Innovation in procurement has definitively ceased to be a peripheral issue and has become a central axis in the competitiveness strategy of industrial companies. In a B2B market increasingly pressured by costs, operational complexity, supplier dependence, and regulatory requirements, evolving procurement processes is not only desirable—it's crucial.

Recent supply chain debates reinforce the idea that the future of the field rests on three fundamental pillars: technology, data, and collaboration . The transcript that serves as the basis for this article reveals exactly that: leaders from different organizations, with complementary visions, offered in-depth insights into how digitalization, automation, and especially community-based information models are redefining the role of procurement.

Throughout this article, we will explore in a structured and detailed manner:

• What characterizes innovation in purchasing in the current context?

• Why the Brazilian B2B market still has enormous room for growth.

• How technological solutions, reliable master data, and automation are changing the dynamics between companies and suppliers.

• The fundamental role of the information community and the Golden Code , an initiative of CH | Astrein

• Practical barriers faced by companies and how to overcome them.

• How to develop suppliers and raise standards of sustainability, compliance, and performance.

• Direct insights provided by the webinar experts, translated into actionable recommendations.

  
  

This guide is not theoretical. It stems from practice — from the experience of companies, consultancies, specialists, and leaders who live the challenges and opportunities of this market.

The goal is clear: to offer a complete, technical, and applicable overview so that innovation in purchasing can advance consistently within your organization.

What is innovation in purchasing?

Innovation in procurement is the ability to transform traditional acquisition processes into intelligent, automated, strategic, and data-driven operations.

According to the webinar panelists, this means:

1. Reduce manual activities and replace them with automated workflows.

2. To elevate the strategic role of the area , allowing buyers to focus on analysis, negotiation, and planning—rather than operational tasks.

3. To ensure high-quality master data , eliminating rework, specification errors, and mispurchases.

4. To create a more balanced relationship between companies and suppliers , reducing the seller's dependence on setting prices and conditions.

5. To build a collaborative vision , where companies share information, ratings, and learnings.

6. To promote predictability and security , reducing supply chain, financial, regulatory, and reputational risks.

   
   

Innovation in procurement, therefore, is not the isolated use of tools. It is a mental, operational, and technological model that reorganizes how companies buy, interact with suppliers, and govern data.

Why is innovation in purchasing so necessary in Brazil?

The debate revealed a striking fact: although the Brazilian B2B market moves approximately R$ 2.4 trillion , only 2.5% of that volume occurs through digital platforms.

For comparison:

• United States: 14%

• Japan: 31.7%

In other words, Brazil is operating far below its potential for digitalization and automation.

This scenario generates direct consequences:

• Bad habits from manual processes persist.

• Recurring errors in specifications and orders

• Slow supplier approval process

• Low price predictability

• Lack of integration between indoor and outdoor areas.

• Lack of standardization among companies that purchase the same items.

• Dependence on suppliers in setting price adjustments.

• High cost of operational inefficiency.

  
  

Innovation in procurement emerges as the only consistent way to reduce this gap between Brazil and more mature international markets.

The importance of master data in procurement innovation.

No digital transformation initiative works without accurate data. This was repeatedly emphasized by all the panelists, especially by Tadeu Avelar, from CH | Astrein .

He described a scene that is common to any buyer:

• A request arrives with an incomplete or incorrect description.

• The buyer needs to "guess" or seek information from the requester.

• The requester asks to "send it by email because he's not in the room".

• The supplier interprets the description in their own way — and delivers the wrong thing.

• The item does not fit the equipment, causing damage or production line stoppage.

  
  

This cycle is the antithesis of innovation in purchasing.

Everything is based on three elements:

1. Standardization

Without a standard, there is no automation. Each supplier interprets it in a different way, each department requests it in another.

2. Enrichment

Data needs to be complete, technical, and aligned with what truly matters for operations, maintenance, engineering, and purchasing.

3. Validation

The information needs to be auditable and reliable. This is what allows for traceability, compliance, and transparency.

CH | Astrein built its history precisely on this, being a global pioneer in the development of material and service master data management systems since 1991.

Today, this vision is consolidated through the master data community, where dozens of large companies share standardized information, avoiding rework and inconsistencies.

Golden Code: the innovation that is redesigning the supply chain.

Among the strongest points of discussion is the Golden Code model , an initiative by CH | Astrein that represents a significant leap forward for innovation in purchasing in Brazil.

