How to build procurement teams that are both kind and effective

Garner Blume from Lattice shares his refreshing take on procurement that puts relationships first while still delivering the efficiency and cost savings leadership expects. You'll hear why he believes kindness is actually a competitive advantage when dealing with suppliers, and how this approach has helped support Lattice's rapid growth.

Garner gets practical about building cross-functional relationships, navigating leadership changes, and why he hires for "thoughtfulness" over traditional procurement experience. His team-building philosophy focuses on creating an environment where people genuinely want to work together - both internally and with vendors.

You'll also hear his honest insights about using data and AI to make better decisions, the often-overlooked importance of proper vendor offboarding, and how to present both numbers and relationship factors when making procurement decisions. Garner tackles the challenges of managing vendor relationships during uncertain times and shares his straightforward approach to simplifying SaaS procurement.

This conversation offers a people-first approach to procurement that still delivers measurable results. Whether you're in procurement, finance, or just interested in building better business relationships, Garner's insights are genuinely practical and easy to implement.

Plus, you'll get his specific tips for working with different teams across the business and maintaining operational integrity while keeping everyone happy.

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