Evolving Past 'Procurement in Title, Purchasing in Mindset' with Euan Granger
A deep dive with Morgan Sindall's procurement veteran on sustainability and AI, plus this week's critical supply alerts: are supply shortages heading our way?
Hey Changemakers,
Another edition packed with insights you won't want to miss. Here's what we've got in store for you this week:
A Conversation with Euan Granger
Global Risk Roundup: What to Watch Now
The Art of What's Possible: AI-Powered Shipment Tracking
A Conversation with Euan Granger
A few weeks ago, we sat down with Euan Granger, a seasoned procurement professional at Morgan Sindall Construction. With 15+ years of experience spanning multiple industries including defense, consulting, public sector, and construction, plus his thought leadership at Procurious, Euan shared his insights on where procurement is headed next.
What we covered:
Why "next time just isn't an acceptable timeline anymore" for implementing sustainability initiatives, and the untapped potential of social enterprises in creating a supply chain that truly gives back to the community.
The endless possibilities of an AI-empowered procurement professional: less Monday morning order tracking, more strategic planning.
Why tech transformation usually hits a wall — from trying to reduce system count or being fixated on immediate ROI rather than long-term value.
His perspective on those unexpected career setbacks and the power of networking.
Why having "procurement in title, but purchasing in mindset" is holding the entire function back.
"If we're not banging the drum loudly enough to change our role within the organisation, no one's going do it for us" - we've had the pleasure of speaking with Euan multiple times about the future of supply chain management, and Euan certainly doesn’t hold back from banging that drum for procurement.
Don't miss the full conversation:
Global Risk Roundup
With manufacturing investment patterns shifting and tariffs being announced, here are the top alerts to watch this week:
1. Manufacturing Investment: The New Reality Beyond Cost
The World Economic Forum reports a significant shift in global manufacturing investment patterns. Nations that invest in holistic readiness factors - from infrastructure and technology to ESG initiatives - are now winning over traditional low-cost destinations. For supply chains, this may signal a need to reassess supplier locations based on broader criteria beyond just cost advantages. (Source)
2. Critical Supply Shortages Looming
Multiple sectors are facing potential supply disruptions, with automotive parts, semiconductors, food, and pharmaceuticals being particularly vulnerable. The combination of new tariff impacts, recent weather events, and regulatory changes is creating a storm of supply chain challenges. Procurement teams should keep a close eye on inventory levels and supplier resilience in these sectors. (Source)
3. US-China Tariff Escalation
Trump's 10% tariffs on Chinese imports are now in effect (as of February 4th), while Canada and Mexico got a 30-day pause on their threatened 25% tariffs. China has retaliated with its own measures: 15% on US coal and LNG, 10% on crude oil and agricultural machinery, plus potential export controls on critical metals. (Source)
The Art of What’s Possible
Ever found yourself playing detective, trying to track down where exactly your shipment is? Or worse, discovering a delay only after your stakeholders come asking about it? Traditional shipment tracking can feel like looking through a foggy window - you kind of see what's happening, but not clearly or early enough to act on it.
Here's what’s possible when you have an AI agent monitoring risk for you round the clock:
That’s it for this week, Changemakers!
Have feedback, ideas, or something you’d like us to cover next? Interested in collaborating with us on the Spotlight Interview series or contributing your work to an upcoming edition? Hit reply - we’d love to hear from you!
Until next time,
Deana
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