The Kraljic Matrix Is NOT a Foundation for Future Fit Supplier Segmentation
The article argues that the decades‑old Kraljic Matrix is no longer adequate for supplier segmentation, as its 2 × 2 framework oversimplifies modern supply‑chain complexity. A consumer‑goods firm has replaced it with a two‑matrix approach, but the author contends even that is insufficient. Instead, the Exact Purchasing or “pocket‑cube” model adds three dimensions—category impact, market risk, and complexity—producing at least seven management categories. Effective segmentation, the piece concludes, starts with a robust purchasing function rather than a simple matrix.
I Love Being a fCRO Even More Now
Neil Weitzman, a seasoned CRO turned fractional operator, explains why seasoned revenue leaders are swapping full‑time seats for part‑time, in‑seat roles. He argues that a fractional CRO provides the same hands‑on GTM execution—pipeline design, hiring, compensation, and playbooks—at a cost...
The Founder Execution Architecture: Why Startups Lose Execution as They Scale
Founders often notice work feeling heavier as their startups scale, even though metrics remain strong. The article argues this slowdown stems from a loss of execution architecture—where decision paths lengthen, ownership blurs, and information flows break down. Rather than pushing...
Scale Smarter, Not Harder: Why Operations Are Slowing Your Agency Down
Agencies often mistake rapid growth for progress, but expanding client rosters flood leadership with emails, data entry, and coordination. This operational overload diverts senior talent from strategic decisions, creating bottlenecks and slowing true growth. The article argues that scaling requires...
Procurement News — April 1, 2026
General Mills elevated Jonathan Ness to chief supply chain officer, cementing a nearly two‑decade internal career that spans strategy, finance, manufacturing and procurement. nVent appointed Mellinda Devese as executive vice president and CSCO to steer its global, end‑to‑end supply chain...
Eric Dickson on Building a Management System That Produced 200,000 Ideas at UMass Memorial
Eric Dickson transformed UMass Memorial Health from a $10 million‑a‑month loss and junk‑bond rating into a high‑performing system by building a Lean‑based management framework. Over 12 years, the system evolved through 18 versions, standardizing ten core processes and empowering 13,000 staff...
How to Build MEDDICC Scoring in Salesforce Using Claude Code
Revenue teams often see MEDDICC scoring collapse after a quick Salesforce build because reps skip fields and admins lack sustainable tooling. The article shows how Claude Code, paired with Salesforce DX, can generate the full metadata stack—fields, validation rules, Apex triggers—from plain‑language...
Employ Inc. Announces Eric Waldinger as CRO
Employ Inc., a people‑first hiring platform integrating JazzHR, Lever and Jobvite, announced the appointment of Eric Waldinger as Chief Revenue Officer. Waldinger will steer go‑to‑market strategy, market expansion, and oversee sales and revenue operations. He arrives with nearly three decades...
If I Was Appointed CRO Today
Norman Marks outlines a pragmatic onboarding plan for a first‑time chief risk officer. He emphasizes a listening tour to grasp the organization’s culture, decision‑making processes, regulatory mandates, and existing risk infrastructure. The approach prioritizes swift regulatory compliance using minimal resources,...
How iRobot’s Supply Chain Became Its Last Resort
iRobot, the pioneer of consumer robotics, saw its revenue peak at $1.56 billion in 2021 before facing intense price competition from low‑cost Chinese rivals. In August 2022 Amazon announced a $1.7 billion cash offer to acquire iRobot, aiming to integrate Roomba’s home‑mapping...
CRO of the Year: Sheldon Lacy, Canopius Group
Sheldon Lacy marked his 10th year as chief risk officer and his 50th birthday while steering Canopius Group through rapid growth and a shifting insurance market. Since the 2019 AmTrust acquisition, the firm’s gross written premiums have surged 130%, and...
My Team Drives 4x Revenue Per AE vs Competitors | Aviv Canaani, CRO @ Datarails
Aviv Canaani, CRO of Datarails, reengineered the company’s go‑to‑market by flipping sales from 90% outbound to 90% inbound. The inbound engine—built on paid LinkedIn, Google, Facebook campaigns, a niche FP&A podcast and a strong brand presence—enabled AEs to close roughly...
Spend as a Signal for Future Readiness
Spend data, traditionally a lagging metric, is being re‑engineered as a forward‑looking signal thanks to AI advancements. Zip’s recent survey of over 1,000 spend management professionals reveals heightened focus on analytics, AI skill demand, and a rapidly diversifying procurement technology...
Making the Case for Change: Orchestration & Procurement Operating Models
The session with ORO Labs executives reframed procurement as an end‑to‑end process rather than a siloed function, emphasizing its impact on user experience, cost savings, risk mitigation, and compliance. Rapid advances in AI and automation are forcing procurement technology stacks...