What is the Golden Code?

It's a unique code created by CH | Astrein that:

• Connects different companies to the same item.

• It guarantees a unique, standardized, and certified description (Golden Record).

• Enables automatic updates between companies.

• It integrates manufacturers and suppliers.

• It facilitates purchases, quotes, and category analysis.

• It exponentially reduces errors and ambiguities.

  
  

Currently, the base has:

• 3.5 million active Golden Records

• Items shared among more than 100 large companies.

• Manufacturers and suppliers linked to the same code.

• History and integrated settings

  
  

For the buyer, this means:

• Receive pre-standardized specifications

• Automatically knowing which suppliers fulfill each item.

• Send quotes using the supplier's own codes.

• Eliminate discrepancies in descriptions between companies.

• Enhance automation and integrations with other platforms.

  
  

The Golden Code creates a true shared information infrastructure , allowing the entire chain to operate more securely and efficiently.

Innovation in purchasing and market intelligence

The purchasing department has historically always suffered from a structural problem:

The supplier decides when to negotiate.

When he sends a request for readjustment, the buyer is put on the defensive:

• Opens tender in a hurry.

• It wastes energy just to prove the price.

• React instead of acting.

Innovation in purchasing seeks to reverse this logic.

Gabriel Aleixo presented how market intelligence platforms are enabling:

• Monitoring price variations in strategic categories.

• Prioritization of bids based on external data.

• Reducing dependence on claims submitted by suppliers.

• Ability to predict market movements

• Combined analyses of internal historical data and external indicators.

  
  

With this, buyers start to:

• Act proactively , deciding when to negotiate.

• Directing internal managers towards evidence-based cost-saving projects.

• Having data support to negotiate more confidently.

• Plan budgets with greater precision.

  
  

This is one of the clearest dimensions of innovation in purchasing : intelligence applied in a practical and measurable way.

Automation of approval and risk management

Another critical point in the supply chain is the onboarding and continuous monitoring of suppliers.

Traditional processes generate:

• Long approval cycles

• Difficulty in bringing in new suppliers.

• Lack of motivation within internal departments to seek alternatives.

• Legal and reputational risks

• Misalignment between criticality and depth of analysis.

• The need for numerous steps and documents.

  
  

Innovation in purchasing requires systems that:

1. They reduce approval time by up to 90%.

2. They classify suppliers by criticality and category.

3. They automate financial, administrative, and compliance analyses.

4. They generate continuous alerts, not occasional ones.

5. They standardize sustainability and integrity questionnaires.

   
   

Besides automation, the most frequently mentioned aspect was:

Different suppliers need to be treated differently.

It makes no sense to demand the same level of documentation from:

• A critical supplier of labor.

• A low-value transactional supplier

• An international strategic manufacturer

• A local supplier of on-demand items.

  
  

Innovation in procurement involves fine-tuning risk management , ensuring robustness without excessive bureaucracy.

Community shopping: the inevitable future of B2B

The debaters were categorical: the individualized model for managing suppliers, materials, and approval is numbered.

Innovation in shopping is shifting towards a community model .

Why?

• Companies analyze the same suppliers.

• Suppliers answer the same questionnaires.

• Descriptions of materials are repeated across different organizations.

• The pains are practically identical.

• The cost of duplication is enormous.

• The time spent on rework is unsustainable.

  
  

The Golden Code and the CH | Astrein collaborative platform are examples of this migration.

Furthermore, the community model allows for:

• Automatic benchmarking

• Standardization of technical criteria

• Collective development of suppliers

• Standardization of compliance and sustainability practices

• Structured growth across the entire supply chain.

  
  

Instead of each company reinventing the purchasing process, the market evolves as a system.

Joint purchases and bartering: when innovation translates into real financial impact.

Two case studies presented by CH | Astrein show how innovation in purchasing is not conceptual — it's practical and measurable.

1. Joint purchases (jewelry)

With the Golden Code, different companies can purchase the same items in a standardized and jointly negotiated manner.

Results presented:

• Joint purchase of bearings: R$ 36 million

• Joint purchase of electrical materials: R$ 140 million

• Participation of 10 to 14 companies per round.

• Better bargaining power for everyone.

• Supplier receives consolidated volume and standardized specifications.

