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Kelly Barner

Owner, Managing Director at Buyers Meeting Point, LLC

Boston, MA, United States

10722 Followers

Kelly Barner is the Owner and Managing Director of Buyers Meeting Point. She has a unique perspective on procurement from the numerous roles she has held during her 15 years in procurement. Kelly worked for Ahold USA (parent company of grocery chains Stop & Shop, Hannaford, Giant Landover, and more) on their not for resale sourcing team, specializing in systems implementation and hired services category sourcing. She spent three years as the Associate Director of consulting services at Emptoris before it was acquired by IBM in 2011.

Since 2009 she has covered procurement news, events, publications, solutions, trends, and relevant economics at Buyers Meeting Point. Buyers Meeting Point provides the procurement industry with an events calendar, blog, active social media network, and podcast, all of which are trusted sources of information for practitioners and solution providers alike. Kelly has several regular columns throughout the industry, and in the summer of 2016 was appointed to become the Business Survey Chair for the ISM-New York Report on Business.

Kelly has her MBA from Babson College as well as an MS in Library and Information Science from Simmons College. Kelly has co-authored three books: ‘Supply Market Intelligence for Procurement Professionals: Research, Process, and Resources’ (2014), ‘Procurement at a Crossroads: Career Impacting Insights into a Rapidly Changing Industry’ (2016), and 'Finance Unleashed: Leveraging the CFO for Innovation' (2017). In 2017, Kelly co-founded Palambridge with Phil Ideson (Art of Procurement).

Kelly BarnerPoints
Academic0
Author146
Influencer107
Speaker8
Entrepreneur0
Total261

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Thought Leader Profile

Portfolio Mix

Company Information

Company Type: Individual

Areas of Expertise

Analytics 30.56
Digital Transformation 47.90
Fintech 71
Procurement 100
Supply Chain 100
Big Data 32.33
AI 32.64
Emerging Technology 31.11
Leadership 30.93
Innovation 30.45
Sustainability 33.41
Digital Disruption 30.36
Management 31.16
Culture 30.58
Customer Experience 30.81
Autonomous Vehicles 35.83

Industry Experience

Professional Services
Retail

Publications

23 Article/Blogs
Additional Commentary on the November ISM-NewYork Report on Business: Outlook Stands Alone
Buyers Meeting Point
December 04, 2018
In November, New York City purchasing managers indicated lower conditions in all indices but two, the Six-Month Outlook and Prices Paid.

Current Business Conditions reached a seven-month low, coming in at 67.8 in November. Current Business Conditions have fallen between 2 and 4 points per month for the last three months.

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Tags: Procurement, Supply Chain

Making the Business Case for Digital Procurement this Budget Season
SynerTrade
December 04, 2018
The days remaining in this fiscal year are slipping away quickly. All across the enterprise, decision makers’ attention is turning to 2019. The start of a new year brings new budgets – along with all their ups and downs. Procurement’s spend management mandate might lead one to expect that we have an inside line on securing funds, but this is not usually the case. Procurement teams have varying levels of visibility and influence during the annual budgeting process – especially when it comes to making the case for investment in our own technology. And an investment in digital procurement can be the difference between ‘getting by’ and ‘getting ahead’.

Procurement teams that have successfully transformed into a strategic and digitally-enabled function have stronger relationships with stakeholders and executive leadership. This is partially because of the increased access to information that transformation provides and partially because of reduced ‘static’ thanks to access to integrated, end-to-end digital procurement.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Procurement, Supply Chain

3 Procurement Software Obstacles to Change
SynerTrade
November 13, 2018
“Hooray! Change!” said absolutely no one ever.

We work in a time of rapid, disruptive change. Today’s innovation is tomorrow’s passé trend, and yesterday’s innovation is… well, who can remember yesterday?



Procurement is often in the driver’s seat for change management efforts, and we must deal with natural resistance to change as well as competition from other enterprise projects. The following obstacles are commonly – and uniquely – faced by procurement teams in the course of rolling out processes and technology...

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Tags: Procurement, Supply Chain

Business Survey Chair Commentary on the October ISM-New York Report on Business: "Hotter Jobs Under Cooler Conditions"
Buyers Meeting Point
November 02, 2018
In October, New York City purchasing managers reported yet another new high level of Employment while indicating lower Current Business Conditions and a lower Six-Month Outlook, according to the survey taken by the Institute for Supply Management-New York.

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Tags: Management, Procurement

Policy or Practice? Supply Chain Risk Management in Reality
All Things Supply Chain Blog
October 29, 2018
It is a scary reality for companies with global raw material supply chains that the data does not always exist to verify the source of the metals they and their suppliers buy. We can invest in supply chain risk management and/or compliance solutions and regularly audit our supply chains, but reliable visibility remains elusive.