Serving Up Savings in Food Procurement
Organizations that serve food at scale face rising inflation and supplier pressure. Partnering with a group purchasing organization (GPO) allows them to lock in lower prices, standardize contracts, and streamline budgeting. Marissa Muzik, senior manager at Una, explains how GPOs...
Why Smart Sales Leaders Still Struggle to Execute
Smart sales leaders often know the right tactics, yet execution falters. Janelle Grove identifies isolation and the emotional gap between knowing and deciding as the core blockers. Without a trusted peer group to pressure‑test choices, leaders over‑analyze, delaying actions that...
Fujio Cho on Standardized Work: The Foundation for Improvement, Not Control
Fujio Cho emphasized that standardized work is a learning tool, not a control mechanism. He argued that a shared, current‑best‑practice baseline makes problems visible and enables continuous improvement. When leaders treat standards as compliance checks, employees hide issues; instead, leaders...
Introducing the ProcureTech Insider: A New Art of Procurement Podcast
Art of Procurement has launched the ProcureTech Insider, a new podcast series aimed at demystifying procurement technology. The show targets CPOs and digital leaders who are overwhelmed by rapid AI‑driven platform growth and need practical guidance. In its inaugural episode,...
Ax3.ai Appoints Marius Tudor as Chief Revenue Officer to Accelerate Global Growth
Ax3.ai appointed Marius Tudor as Chief Revenue Officer to lead its global go‑to‑market strategy. Tudor brings more than 25 years of technical sales experience in infrastructure and hardware. He will expand direct sales channels, strengthen the partner ecosystem, and target...
Leanshoring: Winning with Customers by Bringing the Business Closer
Global supply‑chain shocks and tariff volatility are prompting U.S. firms to reconsider offshoring. Jim Womack’s "leanshoring" model combines lean manufacturing with reshoring, demanding a full‑cost analysis that accounts for risk, intellectual property and skill loss. GE Appliances illustrates the approach,...
From Agile to Lean Tech: Theodo’s Journey to Scalable Learning
Theodo transformed a failed client project into a catalyst for a 14‑year lean‑tech evolution, merging agile practices with lean thinking to build a learning‑focused delivery system. By embedding visibility, problem‑solving tools and shared responsibility, the firm grew from two founders...
Transforming Procurement From the Inside Out
Procurement is at a pivotal crossroads as global uncertainty, rapid technology adoption, and heightened business expectations demand greater influence. Ben Farrell, CIPS CEO, draws on his military and retail experience to argue that procurement leaders must grant teams freedom within...
Ryan McCormack’s Operational Excellence Mixtape: February 20, 2026
Ryan McCormack’s February 2026 Operational Excellence Mixtape warns that change fatigue is eroding continuous‑improvement efforts. He urges leaders to anchor teams to core values, embed quality as the operating architecture, and use process confirmation to lock improvements into daily work, citing Toyota’s...
Are We Measuring the Right Things in Supply Chain?
In this episode, Adrian Gonzalez and a panel of supply chain executives explore whether the metrics used today truly reflect performance drivers across manufacturing, retail, and distribution. Participants reveal a gap between commonly tracked KPIs—like on‑time delivery and inventory turns—and...
Do I Care? Posted on February, 2026
The article argues that "caring" is not an emotion but measurable engagement, and that many professionals default to going through the motions because system‑driven metrics reward activity over depth. It highlights how short‑term tenure cycles—especially the average 18‑month CRO lifespan—encourage...
UMass Memorial Health Transformation Journey
In 2013 Dr. Eric Dickson took the helm of UMass Memorial Health as the system teetered on the brink of default and faced declining patient and caregiver satisfaction. He introduced a CEO‑driven lean management system that standardized nine core processes and...
From Pain Points to Progress: Medtronic’s Procurement Evolution
Medtronic is revamping its indirect procurement model to become a strategic, business‑focused function. By segmenting its supplier base, the company concentrates resources on high‑risk, high‑spend vendors while using digital pathways for low‑complexity suppliers. Leadership emphasizes speaking the language of EBITDA...
Should You Really Vibe Code a TMS?
In this episode Adrian Gonzalez examines the modern "build vs. buy" dilemma for transportation management systems (TMS) in the age of AI‑driven vibe coding. He references Dave Clark’s rapid custom CRM build and recent market jitters over AI’s impact on...
Ryan McCormack’s Operational Excellence Mixtape: February 6, 2025
GE Aerospace’s Q4 2025 report credits its lean management system with double‑digit revenue and profit growth, highlighting an employee‑led innovation called the “Gerald” tape dispenser as proof of measurable value. The article argues that most continuous‑improvement programs fail because they...