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.
Creating visibility and standardized processes will go a long way to gaining trust in your organization.
As AI and automation change the procurement landscape, what skills will you actually need to stay relevant? Natasha, Conrad, and Zach break down how the profession is evolving from a narrow focus on savings to a strategic function centered on […]
Build a world-class procurement team that is effective at every stage of your organization’s growth stage.
Introduction: The Problem with “Contract-First” Thinking In many procurement teams, supplier vetting doesn’t begin until a contract is ready to be signed. At that point, the business is committed, timelines are tight, and stakeholders are impatient. Risk reviews become rushed, […]
The speed of business is increasing every day. Too often, supplier onboarding becomes a bottleneck to doing business.
Boost ROI by understanding common KPIs which help evaluate vendor relationships and improve supplier performance.
Are you tired of the endless back-and-forth and delays that come with bringing new vendors on board? If you’re wondering how to make vendor onboarding more efficient, a well-structured supplier onboarding form could be the game-changer you need. Imagine streamlining […]
Why Great Tools Fail Without Alignment Even the most powerful supplier management systems can underperform, or fail entirely, without stakeholder buy-in. Procurement leaders often invest heavily in technology only to find adoption stalls, workflows get disrupted, and frustration spreads. The […]
Choosing the wrong supplier can be very costly. Discover how to select suppliers who are committed to your success.
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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