ROLLS-ROYCE
Prolonging the life of a product is another way that sustainability meets profit , Godfrey says . “ The very best thing you can do from a cost perspective and from a sustainability perspective is not buy the thing at all – our motto is reduce , reuse and recycle .”
Digital transformation has empowered Godfrey and his team to extract value far beyond the scope of procurement ’ s traditional transactional responsibilities . Smart use of technology and a willingness to evolve mindset and processes as much as software packages and video platforms will come to define where the function is headed next , Godfrey believes . It is a future of increased digital agility , data and the maturity of AI and other emerging technologies .
“ From what I ’ m seeing , it ' s not fully there yet ,” he says . “ But if I think about some of the solutions that are out there for some of the topics that are important to us , in terms of cost and supply chain visibility , and the conversations I ' m having ; whether supporting the development journey of small , half-a-dozen-people start-ups to working closely with our own in-house AI team to conversations with the very biggest household names in digital , it ’ s close .
“ Couple that with the vast array of competing green technologies out there , which will drive the net zero agenda , and from a technology perspective , I think we ' re probably closer than many of us may realise to an era-defining change with some really interesting technologies , tools and systems being available to support the buyer to do their job effectively , drive huge value and really make a world of difference .”
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