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Gartner Expert
Kaitlynn Sommers
Sr Director Analyst
Kaitlynn Sommers is a part of the team that advises application leaders on procurement and strategic sourcing applications. This includes helping define and identify technologies across the source-to-pay process and creating procurement technology strategy. She helps clients understand the market landscape, prioritize investments, evaluate vendors and determine best-fit, negotiate contracts, and deploy best practices across a variety of market segments including Source-to-Contract (S2C) (spend analysis, supplier management, e-sourcing, and contract life cycle management) and Procure-to-Pay technologies. She also assesses and advises clients on the use of emerging technologies, such as AI, RPA, and advanced analytics, across sourcing and procurement.
Ms. Sommers is also a Key Initiative Leader for Sourcing and Procurement Applications and ERP. She is responsible for planning content and working with analyst teams to deliver a comprehensive portfolio of research that addresses client questions and provides topical thought leadership.
Previous experience
Prior to joining Gartner, Ms. Sommers had more than eight years of experience in strategic sourcing, contracting, procurement, and supply base management as a practitioner in the retail industry. She held a variety of positions managing the procurement of indirect good and services. She also managed the selection, implementation and continuous improvement projects for multiple procurement and sourcing technology initiatives.
Professional background
Lowe's Companies
Operations Improvement Analyst
Kohl's Department Stores
Assistant Manager of Procurement
Areas of coverage
Procurement and Strategic Sourcing Applications
Education
B.S., Supply Chain and Information Systems, The Pennsylvania State University
Top Issues That I Help Clients Address
1Creating a sourcing and procurement technology roadmap that best aligns with business objectives
2How to create a shortlist of vendors to evaluate for source-to-contract (S2C) applications
3Comparing the various P2P suites and choosing a best-fit solution
4How emerging technologies like AI and RPA will deliver value to sourcing and procurement organizations
5Assessing whether a full source-to-pay suite or ecosystem approach is needed