In a recent interview at the National Annual Consultants Conference (NACC) 2023, Craig Selwitz, ABI consultant for BirchStreet, shared insights into his extensive career journey and BirchStreet’s upcoming groundbreaking product, Operational Insights. Let’s dive into the highlights of this engaging conversation and explore how BirchStreet is revolutionizing the landscape of data management and e-business.
Having spent six years in operations, Craig gained a profound understanding of how businesses operate. Most of his career has been dedicated to supply chain management and procurement, initially with Marriott and later with Avendra, a significant group purchasing organization that emerged from Marriott.
Craig’s journey led him to BirchStreet through his focus on data management and e-business. After 20 years at Avendra, he sought a new challenge and found himself drawn to BirchStreet, a company he had worked alongside for more than 15 years. Impressed by BirchStreet’s vision, Craig joined the team.
And at NACC, he revealed BirchStreet’s latest venture – Operational Insights, a product launching in early 2024 and marking the first phase of the broader Insights suite.
Operational Insights is designed to offer a comprehensive view of how purchases are made, system usage, and payment processes. The primary focus is on achieving operational goals by minimizing the use of confirming purchase orders, ensuring invoice-to-purchase order connections, and facilitating seamless invoice processing without human intervention.
As Craig said, “It’s going to help you make sure you’re achieving your operational goals, limiting the use of confirming purchase orders, making sure that the majority of your invoices are tied to purchase orders.”
While Operational Insights is the first step, Craig shared BirchStreet’s ambitious plans for an expanded suite of products under the Insights brand. Procurement Insights, Compliance Insights, and Collaboration Insights are on the horizon, demonstrating BirchStreet’s commitment to meeting customer needs.
“What we’re really hearing from the customers is they want to go beyond that. They want procurement insights, what you’re purchasing from whom,” Craig noted.
He also emphasized the collaborative nature of product development, stating that key customers played a pivotal role in shaping Operational Insights.
“We’ve developed this product with key customers. So, it’s really being driven by what they want.”
And for an even more tantalizing glimpse into the future, there’s Collaboration Insights, the vision of a collaborative ecosystem where BirchStreet, customers, suppliers, distributors, and manufacturers come together to achieve shared procurement goals.
Craig’s insights provide a fascinating preview of BirchStreet’s trajectory, highlighting not only a commitment to operational excellence but also a customer-centric approach. As BirchStreet prepares to launch Operational Insights, the industry eagerly anticipates its impact on procurement and supply chain management.
Interested in hearing more? Écouter to Craig’s interview.