- June 2026
In our In Practice articles, we talk to our consultants about what transformation looks like on the ground – the challenges they encounter, the insights they gain, and the lessons that matter most in real client situations.
Meet Tony Nylander, a Manager within the Strategy & Operations team at BearingPoint Sweden. Tony is currently working on sourcing and procurement transformations, with a particular focus on how organizations can unlock greater results from their sourcing programs by engaging stakeholders across the business from the very start.
The context
Sourcing programs often begin with a clear ambition: reduce costs, strengthen supplier performance, and increase compliance. Achieving these goals, however, requires more than a well-run procurement function. The Source-to-Pay (S2P) process spans the entire organization: end users, business sponsors, budget owners, buyers, and contract managers all play a part. When these perspectives come together early, the conditions for success improve significantly.
What we see in practice
In many sourcing programs, the potential for cross-functional collaboration is not yet fully realized. Category strategies may be shaped primarily within procurement, or business stakeholders may have their own views on business needs which are not shared with the broader organization. This is a missed opportunity, because involving a broader set of stakeholders from the outset can strengthen both the quality and the impact of the program.
Take opportunity generation as an example. When end users, budget owners, and operational leaders contribute their knowledge early on, the sourcing program team gains a richer, more grounded view of improvement areas. These perspectives help validate whether a sourcing initiative addresses a real business need, whether the expected value holds up, and whether implementation is feasible. The result is a stronger pipeline of sourcing initiatives, built on shared insight rather than assumptions.
When stakeholders across the organization help shape the opportunity hypotheses, sourcing programs start with both momentum and credibility.
Tony Nylander, Manager, BearingPoint Sweden
What really makes a difference
Experience shows that early and continuous stakeholder engagement is one of the most powerful enablers in a sourcing program. When the broader organization is part of the journey, from identifying opportunities to realizing them, four things tend to follow:
- Validation and integrity improves. Sourcing initiatives are accurately defined, based on factual data and business insights as well as anchored in real business needs and priorities. Potential blockers can be discovered early and managed timely.
- Implementation gains speed. Stakeholders who helped shape the direction are naturally more engaged in making it happen.
- Ownership becomes shared. Cross-functional alignment builds trust and can facilitate breaking down silos over time.
- Communication stays aligned. Suppliers often have multiple touchpoints, so internal coordination is key to sending one clear, consistent message.
This does not require involving everyone in every detail. It means designing a structured approach to stakeholder engagement that is embedded in the sourcing program from the start. The key is creating alignment as a continuous practice, not a one-off activity.
One practical takeaway
Treat Source-to-Pay as the companywide process it is. In sourcing programs, the greatest results come when stakeholders across the organization are engaged early, especially in shaping the opportunities that drive the program forward. The sourcing strategy may be developed in procurement, but its success is built together.
