197: Beat the Market, with Bid Ops

Today I'm honored to be joined by Bid Ops, a cutting edge company with supplier diversity and sourcing collaboration at their heart, who deliver strategic sourcing software powered by AI. Using intelligent price recommendations and dynamic benchmarks, Bid Ops AI helps procurement teams overcome complexity to secure optimal commercial terms with top suppliers. Combining strategic sourcing and collaboration with supplier management and diversity, and even automated negotiations, the Bid Ops platform helps you to skip the back and forth and choose the right supplier, at the best price, quicker and smarter. Today Edmund Zagorin, founder and CEO at Bid Ops Inc., joins me to chat all about his journey in strategic sourcing, how he came to found Bid Ops, exactly what the company does to help its customers and the role of AI in the future of technology.   IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [05.38] Edmund's background and his journey from a degree in Philosophy, International Affairs & Public Policy to a career as a procurement entrepreneur. "Once I began to see how procurement was transforming digitally, and the speed of that transformation, that was where the experience I had as an undergrad studying social movements really clicked." [09.49] A closer look at Bid Ops, what it does and how it helps its customers. "When you use recommended pricing… you actually get, not just faster process velocity, but there's more clarity, trust and collaboration in the process, and that corresponds with cost savings." [13.49] Bid Ops automated negotiations, and Edmund's reflections on digital transformation and the evolution of procurement. [19.55] The recent drive in supplier diversity, and how the Bid Ops platform makes it quick and easy for businesses to build their own supplier diversity program, track it and report it. [26.27] Bid Ops commitment to integration and the changing technology behind it. [30.01] The ideal customer for Bid Ops. "Our ideal client is a procurement team that has more work than it has people!" [31.49] A real life case study of how the Bid Ops platform saved a key customer significant time and money, resulting in board-level recognition. [34.39] Edmund's advice for supply chain entrepreneurs and start-ups. "There's never been a better time to innovate in supply chain and procurement than right now." [36.30] The future for Bid Ops.   RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED: Head over to Bid Ops website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Bid Ops and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn. Check out our other podcasts HERE.