By Yves Pierssens, business transformation expert, Source-to-Pay at Dynatos
Procurement has outgrown its back-office label
For years, procurement in mid-sized organisations was seen as a support function, often invisible to the rest of the business. That era is over. Today, procurement is central to resilience, compliance, and growth. Supply chain disruptions, ESG requirements, and rising expectations from stakeholders are forcing companies to rethink how they manage spend and suppliers.
Mid-market companies, typically generating between €500 million and €2 billion in annual revenue, find themselves at a crossroads. They experience the same pressures as large enterprises but have fewer resources to respond. This creates both a challenge and an opportunity, offering the chance to move beyond traditional ways of working and embrace more innovative, more digital approaches.
As Yves Pierssens, Business Transformation Expert at Dynatos, explains: “Source-to-Pay has transformed from a back-office role into a key competitive advantage. For mid-market companies, it is the difference between staying current and falling behind.”
Why perfection is the enemy of progress
One of the biggest traps in procurement transformation is trying to design the perfect solution. Large enterprises often have the time and budget to attempt big-bang programmes, but mid-market companies do not.
The reality is that mid-sized organisations need to be pragmatic. Transformation should be step by step, aligned with their maturity, and designed to deliver quick wins that build confidence and adoption. The goal is not a flawless system on day one, but a journey of continuous improvement that delivers value along the way.
Technology is not the answer, people are
Platforms like Coupa provide powerful Source-to-Pay capabilities, from sourcing and contracting to purchasing, invoicing and treasury. They create the foundation for digital procurement. But technology alone never creates transformation.
Real change happens when people embrace new ways of working. For mid-market companies, that means focusing just as much on supplier enablement and user adoption as on system configuration. A tool that nobody enjoys using will never deliver the expected benefits. Adoption is the true success factor.
Local realities, global ambitions
Mid-market companies often operate across multiple countries, legal entities and ERP systems. This complexity cannot be ignored, and it explains why so many transformation programmes stall.
The solution is to combine global best practices with local relevance. Standardise where it creates efficiency, but adapt to local tax, regulatory and cultural nuances where necessary. This balance ensures that the system works in practice, not just on paper, and it makes adoption far more sustainable.
What leadership really looks like
True procurement leadership in the mid-market does not mean having the most advanced tools or the largest team. It means making smarter decisions faster. It means balancing ambition with pragmatism, ensuring compliance while empowering the business, and creating transparency that builds trust.
Mid-market leaders who embrace this approach will not only keep up with larger competitors, they will set new benchmarks for agility and resilience.
The future of procurement will not wait. The question for mid-market organisations is simple: will procurement remain a back-office burden, or will it evolve into a strategic driver of value?
At Dynatos, we believe the answer lies in pragmatic transformation, empowered people and the right partnerships. Procurement is no longer about chasing perfection, it is about achieving progress that matters.
For mid-market organisations, the path forward is not the biggest programme or the boldest vision. It is the smart, pragmatic steps that turn procurement into a growth engine for the entire business. Contact us to take that first step.
