“The CFO-CPO relationship might be the most important relationship that exists or needs to exist within the enterprise.”

– John Paterson, Chief Procurement Officer, IBM

As one of the most prominent and successful CPOs in the world, John Paterson knows whereof he speaks. This is but one reason why Ardent Partners has published a research report focused on the CFO-CPO relationship. The report, which draws from the experience and strategies of more than two dozen C-level executives, looks at the opportunities and challenges facing these two C-Level leaders and their departments and makes a series of actionable recommendations that can help improve enterprise performance in the near-term and help build a foundation for a productive and thriving, long-term finance-procurement partnership.

Today, the CPO and procurement department are better equipped to support the strategic objectives of the CFO and the overall enterprise than at any other time in history. This has been driven by the development of more advanced procurement capabilities and the utilization of powerful process automation tools which can support a wide-range of business objectives. These, and other factors, have played a major role in pulling these leaders closer together.

The current business environment is one that allows for much smaller margins of error and one that, for many enterprises, will mean a constant reevaluation of business processes and cost structures. This has helped align the focus and agenda of the CPO with the top priorities of the CFO and awaken the CFO to the opportunities that exist within procurement to support key enterprise initiatives. There are other large drivers and trends that have conspired with the business climate in recent years to help increase the alignment between procurement and finance including the expansion of supply management technology within the average enterprise, globalization, and the need for increased collaboration

This groundbreaking thought-leadership report filled with deep insights, case studies, and actionable recommendations is a must-read for CPOs, CFOs and those that aspire to those two roles. For more information about this report and how to access it, click here.