CPO Strategy

AI has huge potential to transform procurement. Generative AI can automate routine processes, analyse large volumes of information and support decision-making, while agentic AI will take on tasks and interact with other business systems. But as procurement teams adopt AI, there is a capability issue that has to be addressed.

Amey in partnership with the MOD’s National Armaments Materiel (NAM) are investing £26 million in new equipment for UK Defence, in a move that will strengthen military readiness and support the resilience of the UK’s industrial supply chain. The investment will deliver 96 Medium Wheeled Tractors and 61 excavators to modernise part of the MOD’s operational fleet.

For a while it was savings. Then it was sustainability and resilience. Right now, in almost every conversation I have with procurement leaders, it’s agentic AI. I saw this vividly at a procurement leaders’ dinner I recently hosted in London, and in many conversations I’ve had with CPOs and procurement directors across rail, insurance, manufacturing, media, travel services and technology. The intent was to talk broadly about the year ahead.

ORO Labs, the leading agentic orchestration platform for enterprise procurement, today announced it has entered into an agreement with SAP for its procurement orchestration solution to be sold as a solution extension under the name SAP Ariba Procurement Orchestration by ORO Labs. The offering will give SAP customers a purpose-built orchestration layer that connects procurement experiences, workflows and systems across complex enterprise environments.

On the 8th-10th February 2027, Manifest Vegas will bring together thousands of supply chain experts and leaders for its yearly event. Held at The Venetian in Las Vegas, Manifest – an event which shines a spotlight on the future of supply chain and logistics – will bring together the leaders shaping global supply chains, the companies building new solutions, and the investors backing what’s next for three days of unmatched networking, industry insights and relationship building.

Beroe has changed how procurement prepares for the negotiations that matter most. Instead of building the strategy from scratch, you start with a game plan. According to The Hackett Group, buyers are adequately prepared for negotiations only about 70% of the time, and in around 75% of the cases where they aren’t, the reason is lack of preparation time.

David Kramer, North America Program Manager at SE Advisory Services, discusses how his organisation helps clients overcome infrastructure constraints, reduce execution risk, and unlock business growth, including through its partnership with Givaudan In today’s complex and increasingly constrained landscape, one of the biggest challenges is not simply the ability to grow but the execution of growth in a constrained environment.

Manuel Meister, Managing Director, and Jürg Hodel, Principal Director at Accenture Switzerland, explain how the organisation’s 3600 partnership with SBB has helped enhance its procurement transformation journey… Over the last five years the role of CPO has changed significantly, moving from a focus on price, to adding organisational value. For Jürg Hodel, SC&O Expert and Project Lead WCM (World Class Manufacturing), Principal Director, Accenture Switzerland, two issues have driven this change.

We recently had the pleasure of attending the Agentic AI in Procurement conference in London, where we experienced a day of interaction, brainstorming, live demos and strategic planning with some of the professions most innovative thinkers. This year’s Agentic AI in Procurement conference built on organiser KonnectHouse’s inaugural event in London last year.

Procurement is having something of a moment. For years, the function has fought against a familiar perception: that its primary purpose is to negotiate prices, manage suppliers, enforce processes and deliver savings. Whilst that role remains important, particularly at a time when businesses continue to face intense pressure on costs, the expectations placed on procurement leaders in 2026 are considerably broader.