MERCK KGAA, DARMSTADT, GERMANY
The changing face of procurement Sebastien is candid about how the procurement function has evolved since Merck’ s inception. The biggest challenge, he says, lies in accepting that you never truly reach a point where everything is known or fixed.
“ I think the first thing that challenges you is the realisation that you’ ve never seen it all, despite how long you have been in procurement,” he explains.“ Everyday there’ s something new that pops up that requires you to tap into your toolbox and come up with different solutions than you would have in the past.”
He also reflects on how procurement teams can stay relevant in a shifting corporate landscape. It isn’ t about fixing what’ s broken, but preparing for what lies ahead.
“ Procurement now versus procurement in five or 10 years will be fundamentally different, so I think where I find myself in my job is how I ensure that I set my team up for that future,” Sebastien says.
His approach draws on his ability to bring clarity to complexity and communicate the bigger picture:“ I believe I have a strong ability to connect complex topics and connect the dots.
“ I have a good ability to tackle abstract topics by finding linearity in things which might not be linear or which might not seem linear at first. I also think as a person I’ m quite a good storyteller, which is important when you talk about transformational revolution.”
Unlocking value from procurement’ s blind spot One area where Sebastien sees clear room for improvement is tail spend, perhaps the most overlooked function which typically receives the least attention due to limited resources and inconsistent buying patterns.
This is where many companies miss out, Sebastien asserts, because they focus on what’ s easiest to manage and control.“ What happens by nature is you don’ t focus on the least valuable stuff, but you look at the most valuable stuff,” he explains.“ If you just apply the 80 / 20 rule, you will go straight
6 merckgroup. com