The Data Edge: AI, Procurement and FM

Stephanie Wiechers
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Welcome to the Data Edge: a podcast series on data management, AI, and data quality. Facilities management and procurement run on data. But most of it is unstructured, siloed, and AI-ready in name only. The Data Edge is the podcast for FM directors, heads of procurement, CFOs, asset managers who want to know what good data actually looks like. and what it unlocks. From invoice data and web quotes to comprehensive spend analysis, each episode covers the real work of turning raw procurement data into something you can actually act on — think data quality, AI readiness, and platforms like Microsoft Fabric doing what they're supposed to do. Host Stephanie Wiechers speaks with industry leaders across construction, infrastructure, and hard services about the data decisions that drive operational performance. Because better data isn't an IT problem. It's a competitive advantage. Hosted by Stephanie Wiechers, CEO of Pearstop

  1. 4d ago

    Find the REAL Money Leak

    Somewhere in your contract, money may be hiding—and even the person managing it might not know where to find it. In this episode of The Data Edge, PearStop founder and managing director Stephanie Wiechers explores how poor invoice visibility can quietly reduce contract profitability across facilities management, construction and infrastructure businesses. Stephanie introduces “Mark,” an experienced contract manager overseeing a cleaning contract across 40 sites. Although his supplier totals and monthly reports appeared correct, they failed to reveal the real problem: identical consumables being purchased from different suppliers at different prices for more than a year. The issue was not fraud, negligence or bad management. It was simply hidden inside thousands of invoice line items that nobody had the time or tools to compare properly. This episode explains why supplier-level reporting is often insufficient, how invoice line-item data can expose cost leakage, and why recurring inefficiencies can be more damaging than one visibly bad month. Stephanie also shares a practical three-step invoice audit that contract managers, procurement teams and FM professionals can carry out immediately. Discover how better spend visibility, invoice data management and supplier price comparison can help protect margins and improve contract performance. Learn more about PearStop and access free resources through the links below.

    Find the REAL Money Leak

  2. Jul 16

    No duplicate records - One number!

    A supplier calls ahead of a contract renewal and asks for a price increase. Before responding, the procurement team needs one simple figure: how much are we currently spending with this supplier across every site, service and contract? It takes them almost a month to find the answer. In this episode of The Data Edge, Stephanie Wiechers, CEO of Pearstop, explains why procurement teams across facilities management, construction and infrastructure struggle to produce reliable spend data, even when all the information technically exists. The problem is rarely a lack of data. It is that supplier names, invoice descriptions, contracts, quotes and spreadsheets do not agree with one another. Stephanie breaks down a practical four-step process for turning fragmented procurement information into a trusted cost baseline: 1. Clean and consolidate duplicate supplier records. 2. Build a practical procurement spend taxonomy. 3. Categorise spend from the top down. 4. Use contextual data to interpret unclear invoice lines. You will also learn why dashboards cannot solve poor data quality, why excessive categorisation causes projects to collapse, and how organising 95% of spend confidently is often more valuable than chasing unreliable perfection. With clean procurement data, contract renewals become faster, supplier negotiations become more informed, and hidden costs such as fuel surcharges, duplicate suppliers and inconsistent pricing become easier to identify. Pearstop helps procurement teams transform messy invoices, quotes and spreadsheets into structured, decision-ready spend intelligence. Subscribe to The Data Edge for practical insights on procurement data, spend analysis, supplier management and AI-powered data transformation. #Procurement #SpendAnalysis #SupplierManagement #FacilitiesManagement #ConstructionData #ProcurementTechnology #DataQuality #CostReduction #SpendManagement #Pearstop

    No duplicate records - One number!

  3. Jul 2

    What's Hiding in Your Data?

    In this episode of The Data Edge by Pearstop, Stephanie Wiechers takes facilities management, construction and infrastructure teams inside the hidden world of procurement data. From supplier totals to invoice lines, this episode breaks down why “clean data” is rarely as clean as it looks, and how line-by-line spend visibility can help businesses protect margins, reduce waste and make smarter procurement decisions. Using a real-world facilities example, Stephanie explains how everyday site purchases like toilet cleaner, paper products, PPE, transport costs, packaging and fuel surcharges can reveal major gaps in spend control. For CFOs, procurement leaders and operations teams, this episode shows how structured procurement data can support supplier benchmarking, contract compliance, tender preparation and better cost management across the UK, Netherlands, France and global facilities markets. If your organisation manages multiple sites, suppliers, invoices or cost centres, this episode will help you understand what is really happening inside your procurement data and why better data quality creates better commercial decisions. Learn more about Pearstop and how better procurement data can give your business its edge. procurement data, facilities management, construction procurement, infrastructure data, invoice line analysis, spend visibility, supplier benchmarking, data quality, fuel surcharges, procurement software, Pearstop, The Data Edge podcast.