This is not just a challenge for small or growing companies. The firms named in the WSJ article include Fortune Global 500 regulars such as Apple, VW, and Samsung. If they cannot keep conflict minerals out of their high visibility supply chains, how can any company hope to?

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Tags: Procurement, Supply Chain, Sustainability

Fleet Innovation - Beyond the Robots
ATSC Blog
October 08, 2018
Driverless fleet vehicles (a.k.a. autonomous trucks) have everyone so excited that you might finish your daily read of news from around the industry and think it is the only promising area of innovation in logistics. While fully autonomous fleets probably won’t become mainstream for a few years (at least!), there are plenty of other potentially disruptive advancements being rolled out right now – and not a single one of them involves robots.

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Tags: Autonomous Vehicles, Innovation, Supply Chain

Comparing the Merits of Digital and Electronic Invoicing
SynerTrade
October 04, 2018
If digital and electronic invoicing sound like the same thing to you, you’re not alone. Can an invoice be one and not the other? Absolutely.

With all of the hype surrounding digital (i.e. digitalization, digitization, digital transformation), it seems like the optimal form for invoicing. And yet, it has its limits. A PDF is digital, as is a Word document, a photograph and even a freeform text file. Digital just means that information is stored in ‘soft’ copy rather than on paper. And while an e-mailable soft copy is worlds better than a piece of paper, it doesn’t necessarily leverage the speed, efficiency, or effort-reducing capabilities of computing. Taking a picture of a paper invoice technically makes it digital, but that doesn’t make the data in that invoice accessible to most software programs.

The alternative to a digital invoice is an electronic invoice. Rather than being scans or images of invoice information, electronic invoices contain data directly in a file and, more importantly, in a format that can be accessed and interpreted by software. Electronic invoices change the playing field for companies looking to invest in either invoice automation or the automaton of the end-to-end P2P process, but they aren’t always the friendliest or most convenient format for the humans involved in the invoicing process.

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Tags: Innovation, Procurement

The September ISM-New York Report on Business: Help Wanted! Employment reaches a new all-time high
Buyers Meeting Point
October 02, 2018
In September, New York City purchasing managers reported the highest Employment number on record, according to the survey taken by the Institute for Supply Management-New York. Current Business Conditions were at 72.5 in September, a 4 point drop from the 12-year high of 76.5 in August. There are two really significant findings in this month’s report: employment and quantity. Both are interesting from an economics perspective, but you have to view them through a procurement lens to get the full color.

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Tags: Management, Procurement

Elements of a Diversified #Procurement Technology #ROI - Tracking the Value of Time, Efficiency and Risk Management
SynerTrade
September 06, 2018
When procurement is looking to select and implement new or replace Source to pay software, our focus is often on gathering requirements and comparing qualified alternatives. But we can’t view ourselves as the only stakeholders for the effort.

One of the earliest hurdles we must often get past is delivering a business case that documents the ROI corporate leadership can expect to see from the implementation.

Sure – there’s always savings, and no procurement technology ROI calculation would be complete without that element, but in an environment where every function, team, and individual is looked at to deliver ‘more’, a savings-only ROI may seem one dimensional.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Management, Procurement

A Dose of Our Own Medicine: Improving Procurement Technology Selection and Implementation
Buyers Meeting Point
September 06, 2018
Working with a third party that specializes in selecting and implementing procurement technology offers a number of advantages, not the least of which is driving business outcomes. While completing a project on time and on budget are important considerations, the implications of prioritizing them over finding the right solution are significant – and long lasting. Although many procurement organizations have one or more IT category managers on staff, they rarely possess current expertise focused on procurement technology because their attention and effort are required elsewhere (like managing categories relevant to the business).

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Tags: Culture, Digital Transformation, Procurement

The August ISM-New York Report on Business: Nowhere to go but down... except up
Buyers Meeting Point
September 05, 2018
In August, New York City purchasing managers reported significant highs in Current Business Conditions and Current and Expected Revenues. Current Business Conditions were at 76.5, a new 12 year high over the 75.0 seen in July, but still failing to surpass the 77.1 reported in November of 2006.

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Tags: Procurement, Supply Chain

AI Needs Us More than We Need It – For Now
ATSC Blog
September 03, 2018
Imaginative business leaders dream of applying AI to spend data analytics, achieving full supply chain transparency, and deftly automating internal buyer support. While these remain on the table as potential applications for AI in procurement and supply chain, AI is being held back like many of the other enterprise technologies we implemented with equally lofty goals.

