Indirect procurement operates in a complex environment. Multiple systems, regions, and categories come together at the point of execution in large, globally operating organizations.
In this websession, Röhm GmbH shares how indirect procurement complexity is handled in practice: what to execute, what to keep flexible, and what not to standardize at all. Moderated by James Meads, the session offers an honest discussion of real trade-offs – from supplier readiness and integration effort to services, products, and global ERP realities beyond SAP Ariba.
This is not a product demo, but a candid conversation about execution under constraints and why indirect procurement remains messy in 2026.
What you’ll take away:
-
Why indirect procurement remains complex in large enterprises – and why that’s not a failure.
-
Where classic catalog and SRM models reach their limits in real operations.
-
How Röhm made conscious decisions on what to standardize – and what not to.
-
What execution really requires: suppliers, integration effort, and services beyond catalogs.
-
Which practices travel across regions – and which don’t.
Who should attend:
-
CPOs and senior procurement leaders
-
Procurement transformation & digitalization teams
-
Organizations dealing with carve-outs, legacy structures, or global ERP landscapes
If you are navigating complexity rather than trying to erase it, this session is for you.
The websession will be held in English.
Moderator: James Meads, Procurement Leader & Creator
James moderates this session, connecting enterprise procurement realities with SaaS solutions like Crowdfox through an entrepreneurial, execution-focused lens.
With 18 years of procurement experience, James helps organizations and procuretech providers translate operational needs into scalable, user-centric solutions and clear value propositions. As an advisor, consultant, researcher, and host of The Procurement Software Podcast, he is known for challenging assumptions, asking the uncomfortable questions, and keeping discussions grounded in what works in practice – not in theory.
Speaker: Dr. Benjamin Wenn, Head of Technical Procurement, Röhm GmbH
Ben demonstrates how indirect procurement can be scaled internationally and turned into measurable impact – at Röhm fully embedded in SAP S/4HANA.
Within less than three months, Crowdfox was implemented as a central execution layer, delivering >20 % savings on competitive items and significantly improving cross-supplier comparability through UTIN-based data harmonization. The rollout spanned multiple regions, including Germany, the United States, and China, with a clear focus on usability, spend transparency, and decision-ready reporting. Röhm’s approach shows how conscious design choices – rather than over-standardization – enable adoption, speed, and control in complex enterprise environments.
Speaker: Christoph Kunel, Chief Product Officer, Crowdfox GmbH
Chris is Chief Product Officer at Crowdfox and leads the continuous development of the company’s procurement platform with a strong focus on usability, execution, and scalable product strategy.
With more than five years at Crowdfox and experience across COO and CPO roles, Christoph translates complex procurement requirements into user-centric, enterprise-ready solutions. He has recently driven the integration of AI into the product portfolio, aligning customer needs with practical application. The stage is a familiar environment for him – most recently speaking at World50 in Atlanta, the EY Procurement Award 2025, and McKinsey’s Spark Award ‘AI for Business’ 2024, where Crowdfox was recognized for its AI-driven innovation.
Once you’ve registered, we’ll send you a calendar invite within 1–2 business days. The websession will take place on ClickMeeting.
Should you have any questions, I’m happy to help.
Annika Schöbe
Head of Marketing & Communications
marketing@crowdfox.com