectiveness. The Survey
shows that, in a third of cases, Procurement is not sharing its objectives with the
business at all.

INDUSTRIES

77%

WORKING IN CROSSFUNCTIONAL TEAMS

63%

HAVE PROCUREMENT TARGETS

JOINTLY OWNED WITH
INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

57%

ONLY

44%

MEASURED AGAINST
BALANCED SCORECARD

MEASURE INTERNAL
CUSTOMER
SATISFACTION

45%

PHYSICALLY CO-LOCATED
WITH THEIR STAKEHOLDERS

BARRIERS TO DELIVERING VALUE

45%

MISALIGNED
OBJECTIVES

36%

LACK OF
RESOURCE

33%

LACK OF INTERNAL
ENGAGEMENT

32%

LACK OF
INFLUENCE

Partnering not process Next steps

Executive
Summary

View from
the market

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

Risk
Accountability

The Digital
Age

Tomorrows
TAlent

What can Procurement leaders do to get closer to the strategic edge of

their organisation and become a more effective business partner?
Why does the business need you?
One of the organisations we have recently spoken to has run sessions with senior members of the Procurement team challenging
them to ask why their business should even have an internal Procurement function. With an increasingly capable Procurement
outsourcing market, and Procurement process no longer being a value differentiator, consider what you should be doing, not what
you can do. In doing so, look to foster an environment where you create a true pull for your expertise from the business.
Tailored measures and accountability
The implementation of a true Balanced Scorecard for Procurement should help to articulate your current activities and how
they connect to corporate objectives. Build your scorecard as a cascade of your stakeholders objectives and be prepared to
be measured by unconventional metrics such as P&L impact and quality. Talk risk and quality with your head of manufacturing,
management and cost avoidance with the COO and P&L numbers with the CFO. Make sure your measures include a true take on
customer satisfaction and ensure they are visual, relevant and timely.

INDUSTRIES

Regions

Contacts

My take
John Dickson
Ex-CPO H J Heinz and Diageo plc
The Procurement function does need to be more business savvy and more
holistic in their view of the business and its activities. I think part of the challenge
is educating the business, and helping them to understand the Procurement
function from A-Z, but I also think that it requires Procurement to be able to
stand in their stakeholders shoes. To do this, Procurement must get under the
skin of what the business needs by being able to ask the right questions.

Point of view
John Dickson
Ex-CPO H J Heinz and
Diageo plc

Come prepared
In this fast moving market, the business requires insight in a timely fashion. Using RFPs and RFIs as the primary means of collating
information is seldom acceptable. Challenge yourself to understand needs before they arise and approach your stakeholders with
as much insight as you can based on data, research and a deep understanding of the supplier market.
See partnering as a distinct skill
Building relationships, shaping strategy and being seen as a trusted advisor is a distinct skill set that, in many cases, requires a
certain sort of individual. As these soft skills are often difficult to teach, consider creating dedicated partnering roles, or at least
making business alignment the responsibility of a nominated group of individuals. Reflect on who is best placed to act as the
front-window of Procurement, and then arm them with the support of the other assets and tools that have been built up within
the Procurement function.

About the
participants

play video

Point of view
Guy Hubball
Vice President Indirect
Procurement and Group
Real Estate, BP
play video

RISK accountability: Key findings

Risk accountability Key findings

Executive
Summary

View from
the market

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

Risk
Accountability

More often, more expensive

Through this recent economic cycle it is clear that increased regulation and financial
weakness seemed to heighten risk awareness in Procurement. However, this is no
longer expected to be a temporary trend. CFO appetite for taking risk onto balance
sheets is at its highest level in six years, and the fresh drive for profitable growth will
place new pressures on the function and its leaders.

