THE PROCUREMENT INTERVIEW
Keeping humans in the loop The phrase“ human in the loop” has become ubiquitous in AI discussions for good reason.
In procurement specifically, maintaining human expertise and oversight isn’ t just ethically important, but strategically essential.
Tricia’ s position on this is unequivocal:“ I think human in the loop in procurement is a critical piece of the capability.”
Rather than replacing procurement professionals, AI creates opportunities to elevate their roles by handling tactical work and freeing capacity for higher-value strategic activities.
“ Elevating the procurement team by taking away some of the tactical work so that the procurement team is able to focus on the work that matters most is a real opportunity for organisations,” Tricia contends.
Research from Coupa’ s Clarity report reinforces this preference, with 65 % of respondents favouring AI-assisted models with human oversight. This approach allows procurement professionals to leverage AI efficiency while applying their expertise to interpreting results, engaging with business stakeholders and driving strategic initiatives.
The transition requires thoughtful change management. Tricia emphasises the importance of“ bringing procurement along on this journey, demonstrating how the team will play a role after AI drives efficiency and going one step further by fundamentally showing them how they’ ll support the upskilling that might be needed so that they can focus on that work that matters most”.
30 March 2026