The effect is clear: savings, efficiency, and scale.

2. Surplus (exchange of materials between companies)

Every industry has obsolete inventory, surplus stock, or discontinued items.

The Surplus platform allows you to:

• Exchange at average inventory cost

• Without altering the nature of materials such as scrap.

• No financial losses

• With traceability between companies.

  
  

Currently, over R$ 320 million worth of materials are being exchanged between CH | Astrein clients.

This model represents one of the greatest innovations in purchasing in recent years.

Supplier development as a strategic responsibility

Innovation in procurement cannot happen solely "within companies." It needs to incorporate the supplier side.

The experts emphasized:

• Each request made to the supplier sends a signal about what is important.

• Clear and standardized processes raise the level of market maturity.

• Small suppliers can evolve rapidly when guided.

• Sustainability, compliance, and performance need to be treated as a roadmap.

• Large companies have a responsibility to continuously improve the ecosystem.

  
  

Innovation in purchasing is also innovation in the supplier market .

And this requires:

1. Clear communication

2. Criteria proportional to the level of criticality.

3. Document standardization

4. Continuous feedback

5. Priority in developing the supply chain

   
   

As one of the debaters summarized: "What we ask of the supplier determines the direction in which they will evolve."

The biggest challenges to implementing innovation in procurement.

The transcript makes it clear that several barriers are hindering the development of the field:

1. Poor data quality

Without reliable master data, no digital system functions fully.

2. Entrenched manual processes

Emails, spreadsheets, phone calls, and disjointed descriptions are still common.

3. Supplier resistance

Transactional or C-curve suppliers tend to prioritize other demands.

4. Lack of proper segmentation.

Requiring the same level of documentation from critical and non-critical suppliers is a classic mistake.

5. Lack of clear communication

Many suppliers fail to send documents because they don't understand the benefit .

6. Myths and misconceptions

For example: "If the supplier is in poor financial health, I shouldn't buy from them." Experts emphasize that there are important exceptions .

7. Shopping culture still in its infancy.

The area often responds to requests, rather than anticipating movements.

Common mistakes when dealing with innovation in procurement.

Based on what was discussed in the webinar, the following points stand out:

• Implementing technology without organizing the necessary materials is not an option.

• Trying to reinvent established methodologies (such as classification or PDM)

• Apply different sustainability questionnaires to each supplier.

• To desire automation without standardization.

• Treat suppliers as a single entity, not as individuals.

• Highlighting risks without considering context.

• Demanding too much data from low-impact suppliers.

• Not utilizing the community and doing unnecessary rework.

  
  

Tools and best practices

Based on the transcript, innovation in purchasing depends on a set of elements:

1. Golden Code (CH | Astrein)

Unique infrastructure for standardization, automation, and integration.

2. Market intelligence

Predictive indicators, category analysis, and price monitoring.

3. Approval Automation

Reducing bureaucracy and implementing analysis proportional to criticality.

4. Community platforms

Sharing data, history, ratings, and suppliers.

5. Joint purchases

Scale, bargaining power, and collective efficiency.

6. Exchange (Surplus)

Liquidity for inventory and cost reduction.

7. Supplier Development

Raising the technical, financial, and operational level of the supply chain.

Conclusion

Innovation in procurement is no longer an optional agenda item. It is the competitive differentiator that will determine which companies will be able to operate efficiently, securely, and predictably in the Brazilian B2B market.

The combination of:

• Standardized master data

• Smart platforms

• Community models

• Structured supplier development

• Predictive analytics

• End-to-end automation

  
  

This represents a new level of maturity in the supply chain.

CH | Astrein, with its Golden Code, data community, and initiatives such as joint purchasing and bartering, demonstrates that true innovation happens when companies are able to share information, reduce rework, and build a common knowledge base.

For industrial companies, the future of purchasing will depend on the ability to transform data into decisions, eliminate operational noise, and strengthen their supply chain as a whole.

Innovation in purchasing will increasingly become the foundation of business performance.

Next Step

If your company is seeking operational maturity, cost reduction, automation, and predictability, start with the basics: structured, standardized, and reliable master data .

Innovation in purchasing begins with information — and evolves throughout the entire supply chain.

Bonus tip

Before investing in any new procurement technology, conduct an internal master data audit. Many initiatives fail not because of the tool itself—but because of the inconsistency of the database that feeds it.