THE PROCUREMENT INTERVIEW
“ I think the human in the loop in procurement is a critical piece of the capability”
Tricia Miller, SVP Product Marketing and Chief Evangelist, Coupa
Focusing on specific agents that can deliver concrete outcomes allows teams to build confidence and demonstrate value before scaling up investments.
Using AI to support decisions rather than replace them represents another key principle. An agent that summarises RFI responses, for example, can quickly assess all submissions against defined criteria, enabling procurement professionals to demonstrate how they have identified the supplier that will drive most value. Finally, organisations must build what Tricia calls a“ sandbox culture” that recognises change as constant rather than episodic.
“ It is the day of change being a point in time,” she notes.“ Our past change is going to be constant.” Supporting this culture requires the right skills mix, as Tricia concludes:“ We have to have our operators within the function. We have to have AI within function and then we have to have the people within the function partnering with IT who understand where the tech is and where it’ s going, and how those technology enhancements can be leveraged within that organisation to make it better.”
32 March 2026