Webinar: Procurement Orchestration on a Journey to Maturity

Procurement is entering a new era, shaped not only by data but by the ability to orchestrate it across systems, stakeholders and decisions. As companies continually strive for greater efficiency, transparency and cost-effectiveness, procurement orchestration has become more pivotal than ever.

It serves as the backbone of streamlined operations, integrating functions such as supplier management, contract management and analytics into a single cohesive system.

These systems are making a real impact across the industry and should be firmly on procurement's radar.

So where does the market really stand today? How mature are organisations in their journey towards procurement orchestration? And what can we learn from those already leading, or actively progressing, through this transformation?

Roger Blumberg, GM North America at Synertrade, Michael Dewitt, Chief Procurement Officer at QXO, and Rick Gardner, Senior Director, Advisory Market Intelligence at The Hackett Group, came together to discuss procurement orchestration: market maturity, expectations, AI and the road ahead.

The session is available to watch on demand now.

The key insights from the session

Procurement orchestration dominated the conversation, with panellists unpacking why it matters, where organisations are falling short and what's needed to close the gap.

Despite broad agreement that orchestration should sit at the heart of procurement strategy, only around 30-40% of organisations have implemented formal orchestration processes. The panel pointed to a familiar culprit: IT priorities frequently take precedence over procurement-led initiatives, leaving orchestration efforts underfunded or deprioritised.

Rather than a single tool or platform, orchestration was defined as the seamless integration of procurement processes, technologies and information. Done well, it tackles fragmentation head-on, ensuring systems and workflows function intelligently and intuitively across departments and user groups, rather than in isolated pockets.

The panel identified AI as the primary catalyst reshaping procurement orchestration, helping point solutions evolve and connect more effectively than ever before. That said, adoption isn't without friction: internal competition and a lack of collaboration between vendors continue to slow progress industry-wide.

Fragmented, legacy technology remains one of the biggest barriers to procurement flexibility, creating bottlenecks and inefficiencies that ripple across the function. Orchestration offers a way forward, enabling scalable, plug-and-play technologies that adapt to fragmented workflows rather than fighting against them.

Perhaps the most forward-looking insight: effective orchestration isn't just a technology shift, it's an organisational one. Procurement teams need to own technology decisions, with IT playing a supporting rather than leading role. QXO's case study illustrated this in practice, showing how integrating AI agents alongside human teams can reduce staffing needs, boost efficiency and open the door to genuinely new organisational designs.

The session is available to watch on demand now.

Meet the speakers

Michael Dewitt, CPO at QXO

Michael Dewitt is a strategic sourcing and procurement executive with a track record of leading global transformations at some of the world's largest companies.

Business Review and MIT Sloan.

Currently, Michael drives procurement strategy at QXO, the largest publicly traded distributor of roofing and building products in the U.S. He is focused on embedding AI-enabled innovation into every facet of spend management to build the industry's most advanced sourcing capability.

Roger Blumberg, GM North America at Synertrade

Roger Blumberg is a 25-year veteran of the procurement technology industry, having held senior leadership roles at Ariba, Coupa and JAGGAER. A recipient of the Supply and Demand Chain Executive Lifetime Achievement Award, Roger is a fixture in the procurement community, serving on boards for ISM and SIG.

At Synertrade, he focuses on helping North American enterprises navigate the shift toward integrated procurement platforms that drive tangible growth.

Rick Gardner, Senior Director, Advisory Market Intelligence at The Hackett Group, also took part in the session, which was hosted by BizClik's Tom Chapman, one of the company's Managing Editors.

The session is available to watch on demand now.