Why Procurement Teams Are Turning to External Talent (And How to Make It Work)
In working with enterprise procurement leaders to build flexible, scalable workforces, we hear the same challenges: overlapping category ownership, scattered supplier data, and teams stretched thin for strategic priorities. These issues are common across multinationals, and structured external talent programs are proving effective in tackling both immediate capacity gaps and longer-term procurement objectives. This article examines where external expertise delivers the greatest impact, how it can be integrated without disrupting established operations, and the measurable results procurement leaders can achieve.
The Realities of Indirect Procurement
For those managing procurement in multinational enterprises, complexity is a daily reality. Procurement professionals oversee diverse categories—IT, marketing, consultancy, HR services—where boundaries frequently blur. A digital project may fall under IT or marketing; consultancy spend could cover both transformation and creative work.
Add to this the mix of centralized, decentralized, global, and local teams, and procurement leaders face:
Fragmented supplier relationships and processes.
Incentives tied to local results, not enterprise goals.
Limited, inconsistent data on spend and supplier performance.
The result: procurement is often pulled into requests late, focused on urgent deliverables, and unable to influence outcomes strategically.
How External Talent Adds Value
Structured external talent programs—covering contractors, consultants, and niche specialists—are helping procurement leaders address both immediate needs and long-term goals. The key is to manage this workforce proactively, not on an ad hoc basis.
Increasing Speed & Capacity
Projects often stall because internal teams are overloaded. External specialists can be onboarded quickly to keep delivery on track—whether that’s launching a new marketing campaign or completing an IT rollout.
Accessing Specialist Skills
From AI engineers to niche 3D animators, certain capabilities are hard to find or develop internally. External resources bring them in as needed, without long-term hiring commitments. This is especially important as 43% of tech leaders say their workforce falls short of digital capability needs, and 66% of companies have no visibility into internal skills.
Better Supplier Alignment
Decision logic tools can match each request to the best-fit suppliers—whether that’s a tier-one consultancy for a sensitive transformation project or a niche provider for data mapping.
Building Data and Visibility
Platforms that manage external talent also capture valuable data—volumes of requests, supplier performance, unmet needs—which supports smarter category strategies. According to Deloitte’s 2025 CPO survey , 57% of procurement leaders identify siloed ways of working as a significant barrier, and nearly 60% of advanced teams are increasingly relying on on-demand experts over full-time hires.
Indicators That External Talent May Be Needed
Consider exploring external talent options if you observe:
Frequent project delays due to limited capacity.
Difficulty sourcing the right skills quickly.
A large number of unmanaged suppliers.
Poor visibility into total spend on non-employee talent.
Practical Steps to Implementation
Based on our experience implementing these programs, successful change doesn’t require a complete overhaul from day one. Practical first steps include:
Pilot in one category or department to test the model.
Measure impact using data on speed, cost, and quality.
Share results to build support across the organization.
Refine and scale based on what works.
Learn from peers through networking, roundtables or industry groups.
By starting small, measuring impact, and scaling what works, procurement leaders can position their organizations for long-term success in an evolving business landscape.