International Procurement Day: Procurement in the Spotlight

The 25 April marks International Procurement Day – a day to bring the sector into the spotlight.

In recent years, procurement has become central to business resilience, but it still has a history as a back-office function. 

International Procurement Day exists to celebrate the work being done by procurement professionals around the world.

Celebrating excellence in procurement

Procurement was once a behind-the-scenes function, operating to ensure cost savings, smooth contracts and responsible sourcing. Recent years and ongoing market turbulence has meant that the profession has been recognised as a core driver of business resilience.

Now, procurement is becoming a key part of decisions, with leaders recognising that sourcing and smooth contracts are integral to building reliable supply chains. This recognition has resulted in a shift across the sector – the understanding of its role has meant demand for procurement teams has increased. They are now expected to do more, but inflation, tariff pressures and more has business leaders keeping the finances tight.

As a result, procurement teams are spread thin and turning more towards automation to accelerate their capabilities. Instead of procurement being the manual, spreadsheet-heavy function of the past, it is undergoing a transformation of digitalisation. Those manual and time-consuming tasks are now being taken care of by AI and automation, while supplier relationships are being maintained by procurement leaders.

These teams have now become front and centre of developing strong supply chains and trust with partners. International Procurement Day, therefore, is about celebrating this excellence and helping leaders grow.

International Procurement Day was created by Procurement Tactics in 2024 and has since grown into a global movement, celebrating the people working to ensure operational excellence. 

Procurement Tactics works to train procurement teams with online courses and live expert sessions, helping upskill individuals and teams alike. It has been used by teams from more than 1,000 organisations around the world, including Unilever and PwC. 

"A few years ago, we noticed something that bothered us," Procurement Tactics writes on LinkedIn

"Procurement professionals keep organisations running. They negotiate the deals, manage the risks, and secure the supply chains. Yet when companies celebrate their teams, procurement rarely gets a mention.

"So we thought: what if we gave them their day? That's how International Procurement Day was born. April 25th."

How to celebrate

On April 25, procurement professionals around the world will celebrate their role, their team, share their work and inspire the future generations of leaders. There will be a global coming together, exploring latest technologies and trend, as well as success stories. 

The celebration is both an opportunity for reflection and for growth – communities can be formed and new skills can be learnt. 

Procurement Tactics explores different ways in which International Procurement Day can be celebrated:

• Join online events - Procurement Tactics organises a range of exclusive online events where professionals can network, learn from one another and celebrate success stories.
• Reflect on achievements - this is a time where individuals can explore their personal and professional growth, including certifications earned, deals won and processes they have improved.
• Post on LinkedIn - use the site to celebrate teams and explore the impact procurement has on each organisation.
• Showcase impact - the day empowers leaders to strategically communicate the efficiency, effectiveness and business impact that procurement teams have produced to the stakeholders.
• Invest in the team - this day is the perfect opportunity to provide the team with new tools to help them advance to the next level, with investments in team training.

Growing for the future

International Procurement Day offers the opportunity to connect with 50,000+ procurement professionals from around the world. Procurement Tactics offers a range of team training courses for procurement professionals, including insights into AI use, negotiation advice, onboarding and training, as well as how to move to strategic procurement.

Procurement Tactics adds: "What started as an idea from our team at Procurement Tactics has turned into something we honestly didn't expect. People across the globe are posting about it. Teams are celebrating together. Procurement leaders are using it as a moment to recognise their people."

It is an opportunity for growth and celebration at once, drawing attention to the resilience that procurement teams around the world offer.