From Portfolios to Levers: The Evolution of Category Management

The strategic significance of procurement is widely acknowledged in the literature. Many scholars advocate for category management, the subject of this study, as a fundamental method for firms to capitalise on diversified procurement strategies. Nonetheless, there is a discernible disparity between the theoretical underpinnings of category management and its practical implementation in professional settings. Thus, this paper conducts a literature review of the principal components of category strategy, and, subsequently, draws on expert interviews to understand how seasoned professionals establish category strategy. The findings indicate that the Kraljic matrix is widely present, while advanced firms started systematically interpreting levers theory.