What should we focus on in 2025? Below some tracks and topics EBG | Network think we should focus on. As always it is those moderating, speaking and hosting workshops that ultimately decide – together with You joining.
Take a look at the 2024 agenda to get an idea of the richness and multitude EBG offer during CPO Outlook.
🔹 TRACK 1: Procurement Strategy, Category Leadership & Business Acumen
1. Procurement as a Business Driver: Strengthening Commercial & Financial Acumen
🔹 How procurement can move beyond cost-cutting and become a value creator.
🔹 Understanding the P&L impact—how procurement drives profitability, risk reduction and competitive advantage.
🔹 Strengthening finance and business acumen within procurement teams to gain stronger internal buy-in.
2. Indirect Spend: The Next Battleground for Savings & Efficiency
🔹 Why indirect spend remains a challenge—and how to regain control.
🔹 Maverick spend: How to reduce non-compliant purchasing while maintaining agility.
🔹 What’s next for tail spend management? Leveraging AI and automation to optimize tail spend.
🔹 Insights from organizations that have tackled indirect spend transformation.
3. The Future of Category Management: AI, Digitalization & Next-Generation Strategies
🔹 How category management is evolving—what new skills and tools are needed?
🔹 AI-powered category management—what can be automated vs. what requires human expertise?
🔹 How category managers can improve supplier collaboration and deliver business-driven results.
🔹 Lessons from organizations that have redefined their category management function.
🔹 TRACK 2: AI, Digitalization & Procurement Transformation
4. AI in Procurement: What’s Real, What’s Hype & How to Make It Work
🔹 Where AI actually delivers value today—and what remains a future bet.
🔹 How AI will reshape procurement roles, category management & supplier negotiations.
🔹 Examples of how AI is already changing procurement operations.
5. How to Digitalize Procurement Without Losing Control
🔹 The digital procurement roadmap—how to structure a transformation journey.
🔹 Overcoming fragmented tools & systems—what really works for seamless integration?
🔹 AI-driven supplier selection & contract management—how to streamline processes while maintaining governance.
6. Procurement Automation & Self-Service: How to Free Up Time for Strategic Work
🔹 How to remove procurement bottlenecks while ensuring compliance.
🔹 The balance between control vs. agility—how to enable self-service procurement without increasing risk.
🔹 Examples of organizations that have successfully automated procurement processes.
🔹 TRACK 3: Risk, Resilience & Supplier Collaboration
7. Managing Procurement Risk in an Uncertain World: How to Stay Ahead
🔹 How procurement can take a leading role in enterprise risk management.
🔹 Tier-N supplier visibility—how deep should procurement go?
🔹 The business case for investing in risk management software and supplier risk frameworks.
8. Strategic Supplier Relationship Management (SRM): Making It Work in Practice
🔹 What does next-level SRM look like? From compliance to collaboration.
🔹 How to integrate AI, analytics and automation to improve supplier management.
🔹 How organizations are rethinking supplier engagement strategies.
9. Strengthening Procurement’s Risk Management Capabilities
🔹 How to implement Tier-N supply chain visibility.
🔹 Technology-driven risk monitoring—which tools work best?
🔹 Best practices for integrating ESG, regulatory risk and financial stability monitoring.
🔹 TRACK 4: Sustainability, ESG & Compliance
10. CSDDD, EUDR & CSRD Double Materiality: What Procurement Must Do Next
🔹 Latest regulatory updates and their implications for procurement.
🔹 How to ensure your organization is CS3D and double materiality compliant.
🔹 How procurement teams can effectively implement sustainability initiatives.
11. From Sustainability Targets to Execution: What’s Working Today?
🔹 Why some sustainability initiatives fail—and how to make them work.
🔹 How to measure Scope 3 emissions & integrate ESG data into decision-making.
🔹 Examples of how sustainability efforts have been successfully implemented in procurement.
12. Sustainable Procurement in Indirect Spend: The Hidden Opportunity
🔹 How indirect procurement teams can drive sustainability goals.
🔹 Supplier engagement on sustainability—what’s actually working?
🔹 Lessons from organizations that have successfully aligned sustainability with procurement strategies.
🔹 TRACK 5: Change Management, Leadership & Transformation
13. Why Procurement Transformation Fails – And How to Get It Right
🔹 The biggest mistakes procurement leaders make in transformation programs.
🔹 How to gain buy-in from finance, operations and business stakeholders.
🔹 Insights from organizations that have successfully led procurement transformation.
14. Future Procurement Leadership: How to Train & Upskill Your Team
🔹 The must-have competencies for procurement leaders in 2025.
🔹 AI literacy, data-driven decision-making & strategic negotiation—how to train procurement teams for the future.
🔹 Strategies for developing procurement leadership skills at all levels.
15. Peer Benchmarking & Leadership Discussions: How Are Other Companies Solving These Challenges?
🔹 How do leading companies manage indirect spend, category management and supplier relationships?
🔹 What are the best benchmarking metrics for procurement performance?
🔹 Lessons learned from procurement leaders—what works, what doesn’t and what’s next?
🔹 Special Formats to Ensure High Engagement & Real-World Learning
✅ 🔥 Deep-Dive Roundtables: Senior procurement leaders share insights in confidential, interactive discussions.
✅ 🚀 Practical Insights: Real-world experiences—what worked, what didn’t and why.
✅ 🤝 Leadership Workshops: Hands-on training for procurement teams on AI, sustainability and risk management.
✅ 🔍 Peer Benchmarking Sessions: Compare strategies with other procurement leaders in the Nordics.