Life always comes from a cell – one of the reasons why companies looking for a way to become faster and more efficient in their organizational structure take nature as a role model. The concept of an honeycomb organization can be quite successful – but how are cells, honeycombs and bees connected to successful companies and how to benefit from nature as a role model?

New opportunities arise for purchasing, linked to the term Purchasing 4.0 in many fields. Digitalization has profoudnly changed the convential image of purchasing, for instance in the purchase to pay process.

Dr. Christoph Feldmann, Managing Director of the Federal Association of Materials Management, Purchasing and Logistics (BME e.V.) has summarized the changing role and perception of the procurement process in companies.

Maverick buying describes purchases that are made without the knowledge of the purchasing department, slowing down the procurement process. Get rid of maverick buying with a digitized procurement process and digitally link the individual steps from procurement application to the digital dossier.

Purchase-to-pay process – maybe you’re already familiar with the term, but for those who aren’t: a P2P process doesn’t have anything to do with peer-to-peer connection . Rather, it’s a short form for “purchase to pay”, sometimes also referred to as procure-to-pay. When we say P2P process, we mean the ‘purchase to pay’ process as it exists in corporate environments.

Data is the oil of the 21st century – artificial intelligence is one of the major buzzwords of our time. Not only the GAFA corporations (Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon), but all major digital companies have been hunting for data to feed their algorithms.