From Cost-Cutting to Carbon Footprints: The Evolution of Procurement

Send me a messageWelcome to the Sustainable Supply Chain Podcast. I’m Tom Raftery, and this week, I spoke with Anders Lillevik, CEO and founder of Focal Point, a company specialising in procurement orchestration and management as a software service.Anders discusses the evolving landscape of procurement, highlighting its shift from cost-saving to incorporating supplier risk management and sustainability. He explains the modern challenges where companies need to ensure suppliers are environmentally responsible, socially compliant, and financially stable.Key takeaways include integrating sustainability into procurement strategy rather than treating it as a standalone project. Anders shares how Focal Point’s solutions help organisations manage complexity by setting up processes that ensure all necessary checks are in place before signing contracts.We also explore balancing cost and sustainability, with Anders arguing that efficient operations reduce waste and pollution, benefiting the bottom line. He stresses the importance of using data for informed decisions about supplier selection and performance.Anders shares an inspiring success story of a major hotel group in Las Vegas managing water usage, waste, single-use plastics, and carbon footprint with Focal Point’s solutions. This case illustrates how companies can lead in sustainability while achieving business goals.Finally, we discuss the future of procurement, with trends emphasising procurement as a value-adding function focusing on collaboration, transparency, and strategic thinking. Check out the video version of this episode.Support the showPodcast supportersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's generous Subscribers:Alicia FaragKieran OgnevGary LynchAnd remember you too can become a Resilient Supply Chain+ subscriber  - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent episodes like this one and give you access to bonus episodes of topical, timely supply chain resilience analysis.🎤 Looking for a keynote speaker on supply chain resilience, AI, and sustainability?I help leaders understand the forces reshaping global supply chains, from geopolitical disruption and climate risk to AI and real-time decision-making. Download my Speaker Pack: https://tinyurl.com/spkrpckFinallyIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to just send me a direct message on LinkedIn, or send me a message using this link.If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover it. Thanks for listening.