Welcome to Munich.
Welcome to the BCG Procurement Roundtable
version number 13.
BCG's Procurement Roundtable is the platform
where we bring procurement executives together
from across Europe, across industries,
to discuss priorities for CPOs.
Here, you have way more opportunities to really discuss
the issues that you have for your business
and learn from others.
Well, what's special about the Procurement Roundtable
is that you get diversity of thought,
and that means gender, nationalities, industry experience.
Diversity of thought is key to innovate.
I also want you to shift your perspective to understand
that one new idea, one new approach,
can have a monumental impact on your company
and on your personnel and your work staff.
The first topic on the agenda
is preparing for a downturn
and create advantage in adversity.
Macroeconomic context is just that,
it's context, it's not destiny.
With a downturn coming, it's really critical
for procurement organization to prepare for what's coming,
and a zero-based budgeting is one methodology,
which really helps you to access categories
which you were never able to access before.
Having pulled all the levers, year over year over year,
I found it quite inspiring to get some new and fresh sorts.
The second point on the agenda is sustainability
and corporate social responsibility.
Consumers are shifting their demand
but as we in procurement have to act upon it.
Sustainability is becoming more important
because we outsource more and more.
We need to ensure that, also, our extended value chain
really is as sustainable as we need to have it.
We had a lively discussion in the breakout session
I was participating in,
and it was, for me, very inspiring
to see and hear insights of the other colleagues.
And the third thing on the agenda is digitization.
Many companies have started,
it's now about accelerating this path.
And today, I would like to talk with you about the future.
On digitization, two streams are important.
Stream number one, how to free buyers
from operation and tasks.
Be it through robotics or, even better,
through smarter systems.
Stream number two, how to, then, create higher values
through the buyers, based on AI.
The generosity of the people here, they're all CPOs,
but they're really prepared to sit down and share,
share their insights, share their experiences,
not just the good ones, and for me then,
I come away having learned an immense amount,
and having gained a fabulous network.
Thank you very much for being with us.
I can assure you, there will be a next year's edition
and we will keep you posted on where and when.
Thank you very, very much.