A procurement center of excellence is a specialist group that sets methods, tools, standards and capability for the wider procurement organization. It may own analytics, process design, templates, training, technology governance and improvement programs while category or regional teams execute the work.
How is Procurement Center of Excellence structured?
A procurement center of excellence sets common methods and provides specialist support across the procurement organization. It may own category standards, analytics, supplier-risk methods, training, templates or technology governance while operational teams execute transactions and sourcing events. Its charter should state which decisions it controls and which services it offers to category and business teams.
What to define before launch
Define its mandate, customers, decision authority, standards, service commitments, expertise, roadmap and measures of adoption.
Where buyers get caught
A center of excellence can become a policy layer with no operational pull. Its work should solve measured problems used by procurement teams.
