05/08/2026
When manufacturing companies talk about procurement digitalisation, they usually mean they have migrated purchase orders to an ERP or moved internal records to a cloud server.
That internal cleanup speeds up paperwork, but it leaves daily supply chain management untouched. Procurement teams still track supplier performance through monthly reports, only discovering delivery delays or quality issues after they have already disrupted production.
Real procurement digitalisation happens when operational data actively prevents those bottlenecks. When system intelligence continuously monitors lead times and machine capabilities across orders, teams can spot supplier risk early and adjust before a line stops.
Xometry Director of Sourcing Iana Mashutina recently spoke with Manufacturing Management about why software alone is not enough and how procurement teams can use real-time supply chain data to shift from reactive firefighting to strategic planning.
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