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Tags: AI, Procurement, Supply Chain

Evading the Strategy Trap in Pursuit of Procurement Agility
Determine
August 22, 2018
Procurement’s desire to be agile is as well-documented and frequently discussed as our interest in transformation. In both cases, however, we are at risk of falling into the ‘strategy trap’ – the lack of clarity, direction and actionability that accompany all things non-tactical.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Procurement

Survey Chair Commentary: The July 2018 ISM-New York Report on Business
Buyers Meeting Point
August 02, 2018
The findings in this month’s survey are nothing short remarkable. Not only do we have a number of milestone index levels, they are high across the board. This is the only time that all of these indices have been collected (current and expected revenues have only been collected since February of 2012) and that they have all been above 60. Keep in mind, too, that we closed the survey for July on Friday the 27th – the day that the Q2 2018 GDP of 4.1% was announced – meaning that all of the optimism associated with that day did not meaningfully affect this month’s results.

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Tags: Procurement

The Private Company Paradox
Procurious
August 02, 2018
Many procurement teams have been tasked with diversifying the supply base. This often means partnering with small, diverse, or locally-sourced suppliers.

One challenge that arises is that many of the companies that qualify for such programs are privately owned. The lack of information that usually accompanies private ownership is at odds with procurement’s transparent supplier evaluation frameworks. Add to this the fact that participating in an RFP process just to be ‘diversity fodder’ is onerous and potentially even harmful to small businesses, and we’re left with a paradox:

How can procurement stay true to our mandate while also finding mutually beneficial opportunities for small and diverse businesses?

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Tags: Innovation, Procurement, Sustainability

Advantages of Having the Right End-to-End Procurement Software Solution in Place
SynerTrade
July 26, 2018
The value of working with one company, on one platform, for all procurement technology needs can be measured through ease of use, user adoption, and functionality. The advantage of taking a platform approach – with the right platform and partner – is that the results and intelligence derived from using the system are as expansive as the automation, user groups, and processes it encompasses.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Procurement, Supply Chain

Procurement steps up its game
Determine
July 24, 2018
In this, the third of our four-part blog series for the release of CPO Rising 2018: The Age of Intelligence, Kelly Barner of Buyers Meeting Point delves into the myriad facets of Procurement Performance in Chapter Three. There’s no debate that the importance and influence of procurement is on the rise across industries, but the question is, are procurement’s metrics – like spend under management – truly representative of those accomplishments?

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Tags: Analytics, Procurement

Making the Case for Libertarian Procurement
Procurious
July 10, 2018
Technology and consumer expectations have advanced to the point where we can consider the possibilities of ‘Libertarian’ procurement, an approach to spend management and compliance that nods to the free will of buyers whenever possible, even if it means giving up some of the ‘control’ traditionally associated with spend management.

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Tags: Procurement

Survey Chair Commentary: The June ISM-New York Report on Business
Buyers Meeting Point
July 03, 2018
In June, New York City purchasing managers indicated a solid end to the second quarter in the form of strong forward-looking business conditions and employment. At the highest level, this month’s findings were almost ‘directionally ideal’. What do I mean by that? Anything that we would want to see go up (current business conditions and employment) goes up and prices paid goes down.

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Tags: Procurement

Common Misconceptions About the Summer Supply Chain
All Things Supply Chain Blog
June 25, 2018
Freight is considered a leading indicator for the economy, and for good reason: goods have to be in place (or at least in distribution centers) before they can travel the final mile and be sold or delivered. This means that while many of us are ramping down for a few months, logistics activity is heating up along with the weather.

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Tags: Supply Chain

Survey Chair Commentary: The May ISM-New York Report on Business
Buyers Meeting Point
June 04, 2018
The May ISM-New York Report on Business was released on June 4th at 9:45am Eastern. This post reviews the report's actual findings as well as an interpretation of their meaning.

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Tags: Procurement

How Procurement Saved the American Revolution
Buyers Meeting Point
July 04, 2014
As we prepare to celebrate the 4th of July in the United States, we have a lot to be grateful for. We are grateful for the simple things like peak of summer traditions: fireworks, grilling, and parades. We are also grateful that in the many years since the Declaration of Independence was signed our relationship with Britain has improved. We’d be awfully sorry not to be able to work with our British colleagues and partners.

All that being said, is the 4th of July a reason to be grateful for procurement? Absolutely. Procurement played more of a role in the American Revolutionary War than most people probably realize.

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Tags: Leadership, Procurement, Supply Chain

How Procurement Saved the American Revolution
Buyers Meeting Point
July 04, 2014
As we prepare to celebrate the 4th of July in the United States, we have a lot to be grateful for. We are grateful for the simple things like peak of summer traditions: fireworks, grilling, and parades. We are also grateful that in the many years since the Declaration of Independence was signed our relationship with Britain has improved. We’d be awfully sorry not to be able to work with our British colleagues and partners.

