Driving Procurement Performance and Accountability Through Digital Transformation
Lessons from IAG Transform
Driving procurement performance requires better visibility, accountability, and measurable impact across procurement initiatives.
This webinar brought together leaders from IAG Transform, SpendHQ, and Argon & Co to reflect on a year‑long procurement transformation program and the implementation of SpendHQ as a performance and initiative management platform. The session explored how organizations can move from fragmented, manual tracking to trusted, data‑driven procurement performance.
The opening audience poll revealed that the greatest challenge facing procurement teams today is impacting business decisions, followed closely by access to the right data. This set the context for IAG’s journey, which directly addressed these issues.
Setting the Vision: IAG’s Procurement Transformation
Terri Young, Product Manager for Procurement and Sustainability at IAG Transform, outlined the scale and complexity of IAG’s operating environment: seven companies, five airlines, operations in over 90 countries, and thousands of suppliers. Procurement manages an enormous and diverse spend base, from aircraft engines to everyday operational items.
IAG’s transformation journey is driven by a clear ambition: to deliver world‑class procurement through end-to-end digitalization and maximized AI capability. Historically manual, fragmented processes limited visibility, governance, and confidence in data, while Excel‑based processes created inefficiency, rework, and inconsistent reporting. SpendHQ was selected to address three priorities: automation and governance, real‑time visibility and trusted data, and stronger collaboration across procurement, finance, and the wider business.
From spreadsheets to a single source of truth
Javier Luna, Procurement Digitalization Manager at IAG, described moving from managing procurement through spreadsheets to managing performance through a single platform. At go‑live, IAG migrated around 20,000 initiatives and now manages billions in approved spend annually through SpendHQ. The approach of “If it’s not in the system, it doesn’t exist” helped establish SpendHQ as the single source of truth for initiatives, savings, approvals, and reporting. Standardized methodologies, rule‑based data controls, and configurable workflows significantly improved data quality and leadership trust.
Javier emphasized adoption lessons: start simple, focus on data quality, avoid “lift and shift” complexity, and prioritize people. Training should focus on core outcomes first, supported by visible leadership sponsorship and early adopters who drive momentum.
Implementation insights and external perspectives
From the implementation side, James Minnock of Argon & Co highlighted the importance of small, empowered design teams, in‑person decision‑making, and rigorous, business‑led testing. A strong MVP approach enabled rapid delivery while clearly communicating what would be delivered now versus later.
A recurring theme was “adopt, don’t adapt”—leveraging SpendHQ’s standard functionality before introducing customization. Over‑customization increases technical debt and slows future change. Data migration, often underestimated, required early focus and disciplined decisions about what data truly added value.
Laure-Eva Staron of SpendHQ reinforced two ideas echoed throughout the session: start simple and scale later, and speed is strategic. Fast delivery builds credibility, credibility builds trust, and trust gives procurement greater influence with the business.
Key Takeaways from the Procurement Digital Transformation Webinar
- Impacting business decisions requires trusted data, not spreadsheets
- A single source of truth is essential for visibility, governance, and accountability
- Start simple, deliver fast, and scale incrementally
- Maintain a realistic schedule and don’t underestimate the effort required
- Adoption needs sponsorship and strong post-go-live support to be successful
- Speed creates credibility, and credibility strengthens procurement’s voice
The session concluded with a clear message: technology enables transformation, but sustained value comes from focus, discipline, and people-led change.
Thank you to everyone who joined the session and our speakers.
- Terri Young, Product Manager, Procurement and Sustainability, IAG Transform
- Javier Luna, Procurement Digitalization Manager, IAG Transform
- James Minnock, Lead Consultant, Argon & Co
- Máire McPoland, Managing Principal, Argon & Co
- Laure-Eva Staron, Director of Account Management, SpendHQ
About IAG
IAG Transform is part of International Airlines Group (IAG), one of the world’s leading airline groups, and the parent company of airline brands including British Airways, Iberia, Vueling, Aer Lingus, and LEVEL.
At IAG Transform, we are united by a single vision: Together, we transform aviation. Our mission is clear—we are here to transform our industry and deliver extraordinary value to sustainable aviation. This isn’t just about incremental improvement; it’s about setting new standards for our business, our travelers, and the world. Achieving this mission depends on our people—their talent, ambition, and tenacity to innovate and collaborate for a sustainable future.
We work seamlessly across disciplines, fostering cross-pollination of ideas, data-driven decision-making, strategic supplier partnerships, robust technology, and continued leadership in AI and innovation. By partnering closely with the OpCos, we help deliver business plans, support strategic decisions, and unlock opportunities across procurement, innovation, technology, and transformation. This is about more than modernization—it’s about shaping the future of our industry.
About SpendHQ
SpendHQ empowers procurement leaders at complex organizations to make important decisions with confidence by providing a single source of truth for spend data, project tracking, and performance management. By integrating the full procurement workflow – from reliable spend and supplier data in Spend Intelligence to real-time project tracking in Performance Management – teams can easily execute strategy and deliver on their goals related to cost savings, ESG, risk reduction, compliance, and more. Over 500 global organizations rely on SpendHQ’s platform for visibility, workflow organization, and out-of-the-box reporting capabilities needed to accelerate procurement’s impact – all in one intuitive interface.
About Argon & Co
Argon & Co is a global management consultancy that specializes in operations strategy and transformation. With expertise spanning supply chain planning, manufacturing, logistics, procurement, finance, and shared services, we work together with clients to transform their businesses and generate real change. Our people are engaging to work with and trusted by clients to get the job done. We have 18 offices across Europe, Australasia, America, Asia and the Middle East.