AI Making procurement systems more conversational Chatbots are also helping to simplify tasks by taking them on, such as supplier onboarding, which is often hampered by complex interfaces that require extensive training and regular system updates. AI agents address these challenges by providing a consistent interaction model regardless of underlying system complexity.
“ Why spend the time educating yourself on the structures of applications and where to focus your attention in the application to get something done?” asks Suzanne.“ When you can understand the intent of the user and we understand how to map that to the applications and what their data allows and what processes they allow for, then you don’ t have to understand the whole interface.
“ It’ s beneficial from a time and efficiency standpoint, continuously staying up to date in the environments and you not having to go and relearn complex ERP systems.”
Often procurement processes have users interacting with multiple systems throughout a single process. Traditional approaches required users to develop expertise across various platforms, creating bottlenecks and limiting system access to trained specialists.
Simen’ s experience at BT Sourced illustrates the practical impact:“ If someone finds that‘ this is just too much hassle’ and they just ping someone they know from procurement on Teams and then that works, they’ re happy and they don’ t
192 September 2025