This Week’s Top Five Stories in Procurement
Why has Donald Trump Ended the Procurement of Paper Straws?
President Donald Trump has signed an Executive Order to end the procurement and "forced use" of paper straws.
An announcement on the White House's website outlines how the Federal Government is being directed to stop purchasing paper straws and ensure they are no longer provided within federal buildings.
The order requires the development of a 'National Strategy to End the Use of Paper Straws' within 45 days to alleviate the "forced use" of paper straws nationwide.
In a move touted to "bring back common sense", the order outlines the "irrational campaign" against plastic straws, which has forced Americans "to use non-functional paper straws.”
How AI is Changing the Software Spending Landscape
New analysis of US$11bn from spend management solution Tropic has found that software spending jumped 10% in 2024, as suppliers added an abundance of AI features that generally increased overall costs.
This report also found that OpenAI led the way when it came to software vendors – finding that it had a 146% year-on-year growth – with some enterprise tools, such as Salesforce and Slack, witnessing their market share decline slightly – which was the first time in several years that this has happened.
"Companies are continuing to aggressively invest in software but are being really smart about it as we enter a consolidation and replacement cycle," says Justin Etkin, Chief Operating Officer of Tropic.
Basware: 40 Years of Invoice Processing and Business Spend
Basware, the global leader in invoice automation, celebrates its 40th anniversary, having processed more than two billion invoices to date. Basware has handled US$10.1tn in business spend – more value than the combined economic output of the UK, Japan and Australia.
This milestone reinforces the company's commitment to invoice lifecycle management, driving efficiency and compliance for businesses worldwide.
The worldwide AP automation market is valued at US$3.41bn, with it projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 12.8% through 2030. But, even though it is undergoing this growth, paper invoices are still accounting for nearly half (49.7%) of invoices received by enterprises.
Plus, with rising costs, lengthy processing times and human errors – there is continued drive for demand for electronic invoicing and invoice automation solutions.
SAP & Databricks Power New Era of Business Data and AI
Data is the very bedrock for most, if not all, modern enterprises, the cornerstone of digital transformation and the driving force behind AI. SAP, drawing on its five decades of experience in running mission-critical processes across every industry, has witnessed first hand the transformative power of business data.
SAP's newly-unveiled Business Data Cloud, a fully-managed SaaS solution, has the potential to unify and govern all SAP data and seamlessly connect with third-party data.
Working as the next step of its industry-leading data, planning and analytics solutions, SAP Business Data Cloud brings together SAP Datasphere, SAP Analytics Cloud and SAP Business Warehouse with a unified experience that delivers transformational insights across all lines of business.
It comes as SAP and Databricks announce a landmark partnership to bring the power of Databricks into SAP Business Data Cloud – marking a new era in enterprise data management, with the two leaders in their domains coming together to redefine how applications and data platforms work together.
GEP Europe Tour 2025, London: Q&A with Bob O'Leary
The GEP Europe Tour 2025 made its mark in London, as the procurement and supply chain software specialist delved into AI-driven advancements in the industry.
Held at St Ermin's Hotel, the event carried the location's rich history throughout, comparing the excitement of standing in the former MI6 hub to the anticipation of AI's evolving place within procurement.
In addition to insightful keynotes on everything from digital payments to the future of procurement, the event featured the Procurement Leaders Panel, from which attendees learned lessons on topics like frictionless buying and data security.
Simon Hannak from Costa Coffee, Phil Singleton from Swiss Re and Sarah Willmott from Nationwide managed to cover it all, bringing the event to a fitting end.
Procurement Magazine caught up with Bob O'Leary, RVP for Software Sales in Europe at GEP, who told us exactly what the tour means for the industry.
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