A procurement manager resigns, a buyer goes on long leave, a major project starts earlier than planned. In each case, the procurement function has to keep running while the company looks for a lasting solution. Interim management is designed for these moments: an experienced professional steps in quickly, takes responsibility and leaves the team in a better position than they found it.
Here is how we see the role, and how to make the most of it.
When interim management makes sense
Interim management is not only a stopgap. It fits several situations:
- A gap in the team. A manager or a senior buyer leaves and recruitment will take time. Strategic negotiations, contract renewals and supplier issues cannot wait.
- A peak of activity. A large investment project, a plant shutdown or a wave of tenders needs extra senior capacity for a defined period.
- A transformation. The company wants to structure its procurement function: map spend, set up category strategies, review processes or roll out a new tool. An outside professional with a clear mandate can move faster than a team absorbed by daily work.
- A crisis. A key supplier fails, prices move sharply or a quality issue disrupts deliveries. The situation calls for someone who has handled similar cases and can make decisions.
In all these cases, what you buy is not just time. It is experience that is immediately operational.
What makes a good interim procurement manager
The profile matters more than the title. Look for:
- hands-on experience of the purchases at stake, whether project buying, industrial categories, services or public procurement;
- the ability to take decisions and to be accepted quickly by the team, internal clients and suppliers;
- a structured approach, with clear priorities and visible results;
- the willingness to transfer knowledge rather than create dependency.
An interim manager is not a consultant who writes recommendations and leaves. They hold the role, sign off on decisions within their delegation and are accountable for the outcome.
The first weeks
A well-run assignment usually follows a similar path.
Listening and diagnosis. The first days are spent meeting the team, the main internal clients and the key suppliers, and reviewing ongoing contracts, open tenders and risks. The goal is to understand what is urgent, what is important and what can wait.
Priorities and quick decisions. Some topics cannot wait: a contract about to expire, a negotiation in progress, a supplier in difficulty. The interim manager deals with them first, while sharing a short action plan with management.
Structuring. Once the urgent topics are under control, the work moves to the medium term: clarifying roles, setting up simple reporting, preparing category strategies or procedures. The aim is to leave a function that runs without the interim manager.
Preparing the handover from day one
The value of an assignment is measured by what remains after it. A good handover is planned from the start:
- documentation of contracts, negotiations and supplier relationships;
- clear files for each category or project, with history and next steps;
- coaching of team members who will take over part of the scope;
- active support for the recruitment and onboarding of the permanent manager, if needed.
Setting up the assignment
To get started quickly, prepare three things: a clear mandate (scope, objectives, decision-making authority), a sponsor in management who will support the interim manager, and access to the information and tools from the first day. A short weekly review with the sponsor keeps everyone aligned and makes it easy to adjust priorities.
How we can help
Our consultants step in as interim procurement managers or senior buyers, in sectors such as energy, rail, pharmaceuticals, industry, IT and the public sector. We agree on the scope and the objectives with you, then our consultant takes charge on site or remotely, depending on your needs.