Kinaxis Maestro: The New Platform Helping with Procurement

With global trade tensions escalating, procurement teams are under pressure to respond fast. From raw material price hikes to sourcing instability, tariffs are reshaping supply chains at every level.

In a live webinar, Kinaxis gathers supply chain leaders and economists to explore how companies can adapt procurement strategies and stay resilient.

The discussion focuses on how unpredictable tariffs impact production planning and supplier management, emphasising how procurement can become more responsive using technology such as Kinaxis Maestro.

The tool allows organisations to model outcomes, manage costs and navigate disruptions in real time.

Procurement planning 

Procurement sits at the sharp edge of trade policy. Supply chains already stretched by labour shortages, rising costs and political uncertainty now face an added layer of complexity: tariffs.

These import or export taxes imposed by governments are creating unpredictable spikes in cost and delays in supply.

Andrew Bell, Chief Product Officer at Kinaxis, appears alongside economist and futurist Andrew Busch and senior executives from Qualcomm, Viant Medical and Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Together, they examine how global sourcing strategies must adapt.

They outline a shift in how organisations procure materials and components. One emerging trend is nearshoring—moving production closer to end markets.

Procurement functions are being tasked with finding reliable suppliers in new regions to reduce exposure to cross-border tariffs and long lead times.

But this adjustment is not straightforward. Tariffs don’t just raise prices—they increase complexity.

Procurement professionals must now juggle supplier vetting, contract negotiation and risk assessment across multiple legal jurisdictions, with less time and more scrutiny.

Fred Bauman, Senior Industry Principal at Kinaxis, focuses on the consumer products sector, highlighting four procurement challenges tied directly to tariffs.

First, price increases from tariffs on both raw materials and finished goods are cutting into budgets. Even companies sourcing inputs domestically feel the impact.

“Packaging materials like aluminium, steel and glass—much of which is imported—are also subject to new charges, adding complexity to supply chain budgeting,” says Fred.

Second, global sourcing strategies are being disrupted. Procurement teams are forced to identify alternative suppliers, often in unfamiliar markets.

This involves onboarding, quality checks and revising shipping routes—all of which take time and introduce risk.

Third, regulatory compliance is becoming more demanding. Every country sets its own tariff rules, which means procurement must monitor and adapt to constantly changing trade policies.

As Fred notes: “Consumer product companies must find ways to manage these pressures while maintaining competitiveness and meeting consumer expectations.”

Lastly, pricing decisions linked to procurement strategy influence consumer behaviour. When procurement leads to higher retail prices, customer loyalty is tested.

“Price-sensitive customers may back away from non-essential or premium products when prices go up,” Fred explains. This creates pressure to improve transparency about cost changes and communicate supply issues clearly to the customer.

Technology tools

Kinaxis positions its Maestro platform as a solution to these procurement pressures.

The tool is built to support supply chain teams in modelling trade scenarios and managing the effects of tariffs on costs, delivery times and stock levels.

“It enables you to make immediate adjustments to your sourcing, development of material and overarching supply chain strategies,” Fred explains.

Maestro uses artificial intelligence and live demand signals to simulate different trade conditions, which allows procurement to adjust forecasts, pricing and supplier commitments with more precision.

Procurement teams can also use Maestro to test different sourcing configurations. If a tariff is introduced on steel from one region, they can instantly model the impact of switching suppliers, adjusting contract volumes or reconfiguring inventory buffers.

The platform also provides scorecards to help teams compare cost and risk across options, supporting faster decision-making.

When tariff regulations shift without warning, this becomes essential for protecting margins and avoiding stockouts.

The message is clear: procurement can no longer afford to be reactive. With the right tools, it’s possible to stay ahead of policy changes and maintain operational control.

Technology doesn’t remove turbulence, but it helps procurement teams manage it.

The Kinaxis webinar ends with a clear call to action for procurement leaders: stay alert, stay agile and lean on technology.

As the global trade landscape evolves, only organisations that invest in real-time planning and supplier flexibility will maintain continuity.

With supply chains becoming more fragile, procurement is no longer just about cost—it’s about agility.

You can catch up on the webinar here: https://supplychain.kinaxis.com/tariffs-webinar

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