They did everything right. Followed the process. Got three quotes. Awarded the contract. And still got it completely wrong.

A procurement function that is always busy is rarely a strategic one. Here is what that pattern usually signals and what a better structured operating model looks like.

There is a mindset in procurement that is becoming more common. It should worry people.

It goes like this: procurement sources the contract, hands it to the business, and from that point on it is the business's risk to manage.

I understand where this comes from. Procurement teams are stretched. Scope is hard to defend. And once the contract is signed there is always another sourcing activity waiting.

But this mindset is not just short-sighted. It is genuinely dangerous.