How Agentic AI is Transforming Procurement and Supply Chain
The integration of AI within procurement and supply chain processes is entering a new era.
While traditional AI technologies have long been employed to streamline routine operations, a more advanced form – agentic AI – is emerging.
This development marks a significant evolution, as systems are now capable of autonomous learning, adapting to situations and making decisions without constant human oversight.
Unlike their predecessors, these intelligent systems don't just adhere to pre-set algorithms, but evolve through every interaction, developing the ability to tackle complex scenarios and seamlessly integrate into human teams.
As leaders gather for Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE London 2025 later this month, the application of agentic AI will undoubtedly be a prominent topic.
Experts from Vodafone, Reach and Icertis will join the Agentic AI in Procurement panel, contributing valuable insights on Day 1 of the event.
For more information on attending the event, click here.
Forecasting an autonomous shift in supply chains
According to Gartner, by 2028, agentic AI will be embedded in one-third of enterprise software applications, transforming procurement efficiency.
It's anticipated that, by this time, agentic AI will autonomously make 15% of daily work decisions.
Zycus Founder and CEO Aatish Dedhia believes the future of procurement will be centred on agentic AI, heralding a new era for supply chain efficiency.
"The year 2025 marks the dawn of agentic AI, not just in procurement, but globally across industries," he continues.
Aatish envisions a reality where procurement processes that previously spanned over a month can be condensed into mere days. While generative AI focuses on content creation, agentic AI takes a more pro-active role in completing multi-step objectives autonomously.
He adds: "Agents are autonomous systems designed to accomplish multi-step goals and make decisions within procurement processes."
Leading companies implement targeted AI systems
Innovative procurement technology firms like Zycus, Coupa, Zip and Tonkean are pioneering the use of agentic AI to enhance operations.
For example, Coupa’s Navi tool leverages LLMs (Large Language Models) for specific sector tasks, making AI integration in the design-to-pay spectrum universally accessible.
Zip, another prominent player, has unveiled a suite of 50 specialised AI agents aimed at optimising procurement operations by eliminating monotonous manual tasks.
Rujul Zaparde, Co-Founder and CEO of Zip, says: "Zip is cutting through the agentic AI hype with AI agents that actually work. Actual, specialised AI agents, not general assistants, that perform their designated functions impeccably."
The deployment of these tools has the potential to achieve significant time savings across various departments, converting tedious tasks into automated processes, thereby resulting in substantial cost savings.
Practical success stories from industry leaders
During Procurement and Supply Chain LIVE London, procurement leaders will share first-hand experiences of implementing autonomous procurement agents, revealing both breakthrough successes and hard-learned lessons.
They are:
- Sarah-Jane Peden, Head of Procurement at Reach
- Mihaela Ambrozie, Head of Operations, Vodafone Procurement Company
- Martin Mohr, Vice President Alliances at Icertis
Procurement and Supply Chain LIVE London 2025
Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE is returning to the Business Design Centre in London for its annual Global Summit on 23-24 September.
This unmissable event is aimed at facilitating knowledge sharing and connections among the world's procurement and supply chain leaders.
Those attending can enjoy inspiring keynotes, engaging panels and exclusive workshops covering a diverse range of topics, including supply chain transformation, procurement technology, sustainability and ESG, AI, finance, logistics and supplier relationship management.
To secure your tickets, click here.
