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ISM 2024: Awarding the best use cases in digital procurement

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ISM 2024: Awarding the best use cases in digital procurement

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November 7, 2023

We are looking for the top procurement solutions once more. Do you have what it takes?

Apply now

About the award
Award categories
Award process
Prizes for selected winners
Jury members

In recent years, procurement challenges have intensified significantly, whether due to disruptions in supply chains caused by wars or lockdowns, semiconductor supply shortages, or a stronger focus on sustainability. Without consistent digitization, these challenges cannot be overcome. However, there is a significant opportunity here, as procurement can play a crucial role as a "value creator" within the company. Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a key role in this, contributing to the analysis of complex data, making informed decisions, and streamlining processes. This is why we award the best digital advancements in procurement with our Intelligent Spend Management (ISM) Award.

Procurement and expense management today not only lead to cost savings but also engage in risk and crisis management, consider sustainability goals, promote ethical procurement, and enhance decision-making through digitalization and visualization. Over the past two decades, terms like Source-to-Contract and Purchase-to-Pay, spend analysis, digital contract management, and supplier portals have been at the forefront of CPOs' agendas when it comes to digitizing procurement processes. However, since the introduction of ChatGPT in November 2022, procurement is facing an even more profound AI-driven transformation, allowing CPOs to elevate their procurement organization to an entirely new level. Many companies are already industry and technology leaders with such digital and AI-driven applications, regularly implementing innovative projects that radically transform procurement and related functions such as supply chain management, design, and logistics.

The ISM Award, presented by Roland Berger and SAP, is THE award for digitalization projects in procurement and is aimed at the most innovative digital solutions.

Here are the 2023 winners!

About the award

The ISM Award is aimed at companies from the DACH region. Prizes are given in five categories and an overall winner is chosen by the high-profile jury. The goal of the award is to further develop the use cases submitted, fuel marketing, provide far-reaching visibility in the industry and procurement community, and strengthen the reputation of the winners.

Award categories
Award categories
Business insights & foresights

There are many challenges for a company to generate valuable business insights and derive forecasts: 1) The environment is constantly changing, volatile and uncertain; 2) Data is often complex and ambiguous leading to unclear analysis results; 3) The full know-how of all company stakeholders is hard to leverage given the current processes and IT infrastructure.

Business network

Challenges present in supply networks include limited intelligence on end-to-end supply chain and 'silo-optimization' of each supply chain participant.

Sustainability & integrity

Sustainability is no longer a nice side project; it's a prerequisite of business and business relationships. Companies need an increased awareness for holistic, sustainable development in the environment, as well as social relations, and company governance.

Operational excellence

Operational excellence is inhibited when key processes are not fully supported by state-of-the-art IT-solutions. A non-integrated purchasing IT-landscape with stand-alone solutions and multiple interfaces can also create many complications.

Organizational agility & 21st century skills

The needs and requirements of the workforce are constantly changing due to digitalization. There are higher requirements for proximity and exchange within both the internal and external workforces, and a growing external workforce is forcing companies to adapt and manage new end-to-end people processes.

What we're looking for in each category

Business insights & foresights

  • Enhanced systems for data processing and preparation
  • Automated decision support for spend management and negotiations
  • Intelligent solutions to identify additional value generators
  • Supply market intelligence

Business network

  • Collaborative, digitally connected and intelligent supply network
  • Visibility on full supply chain

Sustainability & integrity

  • Holistic concepts and digital systems to manage a sustainable supply chain
  • Equitable sourcing and procurement processes

Operational excellence

  • Digitization and automation of key processes
  • Integrated IT landscape with seamless end-to-end processes
  • Solutions for efficient ways to leverage up-to-date procurement data

Organizational agility & 21st-century skills

  • New, innovative digital skillsets
  • Different leadership requirements
  • Flexibility between internal and external workforce
  • Innovative training solutions

Award process
Apply now
Prizes for selected winners

Winners will receive attractive packages that will make their use case visible and boost their company to the next level of procurement and spend management:

  • Spend Management Leaders' League: An exclusive, expert network for finalists and winners that includes webinars, roundtables, and best-practice sharing.
  • Marketing Video: Production of a short video to support the marketing measures for the use case and the company.

Additionally, the visibility of each winner's use case will be promoted via our website, LinkedIn, and other digital platforms.

Further reading
Award
Intelligent Spend Management Award Winners 2022

Intelligent Spend Management Award Winners 2022

Roland Berger and SAP are pleased to announce the winners and finalists of the Intelligent Spend Management Award 2022. We celebrate these innovative thinkers, whose solutions are changing the landscape of procurement.
Award
Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award 2023

Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award 2023

Organized by Microsoft and Roland Berger, the 2023 Intelligent Manufacturing Award celebrates thought leaders who are driving innovative industry solutions.