Procurement at SSOW


SSON’s Shared Services & Outsourcing Week is your one-stop-shop for procurement content. We’ve compiled 4 days of the very best speakers, sessions, and experiences for you to share with other procurement professionals from around the globe. Register today for your opportunity to be part of the world’s largest and longest running shared services conference.









Why Attend?

Procurement is paramount when thinking of automating processes for your business. Whether that is outsourcing, ROI, strategic sourcing or supply chain management, procurement is a key piece in a company's digital transformation journey. At SSOW, we provide the space and resources for procurement experts from all industries to share ideas and optimize their company in real-time with one another regardless of maturity. We understand the most pressing challenges procurement leaders and workers are facing this year, and we’ve designed our program to meet your needs. At SSOW, you can design your agenda around what matters most to you.


Key Topics & Themes


  • BPO Partnership Success Factors
  • Process Ownership for Optimization
  • Supply Chain Resilience and Risk Management
  • Process Mining for Strategic Impact
  • Accelerating Value with Innovative Technologies
  • Customer-Centric Approach with BPO Partners
  • Operational Excellence in Shared Services
  • Process Intelligence for Business Impact


                                            Featured Sessions


Track: Driving Insightful Decision Making with Data-Driven Discovery

The G6 Debate: Provocative Insights into BPO's Impact on GBS Excellence

Dynamic Supply Chain Shared Services: Empowering Cutting-Edge Inventory Management and Demand Planning Excellence

In a time where automation strives to keep up with demands, this session will scrutinize the pressure to excel and encourage a fresh perspective on data analysis. Discover how strategic insights can pinpoint areas for improvement. 

  • Leverage data-driven strategies to accelerate your shared services and outsourcing journey and navigate the path to sustainable success
  • Explore the evolving landscape of business automation and the pressing need for accelerated performance amidst rising expectations

Dive into a riveting exchange at the g6 where BPO executives stir the pot on industry trends. from the disruptive thrust of Generative AI to radical shifts in strategy, customer-centricity, and tech fusion, this debate uncovers the tumultuous forces shaping the dynamic GBS landscape.

  • Generative AI: Catalyst or Chaos?: brace yourself for a fiery exploration of generative ai's potential as BPO leaders clash over its transformative impact on GBS operational models
  • Innovation Wars: witness BPO titans unveil their arsenals of innovation tactics, leveraging cutting-edge tech and agility to claim the crown in the relentless battle for market supremacy
  • GBS: evolution or extinction?: get ready for a candid discussion as GBS leaders dissect the disruptive trends, sparking a dialogue on whether traditional models can endure in the face of revolutionary change

Experience the cutting-edge capabilities of steward health's supply chain shared services, designed to transform inventory management and demand planning across their expansive network of 39 hospitals spanning 9 states.

    • Discover how this revolutionary system improves efficiency by streamlining inventory processes, empowers accurate demand forecasting, and facilitates meaningful data
    • Unlock unprecedented operational optimization, cost savings, and patient-centric care delivery



    All Procurement Sessions


    • Driving Service Experience &Transformation Outcomes with BPO Partners

    There are many factors to take into account when it comes to choosing the right partners and models. The pandemic has shone a light on how important a true partnership is during disruptive and uncertain times. This session will look to share experiences and key success factors for driving transformational outcomes from your BPO partnerships:


    - Understanding the business objectives and selecting the right service delivery model

    - How to leverage BPO partners to drive end to-end process efficiency and customer experience

    - How do you expand into cutting-edge services around big data, analytics and other innovative solutions?

    - Developing and shaping centers of excellence to build capabilities


    • Process Ownership- the Underutilized Supercharger for End-to-End Optimization

    Understand the steps it takes to launch a successful process ownership role in your SSC.


    - Why is splitting the finance part from the customer service part important?

    - How to push outside E2E when it sits within functional areas

    - Setting common targets, incentives and transparent communication to drive your process


    • Interactive Discussion Groups (IDGs)

        - Automate Complex Data Sets with Intelligent Document Processing

        - Unlocking the Benefits of Process Mining

        - Using Predictive Analytics to Improve Decision Support

        - Digitalizing Data & Streamlining Workflows

        - Driving Operational Excellence

        - Choosing the Right Location to Drive Cost Savings

        - How can GBS Take on ESG (Environmental, Societal and Governance) and Sustainability?


        • Think Tank: Pioneering Procurement and Financial Transformation for Future-Ready Enterprises

        Join us to uncover how to implement cutting-edge solutions to reshape traditional processes, elevate operational efficiency, and propel businesses toward a future of sustainable growth.


        - Streamline processes and optimize resource utilization
        - Drive cost savings, enhance supplier collaboration, and mitigate risks
        - Seamlessly integrate data-driven decision making


        • Think Tank: Unleashing Operational Transformation: Navigating Capabilities

        In a rapidly evolving landscape of AI, ML, RPA, and Generative AI, separating transformative technologies from fleeting trends is paramount. Are you ready to strategically choose technologies that will truly revolutionize your operations?


        • Think Tank: Case Study: Employ Process Intelligence to Make Strategic Impacts on Business Outcomes

        Discover how process mining/ intelligence liberates resources, paving the way for valuable, strategic contributions that extend beyond savings and efficiencies, ultimately influencing core business outcomes.


        - Attain peak operational efficiency
        - Elevate service quality to new heights
        - Foster robust relationships within and beyond the organization


        • The Power of an Intelligent Centers: Accelerate End-to-End Value through Innovative Technologies

        As we embrace a work-from-anywhere model in a globalized workforce, this session delves into the profound implications of accelerated automation on shared services and its dynamic evolution as a key player.


        - Determining the impact of accelerated automation and its implications for shared services and GBS operations
        - Leveraging technology to optimize processes, drive efficiency, and support business growth within shared services and GBS
        - Gaining insights on disruptive and AI technology to increase scope


        • Track: Panel: Captive, Outsourced or Hybrid? Finding the Perfect Fit For Your SSO

        Each SSO must find its own fit in order to maximize its value. Oftentimes there is no single correct answer The panelists come from companies with revenue of >$2 bil and below. They will debate and discuss which model works best within their organization and why. Key learnings include:


        - What partners they use and results for SMEs
        - How technology has influenced the decision making process
        - Levers pull in order to make a change


        • Track: Championing a Customer-Centric Paradigm to Enhance Outcomes with BPO Partners

        - Leverage BPO partners to drive end-to-end process efficiency
        - Developing centers of excellence to build capabilities and enhance customer experience
        - Examine the system and processes and data required to make sure they are a fit for purpose




        Speaker Spotlight







        Additional Procurement Resources


        Procurement and the Art of Storytelling


        Storytelling allows individuals to illustrate lessons learned, to set goals, drive future direction, and deliver coaching and mentoring. Learn the many benefits of becoming a storyteller and how to become an effective storyteller.


        What Procurement Leaders Can Learn from Wordle 

        Discover how Wordle can mirror how procurement leaders approach problems and challenges. Business advice and commonalities can be found in the most unlikely places.


        How To Increase Purchasing Control and Improve Sustainability in a Digital Age 


        For this report, Medius teamed up with Supplier Management Insider to see how changes in behavior and working from home have impacted sustainability targets and what to expect after lockdowns are lifted.