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.
Bart Reekmans shares leadership insights from his military and CPO background. He emphasizes adapting to company culture and prioritizing stakeholder outcomes. Comparing team management to marathon training, he advises engineering "sprints" to build crisis muscle memory. Bart also champions prioritizing collaboration to be a "customer of choice".
Conrad, Zach, and Natasha kick off a leadership series by exploring the purpose of life in an AI-driven world of abundance. They conclude lasting fulfillment comes from overcoming personal flaws, not material wealth. The trio distinguishes management from true leadership, defining the latter as a sacred privilege to inspire, elevate others, and build united teams.
Sanjay Srivastava explains why the rapid pace of AI is the "slowest it will ever be". He warns that while coding costs drop, token and maintenance expenses are skyrocketing. Companies must shift from episodic to continuous transformation, prioritizing domain expertise and an "oak tree" strategy to restructure corporate design and realize true ROI.
This week on Proc N Roll, the hosts interview Joël Collin-Demers on AI in procurement. Joël details "buy to build"—buying a base platform and using AI agents to customize the rest. He also explains MCP as a "menu" that lets AI easily integrate systems, and stresses the need for hybrid IT-procurement talent to lead this tech shift safely.
Limor David-Sternfeld details her path to global procurement leadership. She emphasizes a "figure it out" mindset and deep category preparation. Limor predicts AI will automate tactical tasks, while humans retain strategic negotiations. She advises delaying long-term tech contracts and defines leadership through bravery and clear communication.
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.
Onboarding surveys can quickly become burdensome, especially if you’re answering the same questions multiple times.
Supplier Performance Management (SPM) is more important than ever as organizations up-level their procurement function and build long-term relationships with strategic vendors and suppliers. With complex supply chains and digital operational resilience top of mind, SPM helps businesses ensure suppliers […]
Building a team of strategic sourcing professionals may be daunting, but it can be done with a few simple steps.
Tips, metrics, and leadership insights for building a case for procurement transformation.
Learn how effective supplier management can boost the effectiveness of your procurement team.
Efficient procurement is key to the success of any biopharmaceutical operation. With complicated supply chains, strict compliance standards, and pressure to control costs, your procurement teams need more than a reactive approach. A proactive bio pharma procurement strategy helps you […]
Vendor relationships create both opportunities and risks. When your suppliers handle sensitive data, deliver core services, or operate in other countries, a small problem can impact multiple teams before you know it. The best vendor risk management software helps you […]
Introduction: Why the Old KPIs Are No Longer Enough For decades, procurement success has been measured by a single number: savings. And while reducing costs will always be important, it’s no longer enough to capture the full impact of procurement […]
Managing vendors manually just isn’t practical or competitive anymore. As regulatory requirements grow and supply chains grow more interconnected, an online vendor management system has become necessary for procurement managers seeking operational efficiency and risk mitigation. The right vendor management […]
In this week's podcast, Conrad, Natasha, and Zach debate who owns enterprise AI. Zach argues for decentralized, bottom-up innovation where employees test tools and procurement manages rising token costs. Natasha counters that without a centralized strategy, companies risk compliance disasters and "shadow AI." They conclude AI needs a careful mix of top-down governance and bottom-up creativity.
40-year procurement veteran John Dickson explains why the function is at a critical inflection point. He argues against begging for a "seat at the table," urging leaders to earn credibility by deeply understanding business needs. John shares strategies for aligning with finance on value metrics, using category strategies to build stakeholder trust, and why CPOs must actively learn AI.
In this episode of Proc N Roll, Conrad, Natasha, and Zach debate AI's workforce role, from automated assistants to "digital twins" handling volume. They also explore structuring procurement operating models using various archetypes and service layers. Their golden rule: leaders must align their operating model with broader enterprise goals before ever starting to build the actual org chart.
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