• Procure Nerds
  • Posts
  • The Weekly Pull #006: Procurement Hot Takes of The Week

The Weekly Pull #006: Procurement Hot Takes of The Week

From AI to Tariffs — The Procurement Storm We’re All Sailing Through

Author

Ana Zvijinschi
August 11, 2025

Howdy fellow nerds -

A bit over a month.
That’s how long this newsletter has been alive.

Five years.
That’s how long it sat in my head while I convinced myself I wasn’t “ready” to start it.

Back then, I thought I didn’t have enough experience (after 15 years in procurement, irony fully noted), that I didn’t have the bandwidth, and I definitely didn’t have stories worth sharing. I thought it had to be perfect from day one.

It turns out, I was wrong.

But every week, more of you join the nerdy side, proving that procurement is better when we swap notes, share scars, and occasionally laugh at our own chaos.

Earlier this year, I reached a point where I was convinced this job was only about firefighting, endless debates, and proving—over and over—that our work has value.

Now, I see it’s also community, perspective, and yes… the occasional reminder that we’re all in the same boat paddling through the same storms.

Welcome to Weekly Pull #6 — let’s see what’s making waves in procurement this week.

What I’ve Been Nerding Out On

As I mentioned last time, I’ve started a Weekly Special — a deep-dive piece where I unpack the topics I can’t get out of my head.

Last week we tore apart the old ‘Asia as a vending machine’ mindset — and mapped how to actually source smarter, safer, and more profitably across China, Vietnam, India, and beyond. Missed it? Read it here and bulletproof your Asia strategy before your next QBR.

Want the full toolkit? Grab the Asia Procurement Playbook on Gumroad — your step-by-step guide to spotting blind spots, red flags, and real risks before they sink your margin

Budget season’s greatest hits.

Apparently, I’m not the only one feeling the pain — my LinkedIn post on budgeting went viral.

Here’s the unfiltered debrief from your comments:

  • “Success penalty” is alive and well → save big this year, get less next year.

  • Budget cuts start with optimism… and end with salami slicing.

  • Most teams report into Finance — which means cost > value.

  • Your reporting line? It quietly sets your career ceiling.

  • “Last year +5%” is lazy math — market intel is your best weapon.

  • Forecasting is art. Staying in budget? That’s operations discipline.

  • Messaging matters: savings ≠ cost cuts — they’re value plays.

Still collecting battle stories.
What’s your #1 budget survival tip? Hit reply — let’s compare scars.

Next Thursday: State of Procurement — Mid-Year Review.


We’ll break down the big forces shaping procurement in 2025, what they really mean for ouur categories, and the moves to keep us ahead while everyone else is still reacting.

Stay tuned — this one’s going to sting a little.

And if you’re not already, follow me on LinkedIn — that’s where I drop real-life stories, tactical tips, and a few rants that never make it into the newsletter.

So let’s deep dive into this week’s signals.

Signals This Week - What just Happened:

#1 –  AI Isn’t Just a Buzzword — It’s in Your Spend Analysis Now

Amazon Business, Bristol Myers Squibb, and SMBC Americas leaders are moving AI out of the hype stage and into day-to-day procurement — from automating spend classification to accelerating crisis response.

Why it matters: 

As much as some of us hate it, AI is no longer optional and it has its benefits. Teams using it for analytics, forecasting, and risk simulation are pulling ahead in decision speed and accuracy.

What you should do: 

  • Run a small pilot to auto-classify PO lines and identify duplicate suppliers.

  • Use AI to forecast contract expiries and consolidate renewals.

  • Simulate disruption scenarios to stress-test your categories.

 #2 –  India Pauses $1B+ Boeing Deal After 50% Price Hike

India halted procurement of six Boeing P-8I aircraft after U.S. tariffs drove costs up by half — prompting a broader review of high-value defense buys.

Why it matters: 

If a major government can freeze a strategic deal over pricing, so can your board. Tariff volatility and trade policy shifts can torpedo multi-year contracts overnight.

What you should do: 

  • Include escalation clauses tied to trade/tariff changes in LTAs.

  • For large contracts, run quarterly market price sanity checks.

  • Separate “real” cost drivers from vendor margin-padding.

#3 –  UK’s £1.6B Rail Tender Opens — Big Local Content Push

Source: PCB Today

Transport for Greater Manchester launched a £1.6 billion procurement for Metrolink and rail upgrades, with a focus on local content, EV charging, and accessibility.

Why it matters: 

Large-scale infrastructure tenders are increasingly embedding “buy local” requirements — suppliers without regional compliance risk losing bids on a technicality.

What you should do: 

  • Map supplier origin and subcontractor chains now.

  • Build local-content scoring into RFP evaluations.

  • Partner or co-source with compliant regional providers.

#4 –  SHEIN’s €1.15M Fine Puts Greenwashing Back on the Procurement Desk

Fast-fashion giant SHEIN faces a fine for greenwashing — highlighting procurement’s role in vetting sustainability claims before they hit the marketing deck.

Why it matters: 

ESG lapses can now trigger fines, contract disputes, and reputational damage — and procurement owns the upstream checks.

What you should do: 

  • Require third-party ESG validation in RFPs for high-impact categories.

  • Audit supply chains for actual source-level traceability.

  • Bake ESG metrics into contract KPIs, not just vendor brochures.

The Bottom Line:

What It Means to You

  • AI adoption is a competitive divider — early movers are getting faster insights and better risk control.

  • Geopolitics and tariffs can wreck even strategic deals — bake agility into your contracts.

  • Local content rules are tightening — don’t get caught non-compliant in mega tenders.

  • ESG enforcement is here — your sourcing criteria must match your sustainability claims.

In short?
AI is now a procurement power tool.
Tariffs can kill even locked-in deals.
Local content rules are getting stricter.
ESG claims must be proven, not just pitched.

Stay on top, stay nerdy.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT… I’ve gone viral

AGAIN

It seems the struggle is universally true - especially now during budgeting season

Procure Nerds Vault

I’ve updated the Vault!

Every high-performing LinkedIn post, template, and playbook — in one brutal, practical bundle. FREE.
Tactics for monopoly suppliers, SLA failures, SaaS traps, geopolitical risks, and vendor scorecards.

Until next time,

Zvi