The Digital
Age

Tomorrows
TAlent

INDUSTRIES

RISK LEVELS

Regions

About the
participants

Contacts

CPO ROLE

41%

50%

HEAVILY INVOLVED
IN RISK MANAGEMENT

FEEL PROCUREMENTRELATED RISK HAS

INCREASED IN THE
LAST 12 MONTHS

There is strong evidence to suggest that the complexities created by the rise in the
levels of outsourcing and global sourcing have significantly increased the likelihood
of risk events occurring. There is also little doubt that the financial cost of these events
are greater and longer lasting than in the past.
So what is the role for Procurement?
In recognition of the growing impact being made by those making the sourcing
decisions, almost all CPOs responding to this survey confirmed that they now have
a role to play in risk management. However that role is evolving.
Attending risk related meetings is currently the primary means by which Procurement
have involved themselves in risk management, whilst process governance and policy
guidance are the two most commonly used mitigation methods. This may have been
sufficient in the past, but in order to support the growth agenda, CPOs will need to
play an improved auditing and monitoring role. This should not be a policing role, but
more advisory, raising visibility and accuracy of risk related information, working with
the business to understand and manage the trade-offs and options available.
Capability to deliver
In many industries, Procurement is still coming to terms with this increased
accountability and most of the methods being used reflect that immaturity.
If Procurement is to meet the expectations of the business then CPOs will require
more sophisticated tools and approaches to evaluate and monitor future supply
market risk. These capabilities do not necessarily need to be in-house, but CPOs
need to be accountable for providing them.
If Procurement is to bridge this capability gap then solutions and techniques such
as real time reporting of supply chain risk through interactive dashboards, and
scenario planning through the use of predictive analytics, are very likely to increase in
prevalence in the near future.

TOP RISKS BY INDUSTRY

MANUFACTURING

FINANCIAL SERVICES

PUBLIC SECTOR

TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA &

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

COMMODITY
PRICE VOLATILITY

REGULATORY AND
REPUTATIONAL

ECONOMIC

SERVICE
DELIVERY

61%

70%

59%

HEALTHCARE &
LIFESCIENCES

ENERGY & RESOURCES

CONSUMER BUSINESS

REPUTATIONAL

REPUTATIONAL

REPUTATIONAL AND
COMMODITY PRICE VOLATILITY

50%
RISK accountability: next steps

56%

57%

69%

Risk accountability Next steps

Executive
Summary

View from
the market

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

Risk
Accountability

The Digital
Age

Tomorrows
TAlent

An increased focus on the risk agenda from business leaders offers another
excellent opportunity for CPOs to demonstrate their worth.
Shareholders are concerned with the potential reputational, operational and, of course, financial impact of supply chain failure.
So, how can Procurement leaders support their businesses to build a resilient supply chain?
Visibility
Ask yourself: Do you have full transparency of your supply chain? Of the tiering structure and the inter-relationships between
suppliers? The tsunami that devastated Japan in 2011 brought this question to the forefront, as global manufacturers suddenly
understood their reliance on several critical tier two or three suppliers for technically complex parts. What about full visibility
of your suppliers operational and financial performance? Visibility enables businesses to address supply chain issues before they
become problems. Leading companies are now recognising this and are investing in advanced predictive analytics tools to help
with this challenge. However, as our survey shows, with over two thirds of respondents stating that they rarely or never use such
tools, there is a long way to go.
Flexibility
Whilst supplier consolidation and outsourcing can bring benefits in terms of economies of scale, they can also increase risk levels.
Such risks need to be identified with appropriate mitigation strategies in place. For example, approval of alternative sources or
facilities for supply and changing specifications to use more commonly available raw materials. Being flexible is critical to avoid
lengthy production stoppages and delays in the event of supplier or supply chain failure.
Collaboration
Working closely with critical suppliers has always been an aspiration. However, how suppliers are identified as being critical and
what the focus of that collaboration is can be challenged as risk management becomes more important. Have you identified, and
are you working with, those suppliers deemed high risk, not just those suppliers with the largest spend? What if they are not your
direct suppliers?

INDUSTRIES

Regions

About the
participants

My take

My take

Dan Crease
Global Head of Outsourcing and Supplier Management, HSBC
I think CPOs need to ask themselves a number of key questions on a regular
basis to truly understand their risk profile. Things like: Who are our key
suppliers? Who is managing these suppliers on behalf of the organisation?
And, which executives are sponsoring those individuals efforts? Visibility of
the answers to those questions is the first step in taking control of your supply
base. Once you start to answer those questions, those questions begin to form
part of your teams day-to-day working. That will then drive you towards more
effective performance management of suppliers, and the investment in risk
control practices that support an ever complex and growing business.

Point of view
Dan Crease
Global Head of Outsourcing
and Supplier Management,
HSBC
play video

Skills
To ensure the right accountabilities in your organisations, risk management skills need to be embedded in your category or supplier
management teams. Risk management capability should not be seen as a bolt on, or a luxury to be provided by somebody else.
Key risk management skills for your Procurement team should build on their supplier market understanding and include things such
as scenario analysis and contingency planning. Ensure you invest in up to date risk management training and use your analytics
capability to bring insight and support decision making.

