SAP Value and Solutions Advisor, Mitch Myers guides us through his process for matching business value with process improvement to defend the case for procurement transformation. Guest: Mitch Myers – Director, Solution and Value Advisory, SAP Finance & Spend Host: Erik Derenne – Director, Solution Advisory, SAP Finance & Spend Host: Sarah Nelson – Senior Solution Advisory, SAP Finance & Spend Host: Justin Morse – Vice President, Solution Advisory, SAP Americas, Finance & Spend What does a successful procurement transformation really look like? Is it just a matter of implementing the right technology and waiting for the savings to roll in? Is the loudest voice in the room always pointing you in the right direction? And when the implementation wraps up, are you really done? Our guest today, Mitch Myers, brings a rare combination of perspectives to the table. With over 25 years working with SAP and SAP Ariba solutions — spanning roles as a technology consultant, a management consultant at McKinsey, and Global Process Owner at Takeda Pharmaceuticals where he oversaw approximately $16 billion in annual transactions across SAP solutions — Mitch has seen procurement transformation from every angle. Now at SAP as a Director of Solution and Value Advisory, he shares the hard-won lessons he's carried from industry into advisory. Mitch challenges the common assumption that process improvement alone is enough to deliver transformation results. Instead, he advocates for evaluating every process change through the lens of business value and applying the 80/20 principle to focus on the improvements that actually move the needle. He cautions against the perfectionism trap where chasing every complaint or polishing every process to 100% means neglecting the next high-value opportunity. Better to time-box your priorities, lay out a clear roadmap, and accept that transformation is a continuous journey of iteration, not a project with a finish line. On building the business case, Mitch describes an outside-in to inside-out approach — walking customers through how the numbers are derived so they can refine the model until they own it. He also reinforces that successful transformation requires all three P's to be aligned: People, Process, and Platforms. Miss any one of them and the effort will stall, regardless of how capable the technology is. Sustained value comes from ongoing maturation, adoption, and what he simply calls keeping the plant watered. Finally, Mitch offers a compelling framework for where procurement is headed. Procurement has historically played the role of gatekeeper — the function that controls, constrains, and approves. The best organizations have elevated it to business partner, collaborating proactively with finance, R&D, and other functions. But the ultimate destination — made possible as AI absorbs more transactional and lower-level activities — is procurement as a true advisory function. One where stakeholders seek out procurement by choice, not obligation, because they know it will bring strategic value they can't get anywhere else. So, let’s dive in, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe. I am your host Erik Derenne, and you’re listening to The Future of Procurement Podcast. Follow SAP: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sap/ Follow SAP Ariba: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ariba/ Follow Mitch: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/myersmitch/ Follow Erik: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-derenne/ Follow Justin: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinmorse/ Follow Sarah: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/swnelson12/ Please like, share, and subscribe!Send feedback and questions to TheFutureOfProcurement@sap.com
