By Alvin A.O MINGLE
In the fast-evolving world of procurement, 2025 promises to be a year of transformation driven by digital innovation, sustainability, and economic shifts.
To achieve procurement success, organizations in Ghana, across the region, and globally must anticipate key trends and adapt their strategies accordingly.
This article highlights essential trends and provides practical examples to guide procurement professionals as they prepare for the year ahead.
The ever-changing role of procurement
Traditionally seen as a cost-saving function, procurement now plays a central role in driving organizational growth, innovation, and sustainability. Businesses are swiftly recognizing that procurement decisions influence supply chain resilience, environmental impact, and customer satisfaction.
Globally, companies like Unilever have set benchmarks by integrating sustainability into procurement, ensuring that 100percent of their agricultural raw materials are sustainably sourced.
Regionally, South Africa’s Woolworths has adopted ethical sourcing strategies, which benefitted local farmers while meeting international standards. Similarly, in Ghana, Blue Skies, a fruit processing company, has successfully implemented a model of sourcing raw materials directly from local farmers, ensuring freshness, continuity, and empowering rural communities.
In the business year 2025, the new vision of procurement ie ‘The New Procurement Order’ will be driven by key trends that are shaping and redefining traditional procurement. These pillars include digital transformation, a focus on sustainability, supply chain resilience, and data-driven decision-making.
Digital transformation and e-procurement
In the current Ghanaian procurement space, technology continues to redefine almost all procurement practices. In 2025, digital tools such as e-procurement platforms, AI-driven analytics, and blockchain for transparency will be essential for efficiency and accuracy, especially for procurement officials in Ghana.
A notable example is the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) of Ghana, which has implemented an e-procurement platform to reduce procurement cycle times and enhance transparency in public sector purchases. Organizations and procurement professionals can leverage e- platforms to streamline their bidding processes and ensure compliance with regulatory standards.
Globally, digital transformation has gained traction, with multinational companies like Siemens using blockchain to ensure end-to-end traceability in their supply chains, reducing risks and building trust among stakeholders.
To fully harness the benefits of digital transformation in 2025, organizations must invest in training procurement teams to use e-procurement tools effectively. Additionally, they should strategically partner with tech providers to create bespoke solutions tailored to their organizational needs.
Shifting focus on sustainability
The 2025 business year will emphasize a shift from traditional procurement practices to sustainability-driven procurement cycles, not only in sourcing raw materials but across all aspects of procurement.
Sustainability will dominate procurement discussions in 2025 as organizations face increasing pressure to reduce their environmental footprint. Procurement strategies must prioritize sourcing eco-friendly materials, reducing waste, and engaging with suppliers who share these values.
Globally, companies like Unilever are leading the way with initiatives such as their “Sustainable Living Plan,” which integrates sustainability into procurement and has achieved milestones like sourcing 100percent of palm oil sustainably. Regionally, South Africa’s renewable energy procurement program has attracted significant investment while reducing reliance on fossil fuels, a model that Ghana could replicate.
In 2025, Ghanaian businesses should consider developing a green procurement policy that engages local suppliers to source sustainable materials while enhancing community impact. This shift will no longer be merely an ethical issue but an economic necessity, especially with the addition of green transformation to the duties of the Energy Ministry.
Supply chain resilience
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of resilient supply chain management systems. In 2025, organizational procurement plans must include strategies to mitigate risks such as geopolitical disruptions, natural disasters, and fluctuating commodity prices. Planning ahead for potential crises gives businesses a competitive edge.
Organizations should diversify suppliers across multiple locations to minimize the impact of disruptions. Globally, Apple has executed this strategy by diversifying suppliers across countries, ensuring uninterrupted production of its devices.
Ghanaian businesses can adopt similar approaches by conducting supply chain risk assessments and identifying alternative suppliers or sourcing regions to reduce dependency on a single source. Procurement consultants with the right expertise can be instrumental in achieving this goal.
Strategic supplier relationships
Establishing and maintaining strategic relationships with suppliers will be critical in 2025 for ensuring collaboration, innovation, and cost efficiency. Long-term partnerships often lead to better terms, improved quality, and shared goals. For instance, Ford’s supplier development program has strengthened relationships and ensured consistency in its manufacturing processes.
Organizations can achieve similar success by developing a supplier performance evaluation framework to identify high-performing partners and investing in their growth. The benefits are often mutual, leading to satisfaction on both sides.
Emphasis on cost efficiency
Inflation and currency fluctuations, especially in Ghana, are expected to significantly impact procurement budgets in 2025. Organizations must adopt cost-saving measures while maintaining quality and efficiency.
Due to the depreciation of the Ghanaian cedi, there has been an increase in the cost of imported goods and services. Implementing a local sourcing strategy, such as using Ghanaian-made materials for projects, can mitigate exchange rate risks while maintaining quality.
Additionally, companies should negotiate long-term contracts with fixed pricing or include currency hedging clauses to protect against market volatility.
Data-driven decision making
Data analytics will play a crucial role in procurement success in 2025. By leveraging data insights, organizations can elevate decision-making, improve supplier performance, and optimize spending. Ghanaian banks, for instance, have used data analytics to manage procurement budgets effectively and ensure compliance with financial regulations.
For instance, to achieve high success rate in their procurement, Amazon employs AI-driven data analytics to predict demand, optimize inventory, and manage supplier relationships, simplifying operations and enabling informed decisions. In 2025, Ghanaian organizations should invest in analytical tools and train team members to interpret and apply data insights for strategic planning.
In conclusion, The ‘New Procurement Order’ requires vigilance and excellence in the above named pillars. Preparing for procurement success in 2025 requires a proactive approach that aligns with emerging trends and addresses unique challenges.
Whether leveraging digital tools, fostering supplier relationships, or prioritizing sustainability, the key lies in adaptability and strategic planning. By learning from local, regional, and global examples, Ghanaian businesses and their counterparts can position themselves for a successful and resilient procurement year.
>>>the writer is the Senior Managing Partner at Fitzgerald-Bassey Consultancy Limited