Point of view
Kristian Park
Partner, Deloitte

play video
The digital age: Key findings

Contacts

The digital age Key findings

Executive
Summary

View from
the market

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

Risk
Accountability

Technology on the agenda

Technology remains a high priority for CPOs with seven out of 10 respondents
planning some or heavy investment in technology over the next year. With recent
economic performance so positive, it is perhaps no surprise that Procurement is
expecting to be given further permission to invest, especially in tools with the promise
of unlocking more value. According to this years results we can expect to see a
reprioritisation of data analytics in 2014. This is back after being the most popular area
of CPO investment in 2011. We have seen the nature of analytics solutions change
in those three years, becoming more multidimensional, dynamic, and insightful.
However, for the majority there still appears to be some way to go.
Hindsight, insight, foresight
Seventy five percent of our respondents have acknowledged that their teams
analytical capabilities are still exclusively based on retrospective data. Whilst still the
norm for most, it has been encouraging to see the rise of more live and even predictive
analytics, creating insight and modelling capabilities that can underpin a much broader
and more valuable dialogue with the business.

The Digital
Age

Tomorrows
TAlent

INDUSTRIES

USE OF DATA

75%

BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE
USE OF ANALYTICS

Fifty four percent of respondents indicated that they are currently investing in technology
to improve the user experience, with investment most likely to take place in self-service
portals, online eCommerce and mobile technologies. There might be a challenge to
the traditional mainstream Procurement solution providers, reflected in some leading
organisations looking to tailor other tools or developing bespoke solutions. This has been
exemplified by the revitalisation of the niche vendor market in Procurement. If the user
experience can be improved then these investments will enable Procurement to realign
customer expectations, and focus on the broader propositions it has to offer.
The digital age: next steps

About the
participants

REAL
33% USING
TIME ANALYSIS

Contacts

ANALYTICS INVESTMENT

16%

USING RETROSPECTIVE
ANALYSIS

HAVE NO
PLANS TO
INVEST

10% HAVE ALREADY

67%

HEAVILY INVESTED

DATA QUALITY

PREDICTIVE
22% USING
ANALYTICS

17%

WOULD LIKE TO INVEST

BUT WILL NOT OVER THE
NEXT 12 MONTHS

36%

AVAILABILITY
OF DATA

This move from hindsight to insight, and on to foresight will be a key enabler of better
business partnering. Procurement will be enabled to make a meaningful contribution
to decision making, whether that is the identification of strategic opportunities,
earlier identification of risks, or more proactive management of suppliers. Data
quality remains the key barrier to generating actionable insights, but similarly, there
is a recognised talent gap, with these skills and experiences less prevalent in many
Procurement teams.
Bringing B2C to B2B
In our personal lives, we are being provided with increasingly user-friendly and mobile
technologies, whether that is click-and-buy on Amazon or trustworthy reviews from
Trip Advisor, we are coming to expect simplicity and clarity from all our commercial
and personal online interactions. The question is how to extend this into the
Procurement.

Regions

SOME
58% ENVISAGE
INVESTMENT
IN THE NEXT
12 MONTHS

33%

SKILLS AND
CAPABILITY

USER EXPERIENCE

54%

INVESTING IN
IMPROVING
USER EXPERIENCE
THROUGH

70%

50%

39%

SELF-SERVICE
PORTALS

ONLINE
MARKETPLACES

MOBILE
TECHNOLOGIES

10

The digital age Next steps

Executive
Summary

View from
the market

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

Risk
Accountability

The Digital
Age

Tomorrows
TAlent

INDUSTRIES

Regions

how should the CPO be thinking about their digital investments?

Time to look through the windscreen
Spend analysis remains a priority investment area for CPOs, demonstrating that this perennial challenge is yet to be fully addressed.
Too much effort has been spent on trying to maintain the perfect spend cube but to limited effect. Spend analysis is still, in effect
looking in the rear view mirror. External data enrichment providers can build and maintain your spend data for you, it is the cross
referencing of spend information with other data points that are already at your disposal in your business that will bring impact
and value.