All that being said, is the 4th of July a reason to be grateful for procurement? Absolutely. Procurement played more of a role in the American Revolutionary War than most people probably realize.

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Tags: Leadership, Procurement, Supply Chain

3 Books
Finance Unleashed
Palgrave Macmillan
October 27, 2017
Finance Unleashed is based on a series of interactive interviews with a diverse group of global influencers and executives, all of which will challenge readers to think laterally and find inspiration in the new role of finance. Cases and interviewees represent organizations such as UPS and DHL, and the London School of Economics, and approaches such as Lean Six Sigma, innovation, customer-centricity, the financial supply chain, and behavioral procurement. The authors’ goal is to serve as a catalyst for leaders who are positioned to make meaningful changes today.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Fintech, Supply Chain

Procurement at a Crossroads
J. Ross
January 01, 2016
This book examines the 10 major questions regarding procurement’s role in the enterprise and how procurement is at a crossroads that will shape the future of the profession. The goal of this book is not to provide step-by-step directions on a hypothetical ‘correct’ path, but to illuminate the relative benefits of each choice available to procurement professionals. These thought leaders and subject matter experts also consider what the next phase of procurement’s evolution will be like by sharing the observations of others and taking some creative (but enthusiastic) license of their own.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Supply Chain, Procurement

Supply Market Intelligence for Procurement Professionals
J. Ross
November 02, 2015
This book provides procurement professionals with the process, skills, and resources to develop a supply market intelligence program that will deliver value to the organization as a whole. The authors clearly explain each of the concepts introduced and then provide the background and steps required to make execution possible.

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Tags: Supply Chain, Procurement

2 Panels
The 5 Most Expensive Mistakes AP Can Make – And How To Avoid Them
Tradeshift
August 16, 2018
The number one goal of any AP team – ensure that the company gets the most out of every dollar spent. The number one goal for strategic AP teams – become a driving force for positive cash flow. So what happens when the AP team makes a really expensive mistake? How long would it take for you to realize you had made one, and how much would it cost the business?

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Tags: Digital Disruption, Management, Procurement

Automation Deployment And Change Management Best Practices
Zycus
June 19, 2018
In the past, eInvoicing and eProcurement solutions were an adjunct component of large back-end ERP platforms. As a result, the functionality regarding their practical use in the real world was limited and even restricted. In other words, technological limitations created a misalignment between the way that the ERP systems worked and the way global buying decisions were made. To address this disconnect, change management strategies were introduced to force compliance with these technologies. These strategies included a concerted effort to eliminate maverick spend and rationalize supply bases.

Fast forward to today, and what Gartner has called the Postmodern ERP Era. With the emergence of on-demand or “by the drink” solutions that can be implemented within weeks if not days as opposed to months and years, compliance with these “user intuitive” systems is no longer an issue. This transformation raises the question; is change management as we know it from Finance and Procure-To-Pay standpoints still relevant in the digital era?

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Tags: Big Data, Fintech, Procurement

2 Speaking Engagements
SIL Podcast: High-Stakes Procurement w/ Kelly Barner
Art of Procurement: SIL Podcast
July 19, 2018
Kelly’s advice to procurement professionals is to stop asking for permission and do whatever it takes to meet business objectives by looking at the long-term, larger picture. When procurement is involved in creating those strategic relationships across the organization, it can drive innovation that leads to cost savings and long-term value.

Key Takeaways:
- Procurement professionals should look at challenges and stumbling blocks as opportunities to save money and increase value.
- To get results and show procurement’s value to the organization, procurement needs to stop asking for permission. If it ruffles some feathers, that’s okay.
- The best kind of procurement talent are those individuals who can handle friction, challenge the status quo and readjust their strategies with agility.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Procurement, Supply Chain

Negotiating for the Unknown: Buying Emerging Technologies
Art of Procurement Podcast Network
June 21, 2018
For enterprises and procurement organizations piloting or evaluating emerging technologies such as AI, machine learning, and RPA, there is very little to go on when preparing for a meeting with an AI vendor.

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Tags: AI, Emerging Technology, Procurement

1 Whitepaper
Boosting Supplier Performance with 360° Information
SynreTrade
July 16, 2018
What a company wants from each supplier varies widely by industry and spend category, with one exception: transparency. Procurement (and the internal stakeholders they support) are always on the lookout for opportunities to increase supply chain visibility.

In this paper we will consider the impact that building an actionable 360° picture of supplier performance has on the long term success of third party relationships by combining:
- Supplier onboarding
- Profile enrichment
- Performance scorecarding

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Transformation, Procurement

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