Thoughts on sustainability from the big consulting firms at ValueX

The morning session at SAP Ariba/SAP Fieldglass ValueX left us with some thoughts from the big consulting firms about the way procurement, and indeed business, should and will go in the coming years if we are to survive the pace of technological change the world is experiencing, and adapt our processes to respect our planet. The keynote called for a reboot of capitalism and (the environment), championed by John Penrose MP. Deloitte was quick to follow with a look at Industry 4 (automation, data exchange, cyber-physical systems (CPS), the internet of things (IoT), industrial internet of things (IIOT), cloud computing, cognitive computing and artificial intelligence and so on) in the context of procurement. They reminded us that the fourth industrial revolution is not, however, just about a collection of technologies, rather how you package and use them altogether to support your long-term business strategy. A global Deloitte survey revealed that 94% (of respondents) saw implementing digital tech and processes (aka digital transformation) as a means just to'keep up' with the rest of the marketplace.