Reimagining procurement as a strategic growth lever

This is the first blog in a series exploring Beroe’s latest report from its Future Visions series, “Artificial Intelligence: Real Decisions”. Subsequent blogs will highlight the themes and topics from the report, which aim to demystify AI in the context of procurement, and draw on Beroe’s innovation roadmap and real-world experience to provide a practical framework for modernizing procurement – one decision at a time. 

Reimagining procurement as a strategic growth lever 

Procurement has to do more than ever before. Against a backdrop of rising global economic unpredictability and volatility, procurement decision-making must mitigate risk, ensure continuity, drive sustainability, support innovation and, of course, manage cost. This puts the work of today’s modern procurement teams firmly at the intersection of supply, finance, operations, and strategy. And yet, in many organizations, the function is still running on disjointed systems, outdated processes, and reactive cycles. 

The gap between what’s expected of procurement and what’s possible with current tools is widening. Bridging that gap requires a shift not just in technology, but in how decisions are made, informed, and acted upon across the procurement lifecycle. 

Procurement’s persistent challenges 

Despite years of digital transformation efforts, several core challenges remain: 

• Fragmented and incomplete data 

Procurement teams often operate across multiple platforms, legacy systems, and scattered data sources. This makes it difficult to access the right information at the right time, to perform tasks such as assessing supplier performance, managing risk, or negotiating terms. 

• Slow and siloed decision cycles 

Static reports, disconnected workflows, and manual interventions slow down critical decisions. In today’s environment, the ability to respond quickly is a competitive advantage that many procurement teams simply don’t have.  

•  Information overload without actionable insight 

Procurement teams do not lack access to data. But without intelligent filtering, contextualization, and interpretation, procurement professionals are left with noise. Static dashboards show what has happened, not what decision to make next. 

• Capability gaps and talent pressure 

The procurement skillset is evolving rapidly. Success now depends on analytical prowess, digital fluency and cross-functional influence. Yet many teams remain overburdened with low-value tasks that AI could already be handling. 

• Need for broader business impact 

Procurement is no longer measured by cost savings alone. Stakeholders expect contributions to ESG targets, supply chain resilience, and even top-line growth. Delivering on these expectations requires better tools, better intelligence and faster decisions. 

 The shift toward intelligent procurement decision-making 

 What’s needed is not just another system, but a smarter foundation for decision-making. Intelligent procurement decision-making is a process that complements human expertise with the speed, precision and foresight of AI. 

 ‘AI’ in and of itself is not the magic fix. There are so many genres of AI, that simply saying ‘deploy AI’ has become meaningless, confusing, and unhelpful. 

Instead, it is how AI is applied that matters. When applied purposefully, it can transform how procurement operates; from automating data gathering and enriching supplier discovery, to predicting risk and enabling real-time negotiation strategies. This isn’t about replacing professionals; it’s equipping them to make more informed, more confident decisions, faster. 

 Our new “Artificial Intelligence: Real Decisions” report explores how leading procurement teams are using AI today to strengthen decision-making across key domains spanning insight generation and risk forecasting to supplier engagement and strategic sourcing.  

 To read the full report please visit: [Download the full report here]