The Buzz: Why Procurement Is Becoming a Strategic Advantage

In this episode of The Buzz, powered by APL Logistics, Scott Luton and Kim Reuter are joined by Edmund Zagorin, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Arkestro, for a timely conversation on the latest supply chain and business news shaping the second half of 2026.

From U.S. manufacturing trends and Prime Day consumer behavior to AI’s growing role in sourcing and supplier management, this episode explores how procurement is evolving from a cost-focused function into a strategic driver of resilience, speed, and value. Edmund shares practical insight into predictive procurement, why supplier relationships still matter in an AI-powered world, and how procurement leaders can prepare their teams for the future.

Key Takeaways

• AI can support procurement teams, but humans still need to lead relationship-driven decisions.
• Predictive procurement helps teams move from reactive buying to proactive supplier engagement.
• Speed is becoming a major competitive advantage in uncertain supply chain environments.
• Supplier relationships, long-term agreements, and guaranteed access are becoming more important than lowest cost.
• Procurement teams must rethink how success is measured, moving from compliance to value creation.
• Culture, people, and execution remain critical, even as technology continues to advance.

Tune in to hear how supply chain and procurement leaders can cut through today’s volatility, use AI more strategically, and build stronger supplier partnerships that drive real business value.

Additional Links & Resources:

• APL Logistics: https://www.apllogistics.com/
• With That Said: https://bit.ly/WTS-28-June-2026
• AI Is Good at Picking Qualified Suppliers. It Still Struggles to Pick the Best One.https://bit.ly/AI-Study-in-Procurement-Sourcing
• Venezuela Contacts: https://bit.ly/Venezuela-Contact-Gathering
• Info Call: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/HfnI1aaESm6Osbpb1qeADQ#/registration
• Manufacturing grows at fastest rate since 2021 amid big job cuts: https://bit.ly/USA-Mfg-Activity-Increases
• How Amazon Is Redefining Logistics and Fulfillment for Businesses of All Sizes: https://bit.ly/Peter-Larsen-ASCS
• Amazon’s Prime Day kickoff was the biggest online shopping day of 2026: https://bit.ly/Prime-Day-2026
• Big Tech Is Rewriting Procurement. The Rest of B2B Is Next: https://bit.ly/Rewriting-Procurement
• Learn more about APL Logistics: https://www.apllogistics.com/responsibility/apll_fixes_the_gap
• Arkestro: https://arkestro.com/
• Your Supply Chain Isn’t Broken. Your Data Is.https://bit.ly/Your-Data-Is-Broken
• Connect with Edmund on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edmund-zagorin-41291b13/
• Upcoming Live Programming:  https://supplychainnow.com/upcoming-live-programming/
• Supply Chain Now Resource Hub: https://supplychainnow.com/resource-hub/
• WEBINAR- The Future of Supply Chains: Where Talent Meets Technology: https://bit.ly/4uUuxkc
• WEBINAR- Peak Reality Check: What Shippers, Analysts, and AI Models Are Predicting for 2026: https://bit.ly/4aTlsRv
• WEBINAR- From Volume to Resilience: How Automotive Supply Chains Are Adapting to a New Market Reality: https://bit.ly/4f6SUGA

This episode was hosted by Scott Luton and Kim Reuter. For additional information, please visit our dedicated episode page at: https://supplychainnow.com/buzz-why-procurement-becoming-strategic-advantage-1604

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