Pre-Conference Workshop Day
9:00 am Registration & Networking
Workshop A
10:00 am Getting Buy in to the Right Business Model for Your Organization to Bring Maximum Strategic Impact & Enterprise-Wide Value
Synopsis
Choosing the right procurement model is critical to unlocking strategic impact and driving enterprise-wide value. Join this workshop to evaluate different models being adopted by contractors today, understand how they are gaining leadership buy-in, and align your organization around a solution that maximizes benefits beyond cost savings.
This workshop will cover:
- Evaluating the benefits of centralized vs decentralized models for organizations of different sizes and structures: What were the key triggers for centralization?
- Quantifying and communicating the full strategic value of centralized procurement beyond cost savings
- Overcoming leadership resistance by addressing common objections, sharing realworld examples of procurement acting as a profit lever, and providing insights from general contractors who opted not to centralize
12:00 pm Networking Lunch Break
Workshop B
1:00 pm Smoothing Your Transition to a Centralized Operating Model to Realize Maximum Value, Sooner
Synopsis
Moving to a more unified procurement approach can unlock significant value, but only if the transition is thoughtfully managed. This discussion will focus on how organizations are overcoming early hurdles, bringing clarity to roles and responsibilities, and ensuring collaboration doesn’t get lost in the shift.
This workshop will cover:
- Assessing the infrastructure required to support procurement at scale, including systems, reporting tools and leadership capabilities
- Aligning internal buyers, project teams and executives to reduce friction and building cohesion around new standard operating procedures
- Uncovering team integration challenges to ensure seamless implementation across functions and teams
3:00 pm Networking & Afternoon Refreshments
Workshop C
3:30 pm Hiring & Developing Procurement Talent to Support Long-Term Category Ownership & Innovation
Synopsis
Building a strong procurement team requires more than just filling roles, it takes deliberate effort to attract the right people, strengthen core competencies, and support professional growth over time. In this session, we’ll examine how organizations are expanding access to future talent, equipping employees with the tools to succeed, and creating advancement opportunities that encourage a wide range of perspectives to thrive.
This workshop will cover:
- Exploring where companies are sourcing talent – building pipelines internally and through external programs
- Identifying best practices in internal training programs to develop procurement skills and capabilities
- Designing career path frameworks that retain procurement talent long-term by fostering diversity in thought and background