652: The Opportunity for Procurement to Collaborate with End Customers w/ Stephen Tonks

“Purchasing has always been finally responsible for quality, cost, and delivery, but with some of the global challenges we’ve had in the last five years, purchasing has mutated into supply chain, and we have taken over a lot of those responsibilities.” - Stephen Tonks, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Fujikura Automotive Europe

Procurement and supply chain are usually designated as two separate functions within organizations, each with different lines of reporting and operational structures. As procurement’s role has evolved and the value they bring to the business has expanded beyond sourcing or cost and into strategy, purchasing and supply chain are becoming more intertwined than ever before.

To understand the relationship between purchasing and supply chain and what this means for the evolving role of procurement as a key strategic partner and relationship facilitator for the business, Philip Ideson spoke with Stephen Tonks, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Fujikura Automotive Europe. 

Stephen emphasizes the importance of purchasing and supply chain being constantly aligned and focused on the overall goals, challenges, and needs of the business as a whole. 

In this episode, he discusses: 

• How purchasing and supply chain can support each other and find greater alignment to deliver more value for the business
• The importance of relationships, both internal and external, to supply chain health and transparency
• How procurement can leverage customer insights and relationships to drive business value and optimize the supply chain

Links:

• Stephen Tonks
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement