“On Nov. 21, Harvard Business Review reported on how Scoutbee’s customers, Unilever and Siemens, use our AI-powered solutions to swiftly find and engage with alternative suppliers during unexpected disruptions.” – Scoutbee LinkedIn post (Nov. 22nd, 2023)
Two immediate thoughts came to mind when I saw the above post regarding the HBR article on Scoutbee clients Unilever and Siemens’ success in leveraging the company’s technology to find alternative suppliers during “unexpected disruptions.”
The first thought was about the following excerpt from the May 2014 Procurement Insights article Procurement’s Top 30 Under 30 and Proxima Webinar on HBR Article highlight a busy week:
“On Thursday, I am serving as moderator for the Proxima Webinar that will welcome an international guest panel to discuss the recent Harvard Business Review article written by the company’s CEO Matthew Eatough, titled Leaders Can No Longer Afford to Downplay Procurement.”
My second thought was how Poxima – now a part of Bain & Company, is a procurement consultancy versus a technology provider.
Why do the above two points matter? How are they even related?
Solving A Problem
The last time an HBR article on procurement got my attention was about a consultancy – something I have been encouraging solution providers to do more of versus selling their technology’s features, functions, and benefits.
For example, in the Procurement Insights August 19th, 2023 article Why it’s time for service provider leadership to step out from behind their organizations’ logos, I stressed that the “critical play” for today’s procurement industry “is not the tech but the expertise behind the tech – the market expertise and experience to leverage tech to solve a problem.”
The Unilever and Siemens success isn’t about Scoutbee’s technology but the provider’s expertise in helping two clients address a real challenge. The ability to communicate, collaborate, and work towards a mutually beneficial outcome. That is what HBR is writing about – not the technology.
Technology Is Not A Substitute For Industry Expertise
When you assess a provider’s capability to solve a problem, you have to look beyond the technology because it is not the determining factor in achieving the desired outcome. I am not saying technology is unimportant, but let’s get real – AI and self-learning advanced algorithms are nothing new. Indeed, introducing intuitive SaaS tech is not the answer – check out the Deloitte pre-pandemic CPO Global Survey. Despite technological advancements, most CPOs were “dissatisfied” with the results of their digital transformation strategy.
The real difference maker is that today’s most successful solution providers will be expert consultants in the industries they seek to serve first and tech people second.
That was my takeaway from the HBR article – what’s yours? Is technology second to industry understanding and expertise?
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Procurement Insights
Hidden In Plain Site: The Real Reason Harvard Business Review’s Recent Article on Unilever and Siemens Matters
Posted on November 27, 2023
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“On Nov. 21, Harvard Business Review reported on how Scoutbee’s customers, Unilever and Siemens, use our AI-powered solutions to swiftly find and engage with alternative suppliers during unexpected disruptions.” – Scoutbee LinkedIn post (Nov. 22nd, 2023)
Two immediate thoughts came to mind when I saw the above post regarding the HBR article on Scoutbee clients Unilever and Siemens’ success in leveraging the company’s technology to find alternative suppliers during “unexpected disruptions.”
The first thought was about the following excerpt from the May 2014 Procurement Insights article Procurement’s Top 30 Under 30 and Proxima Webinar on HBR Article highlight a busy week:
“On Thursday, I am serving as moderator for the Proxima Webinar that will welcome an international guest panel to discuss the recent Harvard Business Review article written by the company’s CEO Matthew Eatough, titled Leaders Can No Longer Afford to Downplay Procurement.”
My second thought was how Poxima – now a part of Bain & Company, is a procurement consultancy versus a technology provider.
Why do the above two points matter? How are they even related?
Solving A Problem
The last time an HBR article on procurement got my attention was about a consultancy – something I have been encouraging solution providers to do more of versus selling their technology’s features, functions, and benefits.
For example, in the Procurement Insights August 19th, 2023 article Why it’s time for service provider leadership to step out from behind their organizations’ logos, I stressed that the “critical play” for today’s procurement industry “is not the tech but the expertise behind the tech – the market expertise and experience to leverage tech to solve a problem.”
The Unilever and Siemens success isn’t about Scoutbee’s technology but the provider’s expertise in helping two clients address a real challenge. The ability to communicate, collaborate, and work towards a mutually beneficial outcome. That is what HBR is writing about – not the technology.
Technology Is Not A Substitute For Industry Expertise
When you assess a provider’s capability to solve a problem, you have to look beyond the technology because it is not the determining factor in achieving the desired outcome. I am not saying technology is unimportant, but let’s get real – AI and self-learning advanced algorithms are nothing new. Indeed, introducing intuitive SaaS tech is not the answer – check out the Deloitte pre-pandemic CPO Global Survey. Despite technological advancements, most CPOs were “dissatisfied” with the results of their digital transformation strategy.
The real difference maker is that today’s most successful solution providers will be expert consultants in the industries they seek to serve first and tech people second.
That was my takeaway from the HBR article – what’s yours? Is technology second to industry understanding and expertise?
30
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