Andrea Bogefors
Hi Andrea, tell us a bit about your background.
I’m a law graduate who went straight from studying to working with sales before moving into procurement. My professional life has revolved around IT services, both selling as an Account Manager for a global telecom provider and buying as a procurement expert for Swedish multinationals. IT procurement is a complex business, so my studies come in handy when working with global contracts that must adhere to regulations such as GDPR and the US Cloud Act.
Why the move from sales to procurement?
There is a symbiosis between sales and procurement. Some may see them as opposites, but they must coexist and collaborate for the best results. I’d spent seven years in sales, and it was time for a change. Procurement appealed to me. Interestingly, it felt like I went from the most organized person in sales to one of the least organized people in procurement – which I suppose highlights one of the differences between sales and procurement.
What is your role at Three P?
I’m a company Advisor, handle some HR duties, but my primary role is as a Senior Procurement Consultant. This is very much a hands-on company, which is one of the reasons why people and companies want to work with us. As a consultant, I help global organizations manage and procure their IT contracts. I typically work as a member of a client’s procurement team, providing expertise in dealing with global providers such as Microsoft, SAP, and Google.
What three tips would you give to anyone procuring IT services?
I’d say my three biggest tips are pretty interlinked.
1) Be transparent about your requirements and current situation. You won’t gain an advantage by “keeping your cards close to your chest.” Quite the opposite, you may not get the help or solution you need.
2) Build a good relationship with your Account Manager. They know the solutions and company inside out, and if they don’t, they know where to find the answers from those who do. A good relationship will benefit both of you.
3) Share learnings with suppliers and internally amongst the team. It’s key to constantly improving the procurement organization and customer-supplier relationship.
As someone who has worked with both sales and purchasing, what do you think are the biggest challenges in procurement?
Like so many other industries, the pandemic changed procurement. There was a general shift away from long-term strategies to solving the here and now. That is slowly changing, but it is something we, as procurement professionals, must drive forward. In today’s uncertain world, we are facing new challenges as many companies look to save costs by pushing prices, but that affects quality, which impacts brand trust. Long-term strategic procurement delivers considerable gains for any organization, and that’s the message we must deliver.
On that theme, I believe we need to work harder to change the preconception of what procurement is and the value it can bring to an organization. And the earlier we are brought into strategic discussions, the bigger an impact we can have. For instance, the IT contracts I’m negotiating on behalf of clients have an enormous effect on an organization, which is why I am in regular dialogue with heads of IT and process owners.
Any final thoughts?
The procurement industry is in transition, and as a consultant, you can contribute to that change at the companies you work with. It’s an exciting time to be involved in procurement and a great time to be at a game-changing company such as Three P.
