most sweeping benefit may accrue to procurement professionals themselves by taking on many of the tactical , paper-based tasks traditionally associated with sourcing , contracting , purchasing and payments . Relieved of these activities , procurement professionals can refocus their talents on more strategic activities such as shoring up the supply chain , collaborating to create mutual value , and fostering an ecosystem where innovation thrives .
For businesses , where should technology end and human leadership begin ? As it turns out , here too Zappa proves prophetic . The guitar virtuoso ( and early adopter of the synthesizer ) once said : “ The computer can ’ t tell you the emotional story . It can give you the exact mathematical design , but what ’ s missing is the eyebrows .”
In other words , the human element in music and business alike is irreplaceable . Technology unleashes human creativity in both pursuits by detecting patterns instantaneously — and then leaving the orchestration to the professionals .
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