AI IN PROCUREMENT
Last year saw plenty of AI hype, with promises it would revolutionise procurement’. By the end of the year, many procurement leaders were likely tired of hearing about AI transformation. The pressure to experiment is everywhere, but practical guidance on what actually works remains frustratingly vague.
Ironclad’ s 2025 State of AI in Procurement report, surveying more than 800 procurement professionals, provided a rare dose of clarity. It identified contracting as the domain where AI has demonstrably escaped the pilot trap, achieving 80 % adoption and average impact ratings of 8.3 out of 10.
At the latest instalment of DPW Amsterdam, three industry leaders offered their perspectives: Baber Farooq, Senior Vice President of Product Marketing at SAP Ariba & SAP Fieldglass; Spencer Penn, CEO of LightSource; and Pierre Laprée, Chief Product Officer at SpendHQ.
Together, their insights and Ironclad’ s data reveal a consistent pattern: AI succeeds where data is ready and implementation is deliberate – not where it is sprinkled on as a bolt-on feature.
Why contracting works The 80 % adoption rate matters less for the number itself than for what it represents about readiness and reliability. Gartner identified contract lifecycle management as the most mature and reliable AI application for procurement and the research confirms this pattern holds across industries.
104 January 2026