Lost in Translation: A 2026 European Procurement Survey

A 2026 European procurement survey by SPL Partners. Published June 2026.

Procurement is being asked to do more, and most senior leaders feel the function is gaining ground. The scorecard they are held to has not moved with them. For this report, Miroslav Pitlanic, founder of SPL Partners, asked 21 senior procurement leaders across the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Poland what is really going on in 2026. Most run direct and indirect procurement in manufacturing and industrial businesses.

Key findings at a glance

• 57% are measured mainly on year-on-year savings (12 of 21).
• 1 in 5 believe savings is the right measure for 2026 (4 of 21).
• 57% say procurement is gaining strategic influence (12 of 21).

What the report covers

• The measurement gap is real. Most leaders are measured on savings, and most do not believe savings is the right measure. The board and the buyer are looking at different scoreboards.
• Cost has not gone away. Cost savings is still the pressure named most often, ahead of talent and capability, digital and AI, and supplier resilience. Sustainability and ESG sits last.
• Cross-border friction is about pace, not price. When European teams work together, friction shows up first in the speed of decision-making, then communication style and compliance. Definition of savings comes last.
• We misread each other constantly. UK teams are seen as transactional but call themselves commercially sharp. German teams call it a marathon, not a sprint. Central and Eastern Europe feels underestimated.
• The mood is cautiously up. More leaders feel procurement is gaining influence than losing it. The recognition has not reached the scorecard yet.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Lost in Translation report?

Lost in Translation is a 2026 European procurement survey by SPL Partners. It asked 21 senior procurement leaders in the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Poland how they are measured, where cross-border procurement breaks down, and whether the function is gaining influence. Respondents were surveyed in June 2026.

How are procurement leaders measured in 2026?

Mainly on savings. 12 of the 21 leaders are measured by their CFO or board mainly on year-on-year savings, and a further 5 on total cost of ownership. Only 4 believe savings is the right way to measure procurement in 2026. 13 said partly and 4 said no.

What is the biggest pressure on procurement in 2026?

Cost savings, named by 13 of the 21 respondents. Talent and capability came next (8), followed by digital and AI (6) and supplier resilience (6). Sustainability was named least often (3).

Where does cross-border procurement break down?

In pace and communication rather than price. Speed of decision-making was named as a friction point by 10 respondents, followed by communication style and compliance and process (6 each). Definition of savings was named least often (3).

Is procurement gaining influence in European businesses?

Cautiously, yes. 7 respondents say procurement is gaining influence modestly and 5 significantly, 6 say it is holding steady, 2 say it is losing influence and 1 did not know.

How reliable are the findings?

The survey is a small, senior and deliberately qualitative sample of 21 leaders. The percentages are indicative rather than statistically representative, and the open comments carry as much weight as the numbers.

About the author

Miroslav Pitlanic is the founder of SPL Partners. He has spent 17 years in procurement and supply chain leadership across European manufacturing, with Honeywell, Eaton, Terex and Kymera, building and transforming procurement functions in the UK and the DACH region. He works in five languages and across the markets this report covers. Connect with Miroslav on LinkedIn.

About SPL Partners

SPL Partners helps manufacturers build, fix and run procurement functions that remove friction rather than add it. Instead of long transformation programmes, SPL Partners intervenes where friction matters most: accelerating the decision path, bringing procurement and suppliers in at concept stage rather than at tender, and leadership-led procurement resets. Visit spl-partners.co.uk or follow SPL Partners on LinkedIn.