Smart Business Buying Podcast

How can a procurement relationship evolve into something more?
Michael Niehoff (Fresno Unified School District) and Doug Hassett (Amazon Business) reflect on how their collaboration sparked the creation of the Amazon Future Leaders Program. What started as a practical need evolved into a program that gives students hands-on logistics experience, builds critical soft skills, and opens doors to new career paths while advancing their educational mission.

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What role do data-driven insights play in transforming procurement?
Amy Hooker from Shaw Industries Group and Rajiv Bhatnagar from Amazon Business explore how leveraging analytics reduces inefficiencies, enhances compliance, and drives strategic decision-making across organizations.
To learn more about Business Analytics, visit: https://business.amazon.com/en/solutions/spend-insights/business-analytics
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What are the hidden costs of manual reconciliation?
Kevin Permenter from IDC and Lak Palani from Amazon Business share insights from IDC research and explore how automation boosts productivity and transforms financial operations.
For the full research, visit: https://business.amazon.com/en/campaigns/idc-reconciliation-infobrief.
To learn more about solutions for fast, accurate reconciliation, visit: https://business.amazon.com/en/solutions/payment-options/simplified-reconciliation
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How can procurement drive efficiency and economic impact?

Today, Intuit takes us inside their procurement transformation story with Chief Procurement Officer Emma Chontos and Director of Procurement Kelly Mathis. From developing Swift – a simple, AI-powered entry point into procurement that routes requests, connects people to the right solutions, and helps them move with speed and clarity – to supporting small and climate-conscious suppliers, see how Intuit's $530M annual economic impact starts with purposeful purchasing decisions. Their approach shows how procurement can drive both business efficiency and broader economic value.

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How can over 100 years of history meet cutting-edge innovation?

Evergreen Goodwill of Northwest Washington is showing the way. In this episode, Libby Johnson McKee, CEO and President of Evergreen Goodwill, shares how her team is redefining the circular economy through forward-thinking logistics, local recycling partnerships, and innovative reuse strategies. Learn how Evergreen Goodwill keeps 89 million pounds of items – close to 75% of all donations – out of landfills, with proceeds fueling job training and education programs that address growing needs for digital literacy and digital equity in Washington communities.

We’ll also explore how Amazon Business helps power their operations, from tackling transportation challenges with Business Prime to supporting the new Georgetown facility's logistics hub. Libby discusses how technology, sustainability, and community impact go hand in hand, and why people remain at the heart of Goodwill’s mission: “People, Planet, Purpose.”

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