About the
participants

Contacts

Point of view
David Rees
Director, Deloitte

play video

Face up to true value reporting

Aligning the procurement scorecard to the measures and KPIs of the business is a prerequisite to credibility. And using analytics to
map supplier costs and contribution to internal budgets and profit lines will visualise the impact of Procurement and develop the
role of the function.
Self-service
Your business wants to be able to do the straightforward things themselves. Based on your prioritisation of core Procurement activity
(see the Partnering not process next steps) look to technology to enable quick, efficient delivery of non-core activities. This might
even include running RFPs. The technology solutions for these needs may not sit within the existing Procurement modules of the big
ERP platforms, so be innovative and consider the potential of low-cost workflow platforms to give your users a better experience.
Getting analytical
With so many CPOs looking to invest in analytics, and get more insightful use of the goldmine of data they have at their disposal,
here are some further thoughts on how to get started:
Play with (Procurement) talent introduce Procurement experts to analytics, not analytics experts to Procurement. That way, your
data crunching efforts will be focused on delivering meaningful insight that supports your priorities, not just data for datas sake.
Look to the source getting value from data starts and ends with its sources. You should understand not only your own data, but
also the third party sources available to supplement and extend your range of vision.
Start the clock big data projects can spiral in complexity and scope. Start small delivering something quickly before the business
users lose interest.
Manage expectations choose specific domains in which to begin, focusing on places where your people are most
knowledgeable.
Good hygiene big data is still data and you will still need data disciplines. Core data management, master data management,
integration and stewardship are important even for the small domain slices upon which early efforts are focused.
Stay on target before you can determine the right questions to ask, you will need to illuminate the possible questions that could
be answered. Then define relative priorities and associated metrics to assess what changes could be enacted based on insights.
Tomorrows talent: Key findings

10

Point of view
Mike Manby
Director, Deloitte

play video

Tomorrows talent Key findings

Executive
Summary

View from
the market

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

Risk
Accountability

Broader skills required

Throughout this report there have been several references to the importance of
Procurement talent, and more specifically the breadth of Procurement skills required
within todays function. Whether that is business partnering, risk mitigation or
analytical intelligence the agenda and the expectations of the range of capabilities
required have changed markedly.

The Digital
Age

Tomorrows
TAlent

TEAM EFFECTIVENESS

Seemingly supporting this, less than half of CPOs planned to invest in training their
people in technical Procurement skills.

Tomorrows talent: Next steps

11

About the
participants

50%

TEAMS LACK
THE SKILLS
NEEDED TO
DELIVER THEIR
PROCUREMENT
STRATEGY

BIGGEST SKILLS GAPS

LEADERSHIP SKILLS

SAY THE MARKET

FOR TALENT HAS
BECOME MORE
CONSTRAINED

13%

STATED IT HAD
BECOME LESS
CONSTRAINED

NUMBER OF CPOs PLANNING TO INCREASE THE LEVEL

OF OUTSOURCING IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS OVER
THE NEXT 12 MONTHS
BUSINESS PLANNING AND
STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT

SOFT SKILLS

CATEGORY MANAGEMENT/
STRATEGIC SOURCING
OPERATIONAL BUYING

66%

Contacts

OUTSOURCING

Developing the next generation

The majority of CPOs rated retaining talent as their highest people-focused priority,
and 50% felt the market for talent has become more constrained over the last
12 months. This imbalance between supply and demand will only increase as the
economic recovery takes hold and will certainly be made no easier with 40% of
CPOs looking to increase the size of their teams over the coming year.
We have identified that only a limited number of leading organisations are continuing
to invest in training, creating opportunities for growth for existing team members,
and progressing with targeted recruitment, and even fewer continue to provide
formal procurement programmes for graduates. These organisations may be investing
more now in the hope of building the talent of tomorrow and might just steal a
march on those who do not.

Regions

SOURCING TALENT

48%
FEEL THEIR

Almost half of our respondents felt that their teams did not have all the skills required
to deliver against the evolving requirements of the business. Soft skills, and even more
so leadership skills, were by some margin identified as the biggest gaps. Whilst this
is clearly a pain point for our current CPOs it is nothing new, with these issues raised
consistently over the last three years.
Traditional skills delivered through non-traditional means
Complementing the drive for broader business partnering skills has been the
appreciation that core traditional Procurement processes do not have to be
delivered by the front line Procurement team. One in five of our CPOs is now
starting to increase the extent to which they outsource, not just operational buying
and requisition to pay activity, but also previously core activities such as category
management and strategic sourcing.

