A New Generation of Procurement Managers Are Changing Priorities for B2B Buying

Executive summary:

• Business-to-business (B2B) buyers are spending less time with sales reps during their buying journey.
• This is due to the influence of business-to-consumer (B2C) trends on younger managers, such as one-click buying, digital shopping, and transparent product information at their fingertips.
• Pregis solutions simplify the buying journey for today’s new wave of procurement managers, leading to easier purchasing and more successful long-term relationships.
• Technologies like Pregis’ EcoGauge offer transparency on the sustainability of Pregis products while Pregis’ consultative approach allows procurement managers access to bespoke solutions that more directly solve their problems without adding to the complex buying process.
• Pregis’ material neutral portfolio further enhances this effect by making Pregis products available to a wider swath of buyers.

Procurement managers don’t live their lives unplugged from the realities of the consumer buying experience. Similar to today’s shoppers, they expect to have the information they need at a moment’s notice.

This trend has been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to even less face-to-face time with suppliers. During a typical B2B sales process, sales representatives can only expect to have about five percent of the customer’s time, according to Gartner Research.Though this can translate to reduced sales overhead and faster purchase rates, it also places a heavy emphasis on transparency and a simplified buying journey to stand out from the competition.

Pregis Serves a New Generation of Procurement Managers

A Futurum Research survey of B2B buyers found that transparency during the buying process was one of the most sought-after features of a supplier. Obtaining a clear understanding of how a solution or product functions in the real world was critical, with 90 percent of respondents saying they consider product trials and consultations to be prized features.

Pregis’ consultative approach prioritizes a holistic view of how its packaging solutions will fit into a business and protect its products. Throughout this analysis, Pregis’ ISTA certified packaging engineers consider how a buyer’s supply chain and go-to-market strategy will impact their final packaging recommendation.

At the Pregis IQ, these recommendations are tested using state-of-the-art equipment that can simulate the real-world conditions Pregis products are designed to handle. By the end of a Pregis consultation, B2B buyers have the data they need to make informed, real-world decisions.

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Transparency and Sustainability in Packaging

EcoGauge, a method Pregis developed to analyze and measure the environmental impact of products damaged in transit, offers transparency on two levels:

• It allows a company to obtain a quantified cost of damaged goods to their bottom line, presenting a clear picture of the costs associated with choosing inferior packaging solutions.
• EcoGauge metrics can then be used to show just how much impact returned or damaged products can have on the sustainability profile of a buyer.

Pregis estimates that about five billion pounds of material enter North American landfills each year due to incorrect materials or poor packing methods. With this information, buyers are provided a transparent picture of what damage rate they can expect, the impact that damage can have on the environment, and how to improve their methods to bring those numbers down.

With a material neutral approach, Pregis IQ engineers can develop packaging that not only meets the sustainability goals of B2B procurement managers and buyers, but also engages consumers with high-quality packaging, inventive designs, and an unforgettable unboxing experience.

Pregis can also implement the Compass Lifecycle Analysis to compare packaging solutions throughout their entire existence, not just during production and shipment. The most sustainable packaging solution will not always be clear without this analysis, making Pregis a go-to source for B2B procurement managers that value transparency from inception to disposal for the products they choose.

Solving a Complex Buying Process With Data and Diligence

Gartner found that the modern buying group working on B2B solutions typically consists of six to 10 decision-makers, who come with their own preconceived notions of how a problem should be solved — creating a dynamic that can be hard to navigate. In fact, about three-quarters of those surveyed by Gartner said their purchase process is “very complex or difficult.”

Pregis packaging consultants are well-equipped to make it easier for the new generation of B2B procurement managers to navigate an increasingly data-driven purchase process.

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