Adapting Procurement in a Volatile Supply Chain

Q1. Could you start by giving us a brief overview of your professional background, particularly focusing on your expertise in the industry?

I come from a supply chain background within the chemicals and materials space, currently leading procurement and planning.

My work largely sits in environments where products are formulation-driven, and inputs are volatile. Over time, the role has moved beyond sourcing. A big part of what I do now is managing raw material risk, ensuring supply continuity, and linking procurement decisions back to product performance and margins.

So it’s less about negotiating the lowest price and more about making sure the supply holds, the product performs, and cost movements don’t disrupt the business.

Q2. What is the one change in procurement or specification-driven demand that materially alters decision-making in tile adhesives today — and why does it matter now rather than two years ago?

The biggest shift is that procurement is no longer purely price-driven—it’s increasingly specification and performance-driven.

Earlier, there was more flexibility to switch suppliers based on price. Today, in many cases, products are tied to specific performance requirements, customer approvals, or regulatory standards.

Once that happens, substitution becomes difficult. So procurement decisions are now more constrained…