The report highlights the importance of networking in procurement and how it can deliver measurable and sustainable value for companies. Despite optimization efforts in procurement, companies have not yet reached their full value-added potential due to the low degree of networking with other functions. This is often caused by the inadequate qualifications of procurement employees and their lack of acceptance within the company. To address this issue, Arthur D. Little has developed the "Procurement-Network-Management (PNM)" solution, which enables companies to achieve the full value-added potential through highly qualified and networked procurement employees. The PNM solution is academically supported by the chair of logistics management at the University of St. Gallen. The report emphasizes that investments in employee development and qualifications are crucial for sustainable structural optimization in procurement.
