ProcureTech top tips for change management & driving adoption

In the final webinar of our Scaling Sourcing Excellence series, Martin Srna, VP of Customer Success at Keelvar, and Geraldine Brouste, Customer Success Manager, shared their insights on change management and driving adoption within the procurement space.

As organizations increasingly rely on ProcureTech solutions to enhance their sourcing strategies, effectively managing change and ensuring adoption are critical to maximizing the return on investment.

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The importance of adoption in procurement success

Martin began by defining adoption as not just a metric but a critical driver of success for procurement teams. "High adoption indicates that buyers are getting value from the features and realizing the benefits your sourcing tool provides," he explained.

This translates directly into organizational goals such as streamlined processes, cost reductions, and more efficient decision-making.

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Three core objectives for successful adoption

Martin highlighted three primary objectives when aiming for successful adoption of sourcing tools:

1. Increasing sourcing maturity: The goal is to enhance how proficiently your buyers use the sourcing tools, which could involve introducing optimization techniques for complex categories or standardizing RFP processes for more tactical events.
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2. Increasing spend under management: Martin emphasized the importance of expanding the use of sourcing tools across different types of spend—strategic, tactical, and tail. "Expanding the footprint of your sourcing tool will contribute to increasing spend under management, enabling more savings," he noted.
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3. Increasing utilization across teams and categories: Successful adoption should lead to enterprise-wide utilization of the sourcing solution. Martin stressed that the tool should become "an integral part of the procurement transformation," with a focus on automation and integration.

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The pillars of an adoption success plan

Geraldine discussed the critical elements of a successful adoption plan. She stressed the importance of planning before rolling out any new tool. "The most successful adoption stories are shaped ahead of delivering any licenses to the end users," she said.

Key components include:

• Defining a success plan: Based on clear objectives and KPIs that are measurable and reportable.
• Establishing roles and responsibilities: Whether it’s through a Center of Excellence or champion users, having dedicated individuals to drive adoption is crucial.
• Building a pipeline: Geraldine emphasized the need to create a pipeline of categories and events that align with the organization’s goals, ensuring the tool is used to its full potential.
• Communicating change effectively: Change management requires clear communication. Leadership must convey the benefits and commitment to the new tool, while also addressing any concerns.

Overcoming common challenges in adoption

The speakers acknowledged that resistance to change is a common hurdle. Geraldine shared that "engagement from leadership is absolutely key to a successful change." She highlighted examples where strong leadership made a significant impact, including a CPO who mandated a 12-month timeline to eliminate Excel, resulting in full adoption of the new tool.

"Engagement from leadership is absolutely key to a successful change"

Martin added that beyond leadership, having an internal change agent is critical. "This person is responsible for coordinating efforts and addressing any concerns from users," he explained, ensuring a smoother transition and higher adoption rates.

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Quick wins to boost adoption

As the session drew to a close, Martin offered some practical tips that organizations can implement immediately to drive adoption:

1. Remove friction for access: Ensure that buyers know where the tool is, how to access it, and can start using it quickly.
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2. Improve user knowledge: Promote and incentivize training for all users to ensure they can fully utilize the tool.
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3. Create advocates: Involve leadership to communicate the benefits of the tool and identify champions within the organization who can share their success stories and encourage others.

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Driving adoption for long-term success

In conclusion, successful adoption of ProcureTech solutions requires careful planning, strong leadership, and continuous communication. By focusing on these areas, organizations can ensure that their sourcing tools are not just implemented but fully embraced, leading to greater efficiencies, cost savings, and strategic success.

Want to ensure successful adoption in your organization? Watch the full webinar on-demand and discover how Keelvar’s strategies can support your journey toward sourcing excellence.