Procurement & Supply Chain Management

Most CEOs do not become CEOs because they are experts in procurement and supply chain management. They do not need to be. But they do need to understand how these functions influence cost, risk, resilience, growth, and long-term business performance.

The reality is simple: most enterprise value and risk live outside a company's four walls. Procurement and supply chain decisions influence 50-70% of enterprise costs, shape relationships with critical suppliers, impact operational performance, and determine how well organizations respond to disruption. Yet many executives continue to view procurement as a purchasing function rather than a strategic business discipline.

In Procurement & Supply Chain Management: What Every CEO Needs to Know (Before It's Too Late), veteran procurement and supply chain executive David J. Watkins provides a practical, executive-level guide to one of the most misunderstood functions in business.

Drawing on decades of leadership experience across multiple industries and global organizations, Watkins explains: Where procurement and supply chain should report within the organization and why it matters Why Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs) and Chief Supply Chain Officers (CSCOs) need executive authority The critical differences between sourcing, procurement, and supply chain management How operating models can either create value or destroy it Why shadow procurement functions exist and the risks they create How procurement and supply chain drive operational excellence Why supplier negotiations should be led by trained professionals How technology enables visibility, control, resilience, and performance What CEOs should expect from a CPO or CSCO during the first 100 days

Written in a direct, candid, and occasionally provocative style, this book challenges long-standing assumptions and provides practical insights that leaders can apply immediately. It avoids unnecessary jargon and focuses on the questions that matter most to CEOs, boards, investors, executives, and business leaders responsible for enterprise performance.

Whether you lead a multinational corporation, a growing business, a public-sector organization, or are building a career in procurement and supply chain management, this book will help you better understand how supplier decisions shape business outcomes long before problems become visible.

You do not need to become a procurement or supply chain expert.

But you do need to understand what happens when the function is underfunded, misunderstood, or ignored.

Because by the time most leaders realize how important procurement and supply chain management really are, the consequences are already showing up in their results.