THE PROCUREMENT INTERVIEW
“ We have a strategy being set by potential leaders who don’ t fully understand the art of the possible”
Tricia Miller, SVP Product Marketing and Chief Evangelist, Coupa
Matching AI investment to maturity levels One of the most common pitfalls in AI adoption stems from a mismatch between technological investment and organisational maturity.
Procurement functions exist at vastly different stages of development and successful AI implementation requires honest assessment of where an organisation currently stands.
“ We as procurement leaders have to be very thoughtful about where we are on that maturity journey and then make the right bets based on that,” Tricia emphasises.
For organisations at stage one of the maturity journey – characterised by tactical and operational activities – the priority should not be sophisticated category strategy creation. Instead, these organisations benefit most from AI applications in ordering, invoice processing, intake and orchestration. As organisations progress up the maturity curve and develop a sourcing focus, AI applications shift accordingly.
Strategic sourcing agents that increase efficiency or tools that streamline tactical sourcing activities become more relevant.
“ Recognising where your inefficiency is, as a function, and recognising which traditional AI,( like) intelligent predictive AI, or agents, can help you address the gaps that you have, will ensure that you’ re getting the most value and bang for the buck sooner rather than later,” Tricia continues.
Overcoming barriers to AI success Even with appropriate strategic focus and maturity alignment, organisations face significant barriers to realising AI’ s full potential.
26 March 2026