Job titles, like jobs, are constantly evolving. New roles and job titles are created to cater for new business needs and focus areas. Chief Innovation Officers, for example, are a relatively new innovation, created in the mid-2000s. Chief Diversity Officer is a very new addition to the lexicon of business. These executives are in demand as company’s recognise the importance of driving diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.

What about Chief Procurement Technology Officers (CPTOs)? In fact, this is not a job title yet, but it should be, according to Smart Procurement World, the organiser of the annual IT Sourcing Summit. “With the growing role of technology in procurement, this job title is not far-fetched,” asserts Smart Procurement Chief Operations Officer Debbie Tagg.

“Technology is deeply integrated in procurement. Today’s procurement professionals must procure technology, use it, and plan for it. Now in its third year, the IT Sourcing Summit that we launched in the instant world of online during the COVID-19 pandemic, offers guidance, strategy and support for procurement and IT professionals,” Tagg states.

This year’s event, which takes place on 8 June 2022, will be held under the theme “Digital Darwinism - Embracing the Technological Revolution”. It is a free-to-attend, virtual conference.

The powerful programme includes guidance for IT and procurement professionals “What Every CIO Ought to Know About IT Sourcing in the Age of Digital Disruption and the Rise of B2C (business to consumer)” is a session you definitely should not miss. We will examine the use disruptive technologies to transform procurement in a time when organisations are interacting less with consumers, whose needs are changing at the same rate as the technology itself. 

The top enabling technologies for procurement will be unpacked in a presentation by MTN’s Group Executive and Chief Procurement Officer Dirk Karl. “This session will enable delegates to master the art of achieving true automation for the procurement function and understand what a 360-degree buyer's guide to modern eProcurement software looks like,” Tagg explains.

A compelling addition to the 2022 IT Sourcing Summit is a series of vendor-led demonstration sessions. “These will offer procurement buyer delegates an important opportunity to learn about and evaluate the latest innovations and market-leading solutions, and to engage with a range of vendors at a ‘one-stop shop’,” she states.

The solutions and services that will be showcased include artificial intelligence, the internet of things, cloud and data centres, blockchain and fintech, enterprise mobility, procurement and supply chain software.