The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
From Procurement Technology Specialist (L2)
2-3 years at L2Skills to master
- Independently owning specific system modules, building complex reports, and demonstrating strong problem-solving for routine issues. Starting to informally mentor junior colleagues.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently delivering assigned projects on time and with high quality.
- Proactively identifying and proposing solutions to system inefficiencies.
- Successfully training new users or junior team members on system functionalities.
- Being the 'go-to' person for a specific module or technical area.
- 2
From Business Analyst (Procurement focus)
3-5 years as a BASkills to master
- Deep understanding of procurement processes, strong requirements gathering and documentation, translating business needs into technical specifications. Gaining hands-on experience with configuration.
You're ready to move on when
- Leading requirements gathering for major procurement system enhancements.
- Demonstrating a strong understanding of how systems support procurement strategy.
- Successfully bridging the gap between business users and technical teams.
- Taking initiative to learn system configuration directly.
- 3
From IT Systems Analyst (ERP/SaaS focus)
4-6 years in ITSkills to master
- Strong technical integration skills, deep knowledge of ERP systems, troubleshooting complex data flows. Developing a solid understanding of procurement-specific business processes.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully managing integrations between enterprise systems.
- Proactively identifying and resolving complex technical issues.
- Showing a keen interest in the business impact of the systems you support.
- Actively learning procurement domain knowledge.