Going back to 1983, the purchasing/procurement department had virtually no say in what technology platform their company implemented. For the most part, we were an afterthought that would have to wait in a long line of competing departments before being told the equivalent of “you’ll get nothing and like it!”
Looking back, is it any wonder why we embraced and continue to embrace spreadsheets?
In an upcoming Purchasing & Global Supply Chain Professionals Group Poll, I will ask about the degree of the procurement department’s involvement and influence in the ProcureTech selection and implementation process. I will share the link with you here when it is available.
The reality is that, given the continuing challenges with successful ProcureTech implementations, it just hit me that the former statement sounds like a broken record – which it is, the response to the above will determine the trajectory of ProcureTech development and implementation success for the next decade.
“ProcureTech AI platforms are not “secret recipes.” They are “well-crafted kitchens” using known ingredients, with some unique recipes for procurement-specific needs.The true differentiators are data, domain tuning, UX simplicity, and workflow orchestration, not secret proprietary AI algorithms.”Procurement Insights (April 28, 2025)
Data, Domain, UX, Workflow
When it comes to developing and implementing procurement technology, procurement practitioners should not only have a voice that is heard but should also ” own and lead” the initiative.
When it comes to the data, domain, UX, and workflow, this is usually how many ProcureTech implementations are rolled out (technology-led Equation-based):
Step
Current Practice
Problem It Causes
1️⃣
UX Simplicity (First)
Pretty interface but poor adoption; real users can’t complete their work because the data is wrong or workflows don’t reflect reality.
2️⃣
Workflow Orchestration
Automated chaos — workflows built on bad logic or incomplete data.
3️⃣
Data Cleanup (too late)
Realize the system doesn’t work due to dirty, duplicated, or missing supplier and contract data.
4️⃣
Domain Tuning (as an afterthought)
Teams try to “patch” logic late — leading to costly rework and frustrated users.
And this is how it should be rolled out (human-led Agent-based):
Step
Element
Why It Comes First
1️⃣
Data
Garbage in = garbage out. Without clean, structured supplier and spend data, everything else (AI, workflows, automation) breaks.
2️⃣
Domain Tuning
You must align the system to real-world procurement logic before building workflows or UI flows. This ensures relevance and adoption.
3️⃣
Workflow Orchestration
Once the data and domain logic are solid, map out and automate procurement workflows (e.g., onboarding, risk reviews, sourcing events).
4️⃣
UX Simplicity
Refine and streamline the user experience last — after you know what the workflows are and how users interact with them. UX is the polish, not the foundation.
NOTE: Personally, I would start with Domain Tuning, then Data, Workflow Orchestration, and UX simplicity. After all, without Domain Tuning, how do you know what data sources you need to use? Here is a brief video of a real-world Agent-based rollout case study: Problem-Solving, Agent-Based Modelling, and What A ProcureTech Demo Should Do.
In my next post, I will zero in on which of the following three departments currently assumes the lead role for each of these four critical areas that determine ProcureTech selection and implementation success.
Procurement Insights
How Strong Is Procurements Voice And Influence