Head of Professional Services EMEA at Keelvar, Paul Dréano, shares his takeaways from our recent Keelvar Konnect event in Amsterdam:

This year marked the 4th Keelvar Konnect event in Europe, and my third time attending. Each year, I find myself not only looking forward to the event but also deeply involved in its preparation. This time around, I spoke about the role of sourcing automation and how it can drive sourcing excellence.

During my talk, I highlighted a few key areas where automation makes a real impact—such as speeding up the sourcing process for routine purchases, freeing up time for procurement teams to focus on strategic decisions, and reducing human error in managing supplier bids. Our customers who have adopted automation for spot buys have seen tangible improvements in their sourcing timelines while still maintaining flexibility for complex tenders.

Between connecting with customers, prospects and partners, I took a moment to check my phone. As the Head of European Professional Services, there’s always something on my plate—whether it’s helping a customer get started with e-sourcing, discussing automation strategies, troubleshooting bots, or advising on how to gain insights from recently closed sourcing events. This hands-on involvement gives me a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities that procurement teams face every day.

During a coffee break between our roadmap presentation and integration workshop, I looked around at the attendees. What struck me was how everyone was actively engaged in conversations. Sure, at any event, people talk—but here at Konnect, I noticed something different.

"What struck me was how everyone was actively engaged in conversations. Sure, at any event, people talk—but here at Konnect, I noticed something different"

Industry leaders from entirely different sectors, like procurement heads from a large waste management company and category managers from an IT services provider, were not just talking—they were exchanging insights, sharing what worked for them, and more importantly, what didn’t. They weren’t just boasting about their successes; they were also reflecting on their challenges, missteps, and lessons learned.

For example, one customer shared how they tried bringing negotiations back in-house, organizing face-to-face sessions with suppliers. Another customer discussed their struggle with getting timely responses from suppliers, which delayed their sourcing process and led to missed opportunities. To address this, they adopted a mixed approach—using automation for less frequently purchased items while focusing annual tenders on high-volume purchases.

By automating spot buys, they ensured suppliers understood that every bid was an important business opportunity. For those unfamiliar, spot buys are one-off purchases that happen outside regular sourcing cycles. They can be time-consuming, so automating them helps teams stay efficient. This openness to share experiences and strategies fostered a sense of community, where participants were eager to learn from each other’s experiences.

"At Keelvar, our goal is to enable sourcing excellence. While every company may approach challenges differently, the key to refining solutions is learning from others who’ve faced similar situations."

At Keelvar, our goal is to enable sourcing excellence. While every company may approach challenges differently, the key to refining solutions is learning from others who’ve faced similar situations. I was thrilled to see that spirit of collaboration in full force at this year’s Konnect event. It’s not just about attending a conference—it’s about being part of a small but powerful community that thrives on sharing sourcing knowledge and strategies. 

If you haven’t attended Konnect yet, we’d love to see you at the next one. Join the waitlist to experience firsthand how collaboration across industries can elevate your sourcing strategies—and be part of a community committed to sourcing excellence.

Stay tuned to our LinkedIn for exciting news of the next Keelvar Konnect event, coming in 2025.