AI Adoption Rises: with Caution
We can see it happening all around us; AI use is gradually becoming normalised, often with great benefits surrounding efficiency and productivity - but there are those who are still rightfully cautious.
I’ve been open about my opinion that AI is a tool; it is not a replacement for individual thought, expression, or experience. As procurement teams accelerate their adoption of digital tools, the temptation to turn to readily available, public AI platforms can be strong. These tools promise rapid analysis, supplier insights, and greater efficiency. But the ease of access does not mitigate the inherent risks. Many widely used AI applications operate with obscure data practises, ambiguous security controls, and no guarantees on how the data you give them is stored, used, or repurposed. This exposure to risk is concerning, and indeed, you would be foolish to ignore them.
However, the path forward in 2026 is not to reject AI, but to adopt it with intention and built-in guardrails attached. With proper governance integrated into your AI-use policies (or even better, into the AI platforms you are relying upon), you can access greater benefits than simple transactional work, evolving your scope to include predictive, insight-driven results. For example, contract analytics can reveal trends, surface early warning signs regarding supplier stability, and free up teams to focus more on value creation than admin.
Organisations which will benefit most from the AI boom are those which stand upon foundations which are secure and transparent. This means understanding where data flows, who controls it, and whether the AI functionality aligns with your security policies. It also means avoiding experimenting with sensitive information in unsecured platforms. This is going to become a huge part of many organisations’ AI adoption roadmap – more important than efficiency, the key will be ensuring company data remains secure during the use of these tools.
Procurement is a Stabilising Influence on the Supply Chain
Procurement’s influence on the supply chain is clear: the suppliers. And the stability of the supply chain has become a critical responsibility of the modern procurement team. It is continuously challenged by ever-evolving geopolitical situations, climate-related disruptions, and volatile markets, however. In this environment, procurement can’t afford to operate as a purely transactional function; it must wade in, and serve as the stabilising force to anticipate disruption, diversify risk, and cultivate resilience. It requires more strategic engagement with suppliers than ever before, and the fostering of a relationship where long-term transparency and true partnership prevail over short-term price wins.
A stable supply chain begins with reliable information, and procurement is uniquely positioned to gather, verify, and act on the indicators which imply continuity. This includes monitoring supplier health, understanding organisational needs and goals, and recognising early warning signs of stress or non-compliance before they become larger issues. When procurement teams can work proactively with suppliers, they gain visibility into operational realities and can involve suppliers in creating mitigation strategies which benefit both parties. Stability, therefore, is less about ensuring merely that goods arrive on time; it’s about building an eco-system where suppliers are supported, risks are identified, and the solution is visible and accountable to all involved.
Technology can be used to strengthen this role, but it requires some applied strategy to ensure the greatest chance of successful integration. A data-driven approach is best supported using digital tools and can help procurement identify vulnerabilities as well as potential alternative sourcing scenarios – but effective experience-based judgement is invaluable also. Over-relying on technology creates a crutch, while careful, considerate integration creates a powerful tool. The overarching goal is to use digital capabilities to augment procurement’s understanding of the supply landscape, whilst keeping processes firmly rooted in critical thinking and contextual awareness to foster true stability.
The Evolution of Sustainability: Why It’s Not Going Away
I’ve perceived some fluctuation in positive engagement with sustainability in recent years. Perhaps it’s a reflection of the current state of global politics; but that’s not for me to judge. I can understand some potential fatigue in this area; regulatory processes are placing pressure on organisations alongside rising operational costs in almost every sector. Sustainability feels like the ‘expendable’ overhead; a nice-to-have, rather than an integral necessity. I can understand the hesitation, but I am also noticing quite clearly that these policies enforcing sustainable practises on organisations are not temporary. In fact, much of the developed world is working towards increasing measures taken to ensure fair, sustainable operations across every business operating in their territories.
Procurement plays a key role reframing sustainability not as an external obligation but rather as an investment in compliance and operational stability – traits often nurtured by sustainable suppliers. Procurement sets the standard and enforces the policies to ensure that expectations are met. It can seem ambitious, but progress is iterative, not instantaneous.
Moving into 2026, procurement leaders will need to champion sustainability with a clear-cut sense of purpose, being able to effectively communicate how and why it must be done. Ethical and sustainable sourcing is a long-term commitment, shaped by resilience and perseverance. It doesn’t have to be quite so difficult, however. Challenging though it may be, sustainability alongside any other policy or standard can be embedded in a sourcing strategy and made simpler through digitisation and AI-enhanced tools.
Upskilling for the Future of Digital Procurement
There’s been a lot to keep up with in terms of advancements for those in the procurement field, but keep up with it we must. In order to drive businesses forward, procurement professionals should keep their skills sharp and stay ahead of the curve in key areas like data analytics and management, AI and automation, and the digital tools which provide access to it all. These skills (and tools) provide the key to navigating sustainability, managing risk, and driving business value.
As much as I believe the future is going to be shaped by these phenomena, it’s important to stress the human thread running through them all, which is imperative to effective results. There are exclusively human skills which cannot be left behind in the wake of digital advancement; relationship-building, negotiation, and problem-solving to name but a few.
Honing these skills is a matter of gaining experience in these areas, and experience is best gained in the hands-on sense. AI adoption rates will continue to rise, with organisations set to embrace large-scale applications of AI in order to increase efficiency, productivity, and stability. What’s within each of our control is how we react to this shift.