Procurement has transformed significantly over the past two decades, evolving from a back-office function focused on cost control to a strategic driver of business value. Bogdan Cotirlan, a seasoned procurement and supply chain leader with over 20 years of experience across Europe and the Middle East, has been at the forefront of this shift. His expertise in process optimization, strategic sourcing, and digital transformation has enabled organizations to build agile, data-driven procurement functions that align with broader business objectives.
Throughout his career, Bogdan has led large-scale procurement transformations, implementing innovative strategies that enhance efficiency, resilience, and long-term value creation. His passion for digitalization has driven the adoption of AI-driven analytics, robotic process automation, and chatbot solutions, positioning procurement as a proactive and technology-enabled function.
In this feature, Bogdan shares his insights on how procurement’s role has evolved, the shifting perceptions of its value within organizations, and the growing importance of technology in decision-making. He also highlights the need for procurement to attract and develop a new generation of professionals, emphasizing the importance of diverse skill sets beyond traditional procurement backgrounds.
With a career dedicated to redefining procurement as a business enabler, Bogdan offers a compelling perspective on the future of the function and the critical steps needed to sustain its transformation.
Bogdan, how did you get into Procurement? Was your perception of procurement different to the reality?
I was fortunate to work in procurement since I graduated from university. Honestly, I had no perception, nor expectations from procurement. However, it was love at the first sight. The amount of knowledge form various areas (facilities management, IT, marketing, sales, consultancy, MRO) was tremendous and this is what “convinced” me to be loyal to procurement for the rest of my career.
Definitely, the procurement “from the books” is not necessary the procurement “from the reality”. But this is exactly what makes procurement more exciting. Each challenge is an opportunity to make a difference. No two projects are the same, hence, you need to find innovative solutions to navigate through complex negotiations making decisions with long lasting impact on the business.
How has procurement and the expectations placed upon it changed over time?
I have witnessed massive changes and transformations of procurement since my first day in procurement 25 years ago.
First and foremost, I see now a more strategic position for procurement within the organization. Procurement is no longer an administrative, back-office department, but it is now becoming a business enabler, driving competitive advantage to the organization.
Procurement had to keep up with overall organizations development and became a more efficient and data-driven function. Nowadays, procurement leverages digital tools, such as e-procurement platforms, AI-driven analytics, and real-time data insights becoming proactive and driving strategic sourcing decisions.
Last but by no means least, procurement now plays a vital role in driving sustainability initiatives, ensuring supply chains align with ESG standards, reducing carbon footprints, and promoting ethical sourcing practices.
How do you feel procurement is perceived in general? Why is this?
As far as I have seen and experienced in last decade, the perception has shifted positively as procurement has evolved into a strategic function. However, this is very much depending on the people, both top executive management of the organizations and procurement professionals.
I do believe that the experience, business acumen and technical expertise of procurement professionals drives procurement in a strategic position within the company.
On the other hand, top management must challenge and recognize procurement’s achievements beyond cost cutting or compliance role.
What can procurement do better?
Procurement must attract and train new generation of procurement professionals. It must mainly start from universities whereas to attract talents from other areas with specific technical or business knowledge. Recruiting with “ XX years procurement/category strategy” people approach must shift to more open approach towards people with specific knowledge or market.
Additionally, as AI tools like ChatGPT revolutionize business processes, training procurement professionals to effectively leverage these technologies is essential. A well-structured training strategy can enhance decision-making, improve efficiency, and strengthen procurement’s role as a strategic business partner.