Digital Deification

Oct 10, 2026 · Operations

Procurement Beyond Price-Cutting: Early Involvement Turns Cost Center into Profit Center

This article argues that manufacturing procurement must evolve from transactional price negotiation to strategic early involvement in product design, detailing frameworks for supplier selection, execution, and performance evaluation, distinguishing direct vs. indirect material strategies, clarifying ERP vs. SRM roles, and predicting AI-driven automation of routine orders.