Vision, Strategy, Objectives, and Roadmap in Procurement

Do you know the difference between Vision, Strategy, Objectives, and Roadmap? Many don’t. However, these are fundamental concepts that are essential for driving the success of any procurement team or organization. Understanding and articulating the difference between these terms helps teams stay focused, aligned, and purpose-driven in their procurement efforts.

This article will explore the difference between each concept.

Procurement Vision 

The vision is your North Star—it defines the why behind your procurement activities. It’s the long-term motivator for your team, the overarching goal that drives daily efforts and inspires the procurement organization to keep moving forward. Your procurement vision should be both inspiring and aspirational, aiming to unite and engage your team emotionally.

For example, a procurement vision might be:

• “Achieve the highest level of operational excellence and innovation in procurement.”
• "Lead procurement transformation to enable sustainable growth."

A well-crafted vision resonates on a deeper level, providing a sense of purpose beyond day-to-day tasks. It’s a statement that helps your team understand not just what they do, but why it matters.

Pro tip: A compelling vision should speak to people's hearts, fostering commitment and engagement.

Procurement Strategy 

Your strategy defines where you are going to compete and how you plan to win. It is not a simple list of tasks or goals; rather, it’s a set of choices that will lead your procurement team toward realizing the vision.

Key elements of a strong procurement strategy include:

• Value Proposition: What value will your procurement team deliver to the organization? Is it cost savings, supplier innovation, sustainability, or risk management?
• Investments: What resources will be allocated to procurement, including technology, talent, and partnerships?
• Trade-offs: What will the team focus on, and what will they avoid or deprioritize?

An example of a procurement strategy might be focusing on sustainable sourcing and supplier diversity to differentiate from competitors and align with corporate social responsibility goals.

The strategy helps define the path you’ll take to achieve your vision, helping teams make decisions on how to allocate resources, balance priorities, and focus their efforts on high-impact activities.

Strategic planning in procurement involves taking a proactive approach to decision-making, ensuring that the team's actions align with long-term goals. It requires a thorough assessment of various factors to craft a plan that leads to success and drives the procurement vision forward. In essence, strategy serves as a roadmap for achieving these objectives.

Procurement Objectives 

Objectives are the specific, measurable outcomes that your procurement team is trying to achieve. They are what you are aiming for and should be tightly aligned with your strategy.

A popular framework to define objectives is OKR (Objectives and Key Results). This framework helps in setting ambitious objectives along with clear, measurable key results that help track progress. By following the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) principle, you ensure your objectives are actionable and realistic.

Examples of procurement objectives might include:

• Achieve a 10% reduction in supplier costs within the next 12 months.
• Implement a supplier diversity program that increases the spend with diverse suppliers by 15%.

Objectives translate your strategy into actionable steps and milestones. They provide clarity on what success looks like and help ensure the procurement team is moving in the right direction.

Procurement Roadmap 

The procurement roadmap is essentially the action plan that lays out the what, when, and how you will implement your strategy and achieve your objectives. It’s a practical communication tool that aligns the team on priorities and timelines. The roadmap breaks down complex procurement initiatives into manageable stages, ensuring everyone understands the sequence and rationale behind the actions.

A good procurement roadmap should answer questions like:

• What will we focus on in the next quarter or year?
• How will these initiatives impact the organization?
• What are the expected outcomes, and when will they be achieved?

By updating your roadmap regularly (e.g., every 6 or 12 months), you ensure that the team remains on track, adapts to new challenges, and focuses on the most critical tasks. The roadmap becomes a key checkpoint for measuring progress and adjusting strategies when needed.

In summary, vision defines your long-term aspiration, strategy outlines how you will achieve that vision, objectives clarify what success looks like in measurable terms, and the roadmap provides a timeline for reaching your goals. When combined effectively, these four elements serve as the backbone of a successful procurement function, ensuring the entire team is aligned and working toward a common goal.

By mastering these concepts, procurement leaders can drive greater success and ensure that the procurement function adds substantial value to the organization.

Could an intake and orchestration tool support your procurement vision, strategy, objectives and roadmap? Download our free guide below to find out.