    What's Hiding in Your Data?

  4. Jun 25

    100k£ secretly billed on packaging

    We started Pearstop because we were fed up.This episode talks about another very relevant and difficult hurdle in the world of procurement and data - secret costs and hidden billings. Listen to the Data Edge every Thursday to stay informed on the latest data updates and more!

    100k£ secretly billed on packaging

  5. Jun 18

    Dead Whales and Data

    Back to the Data Edge - a podcast for those interested in understanding the Data and AI world. In today's episode we talk about waste management, data and the world of procurement with an interesting and unexpected anecdote that will grip our listeners. Tune in for an educative and insightful conversation between Stephanie, CEO at Pearstop and Mike from SLS!

    Dead Whales and Data

  6. Jun 11

    Use Data & Save 100k on Procurement

    The conversation delves into the challenges of reading and utilizing spend data, highlighting the importance of data structuring and classification for effective analysis. It emphasizes the shift in data classification and the benefits of structured data for procurement and finance teams. Whether you're a procurement manager, finance lead, or operations director dealing with messy invoice data, unstructured spend, or poor visibility across suppliers and categories — this episode covers why spend data classification is the foundation of any serious spend analytics programme. Takeaways Spend data analysis requires structured and classified data for effective utilization.The shift in data classification has enabled scalable and accurate data processing.Clean, classified spend data gives procurement and finance teams the visibility to negotiate better, cut waste, and make faster decisions.Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Spend Data Analysis09:33 Data Structuring and Classification15:41 Conclusion and Call to Action Keywords: spend data analysis, procurement data classification, spend analytics, UNSPSC classification, invoice data, procurement visibility, spend management, facilities management procurement, construction procurement, finance data quality

  7. Jun 3

    AI in FM: today's steps for tomorrow's decisions

    The conversation explores the use of data in facilities management and the challenges of collecting, managing, and utilizing data effectively. It delves into the role of AI in data analysis and decision-making, as well as the importance of clean and structured data for creating measurable value. The conversation also highlights the need to empower people through technology and attract the younger generation to the facilities management industry. Takeaways Data collection and management are crucial for effective decision-making and creating measurable value.Empowering people through technology and attracting the younger generation to the facilities management industry are key focus areas. Chapters 00:00 The Role of Data in Facilities Management11:31 Types of Data and Business Impact17:04 Empowering People and Attracting the Younger Generation

    AI in FM: today's steps for tomorrow's decisions

  8. Apr 30

    AI for Asset Management & Data Quality

    In conversation with SPIE Netherlands about how they improved the quality of their asset data. Our guest is the amazing Martijn van Balkom – passionate, smart, and guaranteed to teach you something new today! This episode provides insights into the challenges and opportunities surrounding asset data management. It highlights the importance of data quality, the impact of AI technology, and the role of asset data in advising and optimising maintenance strategies.

    AI for Asset Management & Data Quality
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About

Welcome to the Data Edge: a podcast series on data management, AI, and data quality. Facilities management and procurement run on data. But most of it is unstructured, siloed, and AI-ready in name only. The Data Edge is the podcast for FM directors, heads of procurement, CFOs, asset managers who want to know what good data actually looks like. and what it unlocks. From invoice data and web quotes to comprehensive spend analysis, each episode covers the real work of turning raw procurement data into something you can actually act on — think data quality, AI readiness, and platforms like Microsoft Fabric doing what they're supposed to do. Host Stephanie Wiechers speaks with industry leaders across construction, infrastructure, and hard services about the data decisions that drive operational performance. Because better data isn't an IT problem. It's a competitive advantage. Hosted by Stephanie Wiechers, CEO of Pearstop

Information

  • Creator
    Stephanie Wiechers
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Stephanie Wiechers