Nikhil Parva

Corporate Procurement users often time face clunky, unintuitive, and onerous process and systems. A daunting experience makes it less likely for users to comply with the Procurement function’s standard systems and processes and preferred suppliers. The result is leakage of value and lost savings from Procurement’s category management and sourcing activities

By relying on suppliers more than ever before, forward-thinking organizations can no longer afford to consider the procurement function as a zero-sum game, where one side’s win is the other’s loss.

Too much is at stake. Companies spend an average 15-27 percent, of total revenues, on external suppliers. But a full quarter or third of the negotiated value is lost over the term of the deal.

With large, complex deals hanging in balance, organizations essentially have two options: they… Show more

By relying on suppliers more than ever before, forward-thinking organizations can no longer afford to consider the procurement function as a zero-sum game, where one side’s win is the other’s loss.

Too much is at stake. Companies spend an average 15-27 percent, of total revenues, on external suppliers. But a full quarter or third of the negotiated value is lost over the term of the deal.

With large, complex deals hanging in balance, organizations essentially have two options: they can continue attempting to wring the last dollar of cost savings from contract negotiations, or they can invest in creating value through collaboration with the supplier by driving innovation over the course of the contract.

While the first option is risky for categories that have already gone through frequent sourcing exercises, the opportunity to generate value through the second option remains wide open.

Creating joint value for the buying organization and its suppliers will require the development of a supplier relationship-centric framework that can drive performance to new levels while fostering innovation and mitigating risk. Show less

Category management and Sourcing are arguably the most valuable contributions procurement functions make to their organizations. COVID-19 has created opportunities for Procurement to aggressively pursue activities to help the organization survive and emerge stronger post crisis.

Category management and Sourcing professionals by virtue of their close involvement with the supply base, clear alignment with the business requirements and a maniacal focus on bottom line impact will experience… Show more

Category management and Sourcing are arguably the most valuable contributions procurement functions make to their organizations. COVID-19 has created opportunities for Procurement to aggressively pursue activities to help the organization survive and emerge stronger post crisis.

Category management and Sourcing professionals by virtue of their close involvement with the supply base, clear alignment with the business requirements and a maniacal focus on bottom line impact will experience increased reliance as organizations try to maintain a sense of stability in these pandemic times. Show less

Five steps procurement organizations can take to create a partnership between bots and employees to achieve optimal efficiency and quantifiable benefits

Combining operational excellence with tax model to enhance financial results

Cost savings arising from internal efficiencies and operational benefits aren't the only financial advantages bots can provide. Just as human workers can be off-shored for economic benefits, operations handled by bots can also be moved to countries with more economic friendly regulations. Depending on how an organization's bots are acquired, developed and deployed, they could create tax advantage or exposures… Show more

Combining operational excellence with tax model to enhance financial results

Cost savings arising from internal efficiencies and operational benefits aren't the only financial advantages bots can provide. Just as human workers can be off-shored for economic benefits, operations handled by bots can also be moved to countries with more economic friendly regulations. Depending on how an organization's bots are acquired, developed and deployed, they could create tax advantage or exposures, providing additional and sometimes significant savings.


Robotic process automation (RPA) uses software robots (bots), to digitize labor, offering an efficient, productive and cost effective alternative to the standard human workforce. Because of its effectiveness, companies are beginning to adopt RPA to replace or supplement employees for tactical activities inside the supply chain organization -- in procurement, contract management, problem solving, business planning, in-depth analysis and computer programming.
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The latest trend in Procurement automation is the emergence of Intelligent Automation technology to further reduce the manual “swivel chair” work that remains when Procurement processes span multiple systems that are not fully integrated.

Confronted with margin pressure, a tight and rapidly changing labor market, shifting regulatory environment, and wage growth, organizations are revisiting their Contingent Workforce Management (CWM) strategy. Contingent Workforce Management scope encompasses all resource types outside an organization’s permanent headcount. This includes Temporary Labor, Independent Contractors (IC), Outsourced and Professional Services.

Our new procurement employee will work 24/7, never call in sick, rarely make mistakes, won’t complain, and never ask for a raise. Of course, this is not your typical worker, but a procurement software robot—or “bot.”

In many ways, bots are part of a natural development of the workforce, just as assembly lines and mechanical automation improved the efficiency and effectiveness of manufacturing. But success will only come if humans can see bots as their partners, not as competitors. Given… Show more

Our new procurement employee will work 24/7, never call in sick, rarely make mistakes, won’t complain, and never ask for a raise. Of course, this is not your typical worker, but a procurement software robot—or “bot.”

In many ways, bots are part of a natural development of the workforce, just as assembly lines and mechanical automation improved the efficiency and effectiveness of manufacturing. But success will only come if humans can see bots as their partners, not as competitors. Given employee and stakeholder concerns around bots, it is essential that companies pursue a comprehensive change management program to develop strategy for both the larger business picture and the welfare of their workforce.

In this paper, we look at the growing use of software bots by today’s forward-thinking companies and outline how bots can work within the procurement organization. We also offer five steps procurement officers should take to facilitate the success of a bot implementation. Show less

A revolution is sweeping the world of Procurement. Digital labor aided by Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Machine Learning and Cognitive Technologies is helping bring about automation and other technology based enhancements in the procurement function. Digital procurement is enabling
a progressive digitization of labor through automation of existing mundane processes and opening the door to new levels of performance at every stage of the procurement process.

What if you could improve your company's overall procurement process and cut costs, all without hiring new staff or making major IT investment?

The procurement function has a number of time-consuming, manual processes that are ideally suited for bots created with robotic process automation (RPA) technology. These include contract management, category management, third-party risk management, and supplier relationship management.

Bots aren't the human-like machines of science… Show more

What if you could improve your company's overall procurement process and cut costs, all without hiring new staff or making major IT investment?

The procurement function has a number of time-consuming, manual processes that are ideally suited for bots created with robotic process automation (RPA) technology. These include contract management, category management, third-party risk management, and supplier relationship management.

Bots aren't the human-like machines of science fiction. As HfS research aptly describes them, they are sophisticated software that lays on top of an organization's IT systems to manipulate existing application software in the same way that a person today processes a transaction or completes a process.

Read this paper to learn about:
- Evaluating opportunities for automation in procurement
- Leveraging bots to make procurement "best in class"
- KPMG's experience with bots in procurement
- Making the business case for implementing procurement bots
- Steps for CPOs to begin the digital procurement journey. Show less