The Procurement Playbook

Deepak Kamboj

Welcome to The Procurement Playbook—your go-to podcast for actionable insights, expert interviews, and real-world strategies in procurement and supply chain management. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just curious about the field, this podcast has something for everyone. Hosted by procurement expert Deepak Kamboj, The Procurement Playbook delves into the strategies, trends, and innovations that are shaping the future of procurement. Tune in for fresh perspectives, expert tips, and actionable insights designed to help you stay ahead of the curve. Thanks you for your time !

Episodes

  1. 3d ago

    07. How to beat the AI failure rate

    Welcome back to The Procurement Playbook. While enterprise investment in artificial intelligence continues to accelerate, a glaring disconnect remains: organizations are facing significant friction when attempting to translate initial momentum into scalable, long-term business outcomes. In this episode, we confront the structural issues that cause so many digital initiatives to stall during early testing or fail entirely during implementation. The current landscape is sobering—research shows that 50% of generative AI efforts are abandoned after reaching the proof-of-concept phase, and a projected 40% of agentic AI projects will be canceled due to feasibility or alignment challenges. Without a disciplined deployment strategy, capital and resources are easily wasted on fragmented investments. To help you overcome these critical performance bottlenecks, we are breaking down a comprehensive strategic framework designed to drive true ROI. Join us as we explore: The AI Use-Case Prioritization Matrix: Learn how to ruthlessly evaluate potential AI applications across Business Value (revenue, efficiency, risk management) and Feasibility (technical complexity, internal capabilities). We’ll show you how to categorize opportunities into "Likely Wins," "Calculated Risks," and "Marginal Gains" so your team knows exactly where to direct its focus.The 7 Pillars of Enterprise AI Maturity: We unpack the operational readiness model every leadership team needs to master. We cover the foundational pillars required for success: AI Strategy, Value generation (FinOps), Organizational structure (Centers of Excellence), Culture change, Governance and ethics, Engineering architectures, and Data observability.The 12-Month Phased Roadmap: Discover how to track your current state against five distinct maturity tiers—from Planning and Experimenting all the way to Scaling and Leading. We discuss how to build a phased execution plan that moves your organization from initial pilots to stabilized MLOps pipelines. W​hether you are evaluating your first major AI investment or looking to establish strict governance over a sprawling portfolio of existing pilots, this episode delivers the executive roadmap required to build a resilient, high-value AI ecosystem.

  2. Jan 23

    03. Category Management - We Saved 15% — So Why Did Costs Still Go Up? The Category Management Truth

    We saved 15% on rates. Our costs still went up. Here’s why most procurement teams get category management wrong. Category management isn’t about managing suppliers — it’s about managing business outcomes. But most organizations treat it like a sourcing calendar: run tenders, negotiate prices, report savings. Rinse and repeat. In this video, I break down a real example of how one organization transformed their IT consulting spend — not by negotiating harder, but by thinking differently. The shift? Moving from “How do we get lower rates?” to “How do we reduce total cost and increase delivery value?” **What you’ll learn:** ✅ Why focusing only on rates leads to higher total costs ✅ The difference between tactical sourcing and strategic category management ✅ How to map demand and align stakeholders for real results ✅ The tiered supplier model that reduced costs AND improved delivery ✅ How procurement moves from gatekeeper to strategic advisor Great category managers think in ecosystems, not vendors. They shape demand, understand markets and risks, and know where partnerships create competitive advantage. If you’re in procurement, supply chain, or category management — this is for you. **Category management isn’t about buying better. It’s about enabling the business to perform better.** 👉 Subscribe for more procurement and category management insights! ----- #CategoryManagement #Procurement #StrategicSourcing #SupplyChain #ProcurementStrategy #CostReduction #SupplierManagement #BusinessStrategy #ProcurementLeadership #StrategicProcurement #CategoryStrategy #SupplyChainManagement #CostSavings #ProcurementTips #B2BProcurement #SourcingStrategy #ProcurementExcellence #SupplyChainStrategy #BusinessOutcomes #ProcurementTransformation -----

    03. Category Management - We Saved 15% — So Why Did Costs Still Go Up? The Category Management Truth
  3. 12/01/2024

    02. Explaining the EU AI Act

    Welcome to The Procurement Playbook—your go-to podcast for actionable insights, expert interviews, and real-world strategies in procurement and supply chain management. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just curious about the field, this podcast has something for everyone. Hosted by procurement expert Deepak Kamboj, The Procurement Playbook delves into the strategies, trends, and innovations that are shaping the future of procurement. In each episode, Deepak brings you thought-provoking discussions, industry best practices, and practical advice that you can apply immediately in your business. In this episode of The Procurement Playbook, we dive into the European Union AI Act— a groundbreaking framework set to redefine how artificial intelligence is developed, deployed, and governed. From banning AI systems deemed a threat to fundamental rights to setting stringent rules for high-risk applications like healthcare diagnostics and biometric identification, the Act is paving the way for a safer, more transparent AI-driven future. We’ll explore: ​The EU’s risk-based approach, categorizing AI into Unacceptable, High, Limited, and Minimal/No Risk.​Real-world examples of how the Act impacts industries, from medical AI tools to chatbots.​Transparency obligations for general-purpose AI models and what they mean for developers and businesses.​Why the EU AI Act is more than legislation—it’s a global call to action for ethical AI innovation. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, business leader, or procurement professional, this episode is your guide to understanding the Act’s far-reaching implications. Tune in to learn how this landmark regulation is shaping the global AI landscape—and what it means for you. Subscribe now and join the conversation about the future of AI governance. Let’s shape tomorrow, today. YouTube: https://youtube.com/@theprocurementplaybook Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theprocurementplaybook LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepakkambojofficial Thanks, Deepak

About

Welcome to The Procurement Playbook—your go-to podcast for actionable insights, expert interviews, and real-world strategies in procurement and supply chain management. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just curious about the field, this podcast has something for everyone. Hosted by procurement expert Deepak Kamboj, The Procurement Playbook delves into the strategies, trends, and innovations that are shaping the future of procurement. Tune in for fresh perspectives, expert tips, and actionable insights designed to help you stay ahead of the curve. Thanks you for your time !