INDUSTRIES

88%

REQUISTION TO PAYMENT
CONTRACT AND
SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIP
MANAGEMENT

6%
18%
19%
20%
7%

Tomorrows talent Next steps

Executive
Summary

View from
the market

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

Risk
Accountability

The Digital
Age

Tomorrows
TAlent

The survey results confirm that the war on talent continues to intensify.
CPOs believe it is becoming harder to attract talent, yet they want to grow their functions, leading to more focus on retention.
Skills do not align with the needs of the business so what can Procurement leaders do to enhance capability and attract the
top talent?
Recognise distinct skill sets
The Procurement organisation of today (and the future) requires a significantly broader set of skills than just the core professional
skills of the function. Just like all other enabling functions such as IT, Finance and HR, it is now time for Procurement to more
fully recognise the increasing number of specialist roles required to deliver the full value of a Procurement function. Specialised
roles with distinct responsibilities, organised across a broader business agenda. The skills required to fulfil these roles are not the
Procurement skills of today, but if done correctly they will become the Procurement skills of tomorrow.
Invest in your internal teams
Training budgets have fallen and then stagnated over the three years that we have been conducting this survey. With the
constrained market for talent, and the need to focus on a set of new skills for Procurement teams, investment in internal capability
should become more of a priority. Look outside category management training to other areas leadership, influencing skills,
finance, and analytics. Consider attracting and developing young talent through your graduate and school leavers schemes,
and building the leadership skills of your more experienced talent by exposing them to various new opportunities.
Be targeted and creative in your recruitment
Procurement has proven to be successful during the recent period of economic recession. The focus on Procurement has never
been higher. This is the perfect opportunity to capitalise on that and make supported investments in taking the next step.
Consider what it is you are looking for from outside your organisation and how those skills can be harnessed. Dont hunt in
traditional waters for new recruits and exacerbate the competition. Look to other professions where you see the skills you lack
and consider outsourcing to service providers for the rest.

INDUSTRIES

Regions

About the
participants

My take

My take

Contacts

Guy Hubball
Vice President Indirect Procurement and Group Real Estate, BP
To expect our Procurement people to be effective negotiators, strategic
thinkers, deeply analytical, and capable of building deep lasting relationships
with both stakeholders and suppliers is, in my view, asking them to be
somewhat superhuman. To address the increased expectations of our
Procurement team, we have started to stratify our resources at BP to create
specialism through dedicated roles. We are then investing heavily in training
people with the skills that are relevant to these roles, and in parallel, we are
also focused on creating a talent pipeline through a dedicated graduate scheme
that helps us to build capability and knowledge internally.

Point of view
Lucy Harding
Head of Practice, Procurement
and Supply Chain,
Odger Berndtson
play video

Point of view
Guy Hubball
Vice President Indirect
Procurement and Group
Real Estate, BP
play video
INDUSTRIES: Key findings

12

11

Industries Key findings

Executive
Summary

View from
the market

Risk
Accountability

The Digital
Age

Tomorrows
TAlent

INDUSTRIES

Regions

About the
participants

Contacts

MANUFACTURING

FINANCIAL SERVICES

PUBLIC SECTOR

CONSUMER BUSINESS

TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA
& TELECOMMUNICATIONS

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

SERVICES

ENERGY & RESOURCES

HEALTHCARE & LIFESCIENCES

REGIONS: KEY FINDINGS

13

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

11

Industries Key findings

Executive
Summary

View from
the market

MANUFACTURING

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

Risk
Accountability

The Digital
Age

Tomorrows
TAlent

INDUSTRIES

XPUBLIC SECTOR

Manufacturing
FINANCIAL SERVICES
More likely to:
Report that the level of financial and economic
uncertainty has decreased over the last 12 months.
Attempt to understand internal stakeholder
requirements by embedding Procurement members
in cross functional teams.
Focus on delivering value from freight, packaging
and raw materials over all other categories during
the next year.

Regions

About the
participants

Contacts

CONSUMER BUSINESS

Less likely to:

E xperience misaligned objectives between the
Procurement function and the rest of the business.
Identify a lack of Procurement influence upon the
rest of the organisation.
Measure supplier satisfaction or internal customer
satisfaction as part of a balanced scorecard.

TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA
& TELECOMMUNICATIONS

REGIONS: KEY FINDINGS

14

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

SERVICES

ENERGY & RESOURCES

HEALTHCARE & LIFESCIENCES

11

Industries Key findings

Executive
Summary

View from
the market

MANUFACTURING

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

Risk
Accountability

The Digital
Age

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Tomorrows
TAlent

INDUSTRIES

Regions

About the
participants

Contacts

XCONSUMER BUSINESS

Financial
Services
PUBLIC SECTOR
More likely to:
Have no Procurement balanced scorecard in place.
Feel that their Procurement function has a lack of
influence upon the rest of the organisation.
Be focused on consolidating spend over the coming
12 months.
Be actively managing risk through regular multifunctional risk meetings.
Less likely to:
Attempt to understand internal stakeholder
requirements by embedding Procurement members
in cross functional teams.
Be investing in supplier relationship management
over the next 12 months.

TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA
& TELECOMMUNICATIONS

REGIONS: KEY FINDINGS

14

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

SERVICES

ENERGY & RESOURCES

HEALTHCARE & LIFESCIENCES

11

Industries Key findings

Executive
Summary

View from
the market

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

Risk
Accountability

The Digital
Age

Public
Sector
MANUFACTURING
FINANCIAL SERVICES
More likely to:
Have fallen short of their savings plan for the last 12 months.
Feel more pessimistic about the financial prospects for their organisation than they did 12 months
ago.
Experience misaligned objectives between Procurement and the rest of the organisation.
Feel that they have a lack of Procurement resource to engage with the rest of the organisation.
Be looking to grow the Procurement function over the next 12 months and have found it easier
to attract talent over the last 12 months.

Tomorrows
TAlent

INDUSTRIES

Regions

About the
participants

Contacts

PUBLIC SECTOR

CONSUMER BUSINESS

ENERGY & RESOURCES

HEALTHCARE & LIFESCIENCES

Less likely to:

Report that levels of uncertainty and Procurement-related risk have increased over the last
12 months.
Feel that the skills and capabilities of the current Procurement team are sufficient to deliver the
Procurement strategy.
Use predictive analytics.

TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA
& TELECOMMUNICATIONS

REGIONS: KEY FINDINGS

14

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

SERVICES

11

Industries Key findings

Executive
Summary

View from
the market

MANUFACTURING

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

Risk
Accountability

The Digital
Age

Tomorrows
TAlent

INDUSTRIES

Regions

Consumer
Business
FINANCIAL
SERVICES
PUBLIC SECTOR
More likely to:
Have exceeded their savings plan over the last 12 months and rate their department as very
effective in delivering value for internal customers.
Feel more optimistic about the financial prospects for their organisation than they did 12 months
ago.
Focus on managing commodity price volatility over the coming 12 months.
Jointly own targets with other internal stakeholders.
Measure supplier performance as part of a balanced scorecard.
Play a frequent and active role in risk management and mitigation.
Be looking to invest in supplier relationship management over the next 12 months.

About the
participants

Contacts

CONSUMER BUSINESS

Less likely to:

Feel that the Procurement function has a lack of influence over the rest of the organisation.
Have a clear owner for risk within the organisation.

TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA
& TELECOMMUNICATIONS

REGIONS: KEY FINDINGS

14

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

SERVICES

ENERGY & RESOURCES

HEALTHCARE & LIFESCIENCES

11

Industries Key findings

Executive
Summary

View from
the market

MANUFACTURING

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

Risk
Accountability

FINANCIAL SERVICES

The Digital
Age

Tomorrows
TAlent

INDUSTRIES

PUBLIC SECTOR

Regions

About the
participants

Contacts

CONSUMER BUSINESS

TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA
& TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Technology, Media & Telecommunications

More likely to:
Feel more optimistic about the financial prospects for their organisation
than they did
months ago.
BUSINESS
& 12
PROFESSIONAL
ENERGY & RESOURCES
SERVICES
Feel that the level of Procurement-related risk has increased over the last
12 months.
Feel that the Procurement function has a lack of resource to engage
with the rest of the business.
Be limited in their use of analytics within Procurement due to limited
skills and capabilities of resources.
Have found it easier to attract talent over the last 12 months but be
looking to reduce the size of their Procurement function over the next
12 months.
Less likely to:
Report that the level of financial and economic uncertainty has
decreased over the last 12 months.
Measure supplier performance using a balanced scorecard or use
regular multi-functional risk meetings to manage risk.

REGIONS: KEY FINDINGS

14

HEALTHCARE & LIFESCIENCES

11

Industries Key findings

Executive
Summary

View from
the market

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

Risk
Accountability

The Digital
Age

Tomorrows
TAlent

INDUSTRIES

Regions

About the
participants

MANUFACTURING

FINANCIAL SERVICES

PUBLIC SECTOR

TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA
& TELECOMMUNICATIONS

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

SERVICES

Business
Services
ENERGY&&Professional
RESOURCES
More likely to:
Feel more optimistic about the financial prospects
for their organisation than they did 12 months ago.
Feel that the level of Procurement-related risk has
declined over the last 12 months.
Have a clear owner for risk within the organisation.
Have had no savings plan in place over the last
12 months.

