Welcome to the Graphite Connect Blog. Check in for frequent articles and podcast episodes that will help your team operate at the highest possible level.
What happens when your procurement systems can’t meet the current life sciences industry demands? You see delays, rising costs, and more risk than you can afford. If you manage procurement in this sector, you know what’s at stake. You’re supporting […]
Regularly use tools like the Probability, Impact Matrix, and NIST Framework to effectively manage risk.
Procurement professionals often feel under-resourced compared to their sales counterparts, who have entire teams dedicated to responding to RFPs. To “even the playing field,” procurement needs tools that can optimize data and automate the heavy lifting. In this special “jam […]
For decades, the Request for Proposal (RFP) has been the default tool for procurement. But for anyone who has had to create one—or worse, respond to one—the process is often a “disgusting,” “sloppy,” and painful exercise in futility. It’s a […]
As you add more cloud platforms, SaaS tools, and service providers, your vendor network becomes harder to secure. Every new connection increases the chance of data exposure, downtime, or compliance failure. Without the right tools, you may not catch these […]
Streamline your supplier information management processes and save time with proactive strategies and automation.
Learn how to create ideal risk mitigation programs that align with your business objectives.
Is procurement ready for its next major identity shift? In this special episode of Proc and Roll, we’re joined by none other than Dr. Elouise Epstein—strategist, author, and creator of the legendary spider map—for a conversation that pulls no punches. […]
Many procurement teams fall victim to obscurity within their organizations. Run internal campaigns to avoid this.
Compare the best supplier onboarding software for telecom companies, including features, integrations, compliance tools, and supplier management capabilities.
Learn what bank account verification is, how it works, and why procurement teams use bank account verification tools to prevent vendor payment fraud and validate supplier banking data.
Compare the top bank account verification services for preventing vendor fraud, validating supplier banking details, and securing ACH payments.
Learn how long bank verification takes during supplier onboarding, what causes delays, and how automated bank verification services help reduce fraud and accelerate approvals.
Learn what CEO fraud is, how executive impersonation scams work, common warning signs, real-world examples, and CEO fraud prevention strategies for procurement and AP teams.
Learn how wire transfer fraud targets procurement teams, common fraud schemes, prevention strategies, supplier verification best practices, and steps to reduce payment fraud risk.
Most supplier management RFPs ask the wrong questions. This guide gives you 67 specific questions — drawn from real enterprise RFPs — designed to surface the differences that actually matter.
Procurement in consumer goods is rarely simple. Brands manage large supplier networks, fast-moving SKUs, and constant demand shifts, all while protecting margins.
Learn how leading CPG brands use a supplier portal for consumer goods to drive innovation, sustainability, and supply chain speed.
Conrad and Omid Ghamami discuss why procurement's fatal flaw is buying "goods and services" instead of "business outcomes". Omid explains excess costs stem from poor end-user demand articulation, not weak negotiation. To deliver value, professionals must stop acting as policy police, become trusted advisors , and quietly solve problems without asking permission.
Conrad interviews Tealbook founder Stephany Lapierre about procurement data quality. She explains how messy vendor master data costs companies millions in endless manual cleanup. Stephany warns that generic AI cannot magically fix bad data—it just gives confident wrong answers. She advises leaders to pare big visions into actionable steps.
Conrad interviews Certificial CEO Peter Teresi on innovation and problem-solving. Peter notes true innovation requires moving past simple efficiency to transformative, foundational solutions. He advises leaders to carve out time for creative thinking, hire carefully, and execute their ideas without second-guessing.
In Ep 50, Conrad, Zach, and Natasha detail practical steps to build a procurement operating model. They argue leaders must first map the enterprise's structure and goals (the "skeleton") before focusing on spend or org charts. They also share personal use cases of AI agents automating admin tasks like org charts and calendars , urging teams to repurpose freed FTEs for strategic value.
This episode of Proc n Roll features Natasha and Zachary interviewing Jason Busch on AI's impact on procurement. Jason divides AI into copilots, agentic systems, and AI employees. He advises leaders to build AI digital twins instead of relying on legacy SaaS. Jason warns AI will soon replace knowledge work, advising kids to pursue manual trades like electricians.
Conrad, Zachary, and guest Tomas Wiemer explore the procurement operating model of the future. With AI agents automating tasks like RFPs and TCO models, the focus shifts from rigid processes to fast outcomes. They discuss how procurement roles will evolve into AI supervisors and why leaders must adopt an abundance mindset to architect this new era of tech-driven sourcing.
The hosts explore OpenClaw AI agents. Kasey shows how non-technical users can build agents like "Gavin" to automate contract compliance. The team predicts these AI tools will replace expensive procurement tech stacks. They urge professionals to start experimenting today.
Conrad and Shunit Kainy discuss the power of procurement communities. Shunit explains how she built an IT procurement network in Israel to combat professional isolation. They explore overcoming introversion, the generosity of peer knowledge sharing, and why procurement must step up to lead. Finally, they note that human imagination is the biggest barrier to AI adoption.
In this episode, the team discusses how AI agents are transforming procurement from a "gatekeeper" of processes into a strategic enterprise "conductor". They argue for a shift from siloed goals to enterprise KPIs like revenue and margin. The focus must be on outcomes rather than bureaucratic ego , using technology to automate operations while humans handle critical, high-level decision-making.
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