In this episode of The Procurement Software Podcast, James Meads is joined by Gaurav Sharma, Head of Procurement Centre of Excellence at MTN, with a background that uniquely combines procurement expertise and data science.

We explore how Gaurav’s journey from category manager to leading digital transformation has shaped his view on procurement technology, user adoption, and the need for more practical, cost-effective solutions. Alongside his corporate role, he introduces his side project, SuperNegotiate, designed to simplify sourcing processes and enable tool-less digitisation for procurement newcomers.

Gaurav shares why many e-sourcing tools fall short of addressing real category manager needs, focusing instead on vanity features. He explains how AI and machine learning are already transforming sourcing, paving the way for outcome-based pricing models and moving procurement away from traditional RFPs.

Other topics covered include:

1. Why data science skills are becoming essential in procurement
2. How current tools fail to deliver true user-centric functionality
3. The growing demand for tech-savvy procurement professionals
4. Why outcome-based pricing could reshape procurement tech contracts
5. How Super Negotiate offers a lightweight entry point for digital procurement

A must-listen for anyone interested in the next generation of procurement technology and the evolving skill sets that will define future teams.

[[00:00] Introduction to Gaurav Sharma and His Unique Skills

[01:14] Journey from procurement to data science

[04:34] The future of procurement skills and technology

[08:55] Critiquing procurement tech and vanity features

[13:56] In-house solutions vs. traditional procurement tools

[21:11] Super Negotiate: a new approach to sourcing

[30:11] The future roles of procurement teams

And that wraps up another episode of The Procurement Software Podcast!

Thanks again for listening, and do please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify. Every one helps!

We'll be back at the same time next month, so see you there.

If you want to learn more about Procurement Software, check out the useful links below.

1. Connect with Gaurav Sharma on LinkedIn
2. Check out Supernegotiate
3. Download our Tech Map for Enterprise
4. Download our Tech Map for Mid-Market
5. Download our Tech Map for SMEs
6. Find your perfect procurement tech solution in our Software Finder app
7. Sign up for the Procurement Software Newsletter
8. Book an Intro Call and let’s talk all things Digital Procurement!
9. Connect with James on LinkedIn

In this episode of The Procurement Software Podcast, James Meads is joined by Oscar Fernandez, founder of ProCREWment and former Principal Procurement at mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) company FreeNow.

We dive into a compelling case study on building an effective procurement process using existing tools, without splurging on expensive enterprise suites.

Oscar shares how his small procurement team transformed chaos into clarity by leveraging Jira, Workato, and Yooz to automate intake-to-PO, approvals, and even contract renewals. This episode is a blueprint for procurement leaders operating in fast-growth environments with tight budgets and limited resources.

You’ll hear how Oscar turned Jira—typically used for IT support—into a fully functional procurement intake and requisition system, integrated with finance and legal workflows. Plus, why choosing a standalone e-sourcing tool like DeepStream delivered faster ROI than investing in an all-in-one platform.

Other topics covered include:

1. Why Jira became the backbone of their intake and approval flows
2. Using Workato to link tools and automate tasks across systems
3. How they structured parallel approvals to speed up decision-making
4. Automating contract renewals and spend visibility with Atlassian modules
5. Why DeepStream was the right sourcing tool for their needs
6. Tips for prioritising digitisation based on procurement maturity

A must-listen for procurement professionals seeking practical, flexible solutions to scale procurement operations.

[01:46] Meet Oscar Fernandez, his procurement journey

[03:45] Starting with manual-heavy processes at FreeNow

[05:43] Early chaos: approvals and email overload

[07:26] Spotting inefficiencies and team scaling challenges

[10:12] Cost barriers to adopting full suites

[13:18] Jira as a no-code intake and requisition tool

[17:47] Automating approvals and connecting tools with Workato

[23:45] Choosing e-sourcing over analytics or SRM

[27:16] Why DeepStream fit their sourcing needs

[32:09] Advice for procurement leads with limited budget

[33:22] About ProCREWment—Oscar’s consultancy initiative

And that wraps up another episode of The Procurement Software Podcast!

Thanks again for listening, and do please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify. Every one helps!

We'll be back at the same time next month, so see you there.

If you want to learn more about Procurement Software, check out the useful links below.

1. Connect with Oscar Fernández on LinkedIn
2. Check out ProCREWment
3. Download our Tech Map for Enterprise
4. Download our Tech Map for Mid-Market
5. Download our Tech Map for SMEs
6. Find your perfect procurement tech solution in our Software Finder app
7. Sign up for the Procurement Software Newsletter

In this episode of The Procurement Software Podcast, James Meads welcomes Brajan Gatys, Procurement Operations Lead at Personio, to explore how lean procurement teams can build powerful systems without specialist procurement tech.

Recorded after James and Brajan met in person at the Wolf Pack Summit in New York, this episode is a masterclass in how low-code and no-code platforms can transform procurement operations at scale.

Brajan walks us through how Personio uses tools like Airtable, Make, and Jira to manage intake, automate purchasing workflows, and even parse contracts with LLMs, all without being locked into a single vendor. Instead of buying off-the-shelf procurement suites, his team has built over 250 automations tailored to their exact needs.

You’ll learn why agility, vendor flexibility, and team-wide tech fluency have been core to Personio’s success, and how other teams can adopt a similar mindset.

Other topics covered include:

1. Avoiding traditional P2P and orchestration suites in favour of low-code tools
2. Using Airtable as a central procurement database and workflow engine
3. How they integrate with Ironclad (CLM) and Workday (ERP system)
4. Automating contract parsing and clause extraction with AI
5. Building internal SRM scoring models based on vendor risk and importance
6. Creating a culture that blends procurement expertise with tech-savviness

A must-listen for tech-savvy procurement teams looking to do more with less.

[01:05] Meet Brajan Gatys, Personio

[03:30] Why they chose low-code over SaaS

[07:40] Airtable as the procurement engine

[10:20] Automating POs and vendor onboarding

[14:00] Sourcing and async vendor collaboration

[18:00] Contracts, Ironclad, and clause extraction

[22:30] SRM scoring and supplier risk

[27:00] Culture, mindset, and learning low-code

[32:00] Time-saving tips and breaking the “no capacity” cycle

And that wraps up another episode of The Procurement Software Podcast!

Thanks again for listening, and do please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify. Every one helps!

We'll be back at the same time next month, so see you there.

If you want to learn more about Procurement Software, check out the useful links below.

1. Connect with Brajan Gatys on LinkedIn
2. Check out Personio
3. Download our Tech Map for Enterprise
4. Download our Tech Map for Mid-Market
5. Download our Tech Map for SMEs
6. Find your perfect procurement tech solution in our Software Finder app
7. Sign up for the Procurement Software Newsletter
8. Book an Intro Call and let’s talk all things Digital Procurement!
9. Connect with...