CONSUMER BUSINESS

XHEALTHCARE & LIFESCIENCES

Less likely to:

mitigation on a frequent basis.
Identify limited skills and capabilities of resources as
a barrier to the use of analytics.
Be looking to invest in supply risk management over
the next 12 months.

REGIONS: KEY FINDINGS

14

Contacts

Industries Key findings

Executive
Summary

View from
the market

MANUFACTURING

TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA
& TELECOMMUNICATIONS

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

Risk
Accountability

The Digital
Age

Tomorrows
TAlent

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Energy &
Resources& PROFESSIONAL
BUSINESS
More likely
to:
SERVICES
Experience misaligned objectives between
Procurement and the rest of the business.
Feel that the Procurement function has a lack of
influence upon the rest of the organisation.
Feel that their analytical capabilities are limited by
their current resources.
Grow their Procurement function over the next year.
Feel that the current Procurement team has the skills
and capability to deliver the Procurement strategy.
Less likely to:
Measure supplier satisfaction as part of a balanced
scorecard.
Be involved in risk management and mitigation.

REGIONS: KEY FINDINGS

14

INDUSTRIES

Regions

About the
participants

Contacts

PUBLIC SECTOR

CONSUMER BUSINESS

ENERGY & RESOURCES

HEALTHCARE & LIFESCIENCES

Industries Key findings

Executive
Summary

View from
the market

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

Risk
Accountability

The Digital
Age

Tomorrows
TAlent

INDUSTRIES

Regions

MANUFACTURING

FINANCIAL SERVICES

PUBLIC SECTOR

TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA
& TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Healthcare
Sciences
BUSINESS && Life
PROFESSIONAL
ENERGY & RESOURCES
More
likely
to:
SERVICES
Attempt to understand internal stakeholder requirements by embedding Procurement members
in cross functional teams and jointly owning targets with internal stakeholders.
Feel that the level of Procurement-related risk has increased over the last 12 months.
Be involved in risk management and mitigation on a frequent basis.
Feel that the skills and capabilities of the current Procurement team are sufficient to deliver the
Procurement strategy.
Have found it more difficult to attract talent over the last 12 months.

REGIONS: KEY FINDINGS

14

Contacts

CONSUMER BUSINESS

Less likely to:

Report that the level of financial and economic uncertainty has decreased over the last
12 months.
Feel that the Procurement function suffers from a lack of resource to engage with the rest of
the business.

About the
participants

HEALTHCARE & LIFESCIENCES

11

Regions Key findings

Executive
Summary

View from
the market

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

Risk
Accountability

The Digital
Age

Tomorrows
TAlent

INDUSTRIES

Regions

About the
participants

Contacts

Germany
More likely to
Have met or exceeded last years savings plans.
Experience difficulties when trying to attract talent.
Be concerned with commodity volatility and supplier insolvencies.
Use predictive analytics to mitigate risk and invest heavily in
analytics in the near future.
Less likely to
Be concerned with regulatory risks.
Be worried that the current team might not be capable of
delivering the Procurement strategy.
Experience resistance from senior stakeholders when looking to
develop analytical capabilities.

Canada
More likely to
Believe their Procurement
function is ineffective
at delivering value and
be looking to grow the
function as a result.
Experience misaligned
objectives with the rest of
the business.
Focus more on economic
risk than all other
geographies, but have no
clear owner for risk in their
organisation.
Less likely to
Have met last years savings
plan.
Share Procurement targets
with other areas of the
business.
Be engaged in risk
management.

United Kingdom
More likely to
Have met or exceeded last years savings plans.
Jointly own their targets with other areas of the
business.
Feel that Procurement functions are very
effective at delivering value.
Commit to developing talent through succession
planning processes.
Focus on reputational risks than all other
geographies.
Less likely to
Use predictive analytics to enhance the analytical
capability of the Procurement function.

United States of America

More likely to
Be concerned with regulatory risks
than their European counterparts.
Experience a limit to analytical
capabilities due to a lack of skills.
Less likely to
Be concerned about supplier
insolvencies than European CPOs.
Measure supplier performance using
balanced scorecards.
Use predictive analytics to actively
manage risk.

ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS

15

Rest of Europe
More likely to
Experience greater levels of uncertainty
than at this point last year.
Feel that the skills of the current
Procurement team are insufficient to
deliver the Procurement strategy.
Be highly or fully involved in risk
management.
Least likely to
Be focussed on economic risks than the
rest of the world.

