CPO Procuretech Secrets with Jim Townsend

The Procurement Conversation

Rich speaks to Jim Townsend - former CPO of Walgreens Boots Alliance to get the inside view on Procurement Technology from a CPO.

Jim talks about the digital landscape of procurement and the need for a more strategic approach for investment in procurement technology.
The conversation includes the relevance of technology to relation to the maturity and requirements of an organisation, the value and timing of a technology investment, and the need to focus on what's important, rather than getting distracted by new tech solutions.
Jim also highlights the important of leadership in this space.

00:43 The Role of Technology in Procurement

01:56 The Importance of Timing in Tech Implementation

04:38 The Challenges of Making a Business Case for Tech

10:49 The Evolution of Procurement Tools

17:26 Tools that Jim has seen which are useful for procurement

21:58 The Skills Needed for Digital Procurement

24:08 Learning from Tech Mistakes in Procurement

26:08 Conclusion: The Future of Procurement and Technology

Chapters

1. CPO Procuretech Secrets with Jim Townsend (00:00:00)

2. The Role of Technology in Procurement (00:00:43)

3. The Importance of Timing in Tech Implementation (00:01:56)

4. The Challenges of Making a Business Case for Tech (00:04:38)

5. The Evolution of Procurement Tools (00:10:49)

6. Tools that Jim has seen which are useful for procurement (00:17:26)

7. The Skills Needed for Digital Procurement (00:21:58)

8. Learning from Tech Mistakes in Procurement (00:24:08)

9. Conclusion: The Future of Procurement and Technology (00:26:08)