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.
2026 Predictions: Will Procurement Teams Shrink? It’s that time of year! On the latest episode of Proc & Roll, hosts Conrad Smith, Natasha Gurevich, and Zachary Bachir fired up the crystal ball to look ahead at 2026. But before looking […]
Happy 1st Birthday to Proc & Roll! 🎂🎸 Can you believe it has been a whole year? In this special anniversary episode, hosts Conrad Smith, Natasha Gurevich, and Zach Bachir put aside the interview scripts to reminisce on the journey […]
“We basically jumped off the cliff and collected the plane as we were falling down.” That is how Arnaud De Brux, Head of Indirect Procurement at BIC, describes one of the most defining projects of his career. It wasn’t a […]
The procurement technology market has exploded. What used to be a landscape dominated by two or three major players 15 years ago is now a crowded field of thousands of solutions, ranging from massive end-to-end suites to niche AI point […]
Your business now runs on a web of vendors, partners, cloud services, and contractors. That reach creates leverage, but it also expands your attack surface and operational exposure. Many risk leaders already rank third-party risk among the top five threats […]
Manual supplier management worked when your vendor list was short and your risk surface was small. Today, teams juggle global suppliers, compliance evidence, contract renewals, and cross-functional reviews, while trying to hit launch dates and stay audit-ready. The result? Email […]
Taking on a new procurement leadership role can be both exhilarating and overwhelming. You’re expected to drive value, establish trust, and signal a clear direction—often all at once. So where do you start? In your first 100 days, focus on […]
Supplier relationships were once primarily based on emails and spreadsheets. Today, that approach no longer suffices. Delays, missing data, and back-and-forth requests slow everything down, which isn’t conducive to business. That’s where supplier collaboration tools come in. These platforms help […]
See onboarding through your suppliers’ eyes, and fix what’s broken. The Problem: Supplier Portals Weren’t Built for Suppliers You may have invested in a secure, ERP-integrated onboarding portal that checks every compliance box. But if suppliers are still getting stuck, […]
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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