Asia-Pacific
More likely to
Have met or exceeded saving plans over the last 12 months.
Have the resources necessary to engage with the business to
drive value.
Measure supplier compliance and performance.
Least likely to
Experience organisational barriers preventing value delivery.
Be focused on the risk of potential supplier insolvencies.
Prioritise growing the Procurement function and hence,
experience difficulties in attracting talent.
See training as a talent priority over the next year.

12

About the participants

Executive
Summary

View from
the market

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

Risk
Accountability

The Digital
Age

Tomorrows
TAlent

INDUSTRIES

RESPONSES BY GEOGRAPHY

Regions

6%

10%

LESS THAN
$10 MILLION

$50 BILLION
AND MORE

17%

0-5

21

5-10

THIRD PARTY SPEND MANAGED BY INDUSTRY ($BN)

25-30

REST OF
EUROPE

UNITED
STATES

$1 BILLION
$10 BILLION

20-25

40

50

40%

$10 BILLION
$50 BILLION

15-20

UNITED
KINGDOM

$10 MILLION
$1 BILLION

26%

10-15

GERMANY

47

12

OTHER

ASIAPACIFIC

30-35

MANUFACTURING

35-40

CONSUMER BUSINESS

40-45

ENERGY & RESOURCES

TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA
& COMMUNICATIONS
FINANCIAL SERVICES

45-50

HEALTHCARE & LIFE SCIENCES

GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC SECTOR

RESPONSES BY INDUSTRY

OTHER

MANUFACTURING
FINANCIAL SERVICES
GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC SECTOR
OTHER
HEALTHCARE & LIFE SCIENCES
TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS
ENERGY & RESOURCES
CONSUMER BUSINESS
BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

contacts

16

Contacts

RESPONSES BY ORGANISATION TURNOVER

THE 2013 SURVEY COMBINES 183 CHIEF PROCUREMENT OFFICER OPINIONS ACROSS THE GLOBE.

CANADA

About the
participants

10

15

18
18
17

20

23
22

40

CPO REPORTING LINES

14%

210.9
188.7
147.6
106.2
104.6
100.7
94
115.5

21%

DIRECTLY
TO CEO

OTHER

25%

OPERATIONS
LEADERSHIP
TEAM

40%

FINANCE
LEADERSHIP
TEAM

12

Contacts
Executive
Summary

View from
the market

PARTNERING
NOT PROCESS

Risk
Accountability

The Digital
Age

Tomorrows
TAlent

Australia
Bruce Williamson
[email protected]

Mexico
Froylan Campos
[email protected]

United Kingdom
James Gregson
[email protected]

Austria
Philipp Zimmerman
[email protected]

New Zealand
David Lovatt
[email protected]

United States
Brian Umbenhauer
[email protected]

Belgium
Tom Van Wesemael
[email protected]

Norway
Edgar Heitmann
[email protected]

Odgers Berndtson
Lucy Harding
[email protected]

Canada
Lee Barter
[email protected]

Singapore
Nicholas White
[email protected]

Denmark
Tore Christian Jensen
[email protected]

South Africa
Neville Hounsom
[email protected]

Germany
Michael Wiedling
[email protected]

Switzerland
Patrick Foelck
[email protected]

Italy
Federico Pompolani
[email protected]

The Netherlands
Joep Dijkhuis
[email protected]

ABOUT DELOITTE & ODGERS BERNDTSON

17

INDUSTRIES

Regions

About the
participants

Contacts

About Deloitte
Deloitte provides audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services to public and private sector clients sectorspanning multiple industries. With a globally connected network of member firms in more than 150
countries, Deloitte brings world-class capabilities and high-quality service to clients, delivering the insights they need to address their most complex business challenges. Deloitte has in the region of 200,000 professionals,
all committed to becoming the standard of excellence.
About Odgers Berndtson
Odgers Berndtson is a global executive search firm, helping private and public sector organisations find the highest calibre people for permanent and interim management appointments in the UK and internationally.
Their reputation at the top of the executive search profession is over 40 years old. They have an international presence in over 50 cities worldwide. Their industry practices range from Financial Services to Life Sciences and
Sports, complemented by the functional practices that focus on Finance, IT, HR, Supply Chain and Procurement, Legal and Corporate Communications roles. They are also the only executive recruitment firm that has an
in-house interim management team so are uniquely placed to assist clients with finding interim executives.
Their experienced executive search specialists operate with absolute discretion, integrity and care, and are expert in finding exceptional individuals for challenging roles.
The Procurement and Supply Chain practice works with global leading organisations to find them exceptional talent in this ever increasingly important function.

25

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