Pay10 Global: How is AI Transforming Procurement Operations?
Procurement has moved from "push POs and chase approvals" to a core lever for resilience and growth. The catalyst: AI that cuts manual work, reads signals in real time, and gives teams the space to make better decisions faster.
Supply shocks over the last year pushed operations leaders to speed up their response. The ones who embedded AI into their workflows didn't just keep up-they reduced friction, found savings, and gained visibility where it mattered.
Procurement shifts: from tactical to strategic
Procurement teams are now managing 50% more spend than five years ago. That load won't be solved with headcount alone. AI agents and automation can make core processes 25-40% more efficient, freeing your team to focus on supplier strategy, risk, and value creation.
As one industry leader put it, procurement is evolving from a transactional role to a strategic driver of value-moving beyond savings to resilience, innovation, and long-term growth. Early adopters are already seeing measurable gains. Those waiting on the sidelines risk falling behind.
But here's the caveat: AI only works if you implement it with intention. Not every tool fits every function. Poor integration leads to wasted licenses, shadow workflows, and noisy dashboards your team doesn't use.
What operations leaders can automate now
- Intake and triage: auto-route PRs, tickets, and supplier inquiries to the right owner with SLA tracking.
- Contract analytics: extract clauses, flag risks, and surface renewal dates without manual review.
- Spend analytics: normalize suppliers, spot anomalies, and forecast savings opportunities.
- Demand forecasting: blend sales, inventory, and external signals to adjust buys in near real time.
- Supplier risk: monitor financial health, delivery performance, and ESG signals with alerts.
- P2P exceptions: auto-resolve 3-way match issues, coding errors, and compliance checks.
- Catalog and content: standardize SKUs, clean data, and enrich attributes at scale.
- RFx acceleration: draft scopes, create scorecards, and summarize responses for faster decisions.
Implement AI the right way
- Map the process before the pilot. Pick high-friction steps and define the outcome you want.
- Set guardrails: data sources, permissioning, human review points, and audit trails.
- Start small with a clear owner. Aim for a 90-day pilot and a simple ROI model (hours saved, cycle time, error rate).
- Integrate with your ERP/S2P via APIs instead of swivel-chair exports.
- Keep a human-in-the-loop for approvals, supplier comms, and exceptions.
- Measure what matters: PR-to-PO cycle time, on-time delivery, touchless rate, and realized savings.
- Train the team. New tools fail when process and habits stay old.
- Review security and compliance early-before data leaves your environment.
If your team needs a practical ramp on AI skills for procurement and operations, explore focused programs here: AI courses by job.
Pay10 Global's perspective
Pay10 Global supports companies with market expansion, IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, compliance, and marketing-built on speed, scalability, and security. That foundation makes AI adoption in procurement practical, not theoretical.
Bogdan Asproiu, Global Head of Procurement at Pay10, has led end-to-end strategies and major transformations across retail, FMCG, telecom, fintech, and consulting. His focus: automation and data-led sourcing that compounds over time.
As he puts it: "Procurement is no longer just about cost control, it's becoming a strategic driver & business enabler powered by AI." He has integrated AI, machine learning, IoT, and blockchain across procurement and supply chain systems, and has seen firsthand how targeted automation reduces risk and accelerates outcomes.
Join the AI in Procurement panel
Hear real examples-demand forecasting, spend analytics, and risk reduction-at Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE: The Middle East Summit. Leaders will share what's working now and how to avoid common traps.
Dates: 3-4 February 2026
Format: Virtual
Location: Online
Quick checklist for your next quarter
- Pick two workflows to automate (one upstream, one downstream).
- Clean supplier and spend data-noisy data kills ROI.
- Enable SSO and role-based access before you scale pilots.
- Set baseline metrics and agree on success thresholds with finance.
- Run enablement sessions and publish new playbooks for the team.
If you're building internal capability, this catalog can help you pick targeted resources fast: Latest AI courses.
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