How To Put Together The Blank White Puzzle Pieces Of Procurement Success

Option #1 – Have you ever tried to assemble a puzzle picture in which all the different-shaped pieces are white? That’s right, there is no picture to guide you and align you to a predetermined outcome image. How do you put the pieces together so that once the puzzle is complete, you can put “your own” picture on it?

Option #2 – Conversely, have you ever put together a puzzle in which there is a picture on the box to guide you? Of course, you have to go through countless boxes of puzzles, examining each image to see which one you might like. But remember, you are putting together someone else’s picture from an innumerable sea of images and not “your own.”

What does this have to do with procurement, and more specifically, Procuretech selection and implementation success?

“The fewer visual shortcuts we have, the more seriously we take the strategy.”

The white puzzle becomes a mental game—not just a leisure activity—pulling people deeper into flow, commitment, and finish-line focus.

1. The Challenge Is Obvious and Intrinsic

• All-white puzzles are instantly perceived as difficult.
• People mentally commit up front, often as a personal or group challenge.
• There’s a built-in sense of achievement, curiosity, and pride if they finish.

Result: Higher motivation and psychological “buy-in” from the start.

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2. Process > Outcome Thinking

• With image puzzles, people often want to “see the picture” and may become frustrated if progress is slow.
• White puzzles flip the psychology: people know there’s no image to guide them, so the focus shifts to pattern, shape, and edge logic.

Result: More persistent, analytical mindset—people take it more seriously.

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3. Lower False Expectations = Lower Frustration

• Image-based puzzles come with expectation bias: “This looks easy.”
• When progress doesn’t match expectations (e.g., sky or forest pieces), motivation collapses.
• White puzzles remove visual expectations completely.

Result: People pace themselves more realistically, leading to higher follow-through.

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4. Social Novelty and Commitment

• White puzzles are often done as a group activity or challenge.
• This creates peer support, laughter, and shared determination to finish.
• People are more likely to say, “We started this, let’s finish it.”

Result: Group accountability increases completion likelihood.

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5. Cognitive Flow and Meditative Focus

• All-white puzzles activate spatial reasoning and non-visual pattern matching, which can produce flow-like focus.
• Without color cues, the mind becomes immersed in trial-and-error logic, like solving a riddle.

Result: Fewer distractions, deeper mental engagement.

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Summary Comparison

Factor	Image Puzzle	All-White Puzzle
Motivation Level	Often casual, drops with difficulty	High from the outset (challenge mindset)
Frustration Risk	Often, casual, drops with difficulty	Low—no expectations to violate
Completion Rate	~30–40% (for large puzzles)	Often higher in these settings (~50–60%)
Type of Engagement	Visual and narrative	Spatial, logic-driven
Social Dynamic	Often, a team challenge or gift	High if a picture doesn’t guide clearly

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Final Thought

“The fewer visual shortcuts we have, the more seriously we take the strategy.”

The white puzzle becomes a mental game—not just a leisure activity—pulling people deeper into flow, commitment, and finish-line focus.

TODAY’S TAKEAWAY

Regarding ProcureTech solution development, implementation, and ultimate success, start with “your own” picture and don’t default to someone else’s.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE (AND WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND)

1. Semantics in AI:
   • Definition: Semantics involves the study of meaning in language and data, focusing on context, relationships, and intent rather than just syntax.
   • Key Components:
     • Knowledge Graphs: Represent data as interconnected nodes (entities) and edges (relationships), enabling machines to understand context (e.g., linking “sales” to “region” and “product”).
     • Contextual Awareness: Interprets nuances like sentiment, ambiguity, and domain-specific terminology (e.g., distinguishing “apple” the fruit from “Apple” the company).
     • Natural Language Processing (NLP): Enables systems to parse and generate human-like text, understanding queries like, “Show me Q3 sales trends in the Midwest.”

Here is the link to register (it’s free). Don’t miss the chance to attend; I’m not: Semantic Layer Summit 2025

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BONUS RESOURCES

Here are some of the first times I wrote about semantics in the supply chain:

Supply Chain Confidence? (A PI Q and A) – February 8, 2008 (NOTE: I didn’t go into depth regarding the link between semantics and supply chain because in 2008 it wasn’t exactly in the mainstream thinking)

The Web 2.0 Association: A Dynamic Engagement Between Stakeholders Sharing The Same Interests And Goals (Canadian Public Procurement Council Profile) – August 20, 2008 (NOTE: In this follow-up post I delve deeper into the semantic-supply chain relationship, focusing on its progression from Web 2.0, through Web 3.0, and its ultimate evolution into Web 4.0)