3 min read
ProcureTech Insider: Supplier Management as a Connected Discipline
Jyothi Hartley : July 1, 2026
“If your business is getting bigger, then supplier management is going to be ever more important to you.” - Jesse Lee, Co-founder, CEO of Brooklyn Solutions
Supplier management has become one of procurement's broadest responsibilities. If it seems like supplier management touches everything, that’s because it does… from onboarding, risk, compliance, performance, to governance, often across multiple systems and business functions. As expectations continue to grow across all of these areas, many organizations are finding that fragmented processes make it harder to build the type of visibility and consistency into supplier management that they need.
In this episode of the ProcureTech Insider, I speak with Jesse Lee, Co-Founder and CEO of Brooklyn Solutions, about why supplier management is evolving into a much more connected discipline.
We talk about how and why supplier management has expanded so significantly and what procurement teams need to do to respond with greater confidence while also not adding any unnecessary complexity to the business.
How would you describe the business objectives and scope of supplier management today?
"At the highest level, procurement exists to accelerate the roadmap of your business. You buy the products and services that power the business so people can succeed, get a competitive advantage, and run lean and efficiently.
But the whole roadmap rests on the shoulders of your suppliers. We have to make sure all of that works, keeps working, can handle wobbles, and stays resilient.
The scope has expanded as well. Supplier management now includes onboarding, helping identify new suppliers, running assessment processes, understanding inherent and residual risk, and then managing that relationship throughout its lifecycle. The contract is really the birth certificate. After that, you're in a relationship together."
Why are category and supplier management becoming more important?
"At the key of all of it is operational resilience. The business must persist. Years ago, regulators said you could no longer outsource responsibility for data protection to your suppliers. You are responsible.
Operational resilience means the service continues even when the underpinnings take some hits. If the boat gets stuck in the Suez Canal, our company still operates. Maybe we sourced from more than one place. Maybe we bought more than we need. We have practices built in and are ready for a rainy day.
Ultimately, we have to protect the business and keep it operating. On top of that, there must be time to pursue innovation and handle change well, or you're just not getting down that business roadmap fast enough."
How does Brooklyn Solutions approach the challenges procurement teams face today?
"We think about it strategically and tactically.
Strategically, procurement is a consensus-building organization. It often has to earn its seat at the decision-making table so it can truly fulfill its function of accelerating the business roadmap.
Tactically, we want to bring orchestration and digitization so people can move beyond point solutions. We see risk management, contract management, supplier relationship management, and orchestration as parts of one connected challenge.
This whole thing needs some care and attention from those who've suffered it all at once. It needs to be brought forward together as a packaged unit that's well orchestrated."
How can organizations better connect supplier data across the business?
"Data available to multiple people pays dividends.
A contract expresses a value exchange, but it also expresses an allocation of risk. If that data is shared across contract management, supplier management, and risk management, people can work together much more effectively.
Ultimately, you're going to want the facts. You're going to want the historical record. What obligations have been taken? How has performance been going? You want a fact-based understanding of where you are today and what you're going to do in the future.
Those who embrace transparency get rewarded for it. We think the different functions should be well connected to each other, and it has to be easy. It can't become more homework for anyone."
What does good digitally-enabled supplier management look like?
"Good starts with policy. Not-so-good looks like a PDF stored on SharePoint that everyone is supposed to read and apply. Good looks like that policy is digitally embedded. It lands on the suppliers, the contracts, and the services you want to govern.
Activities that fulfill those policies are audited without preparation. That's what good digitally enabled supplier management looks like in our opinion."
What should procurement leaders consider when evaluating supplier management solutions?
"First, have a roadmap. If you don't, close the door and make one. Connect what you're doing to the business roadmap and think a few years ahead.
Take a holistic, future-proof approach. If you're only solving the challenge that's ten feet in front of you, next year you may be complaining about living in another silo.
The second thing is to tie your technology decisions to business objectives and how you're going to measure success. People say they want AI. The real question is, 'To do what?' That's the business objective you need to define first."
To learn more about Brooklyn Solutions, visit their profile page in the AOP Provider Directory.
