Empowering category managers: The strategic role of procurement support
In a rapidly shifting global supply landscape, category managers carry the heavy responsibility of balancing costs, managing supplier risks, advancing sustainability, and meeting stakeholder expectations, often all at once. Yet, while they are expected to deliver strategic value, their days are frequently consumed by operational tasks: chasing supplier data, reconciling price fluctuations, or navigating compliance hurdles.
This is where procurement support teams come in: the often-unsung enablers of strategic category management. When designed and deployed effectively, procurement support functions can transform the operating pattern of category managers, freeing them from tactical overload and enabling data-backed, forward-looking decisions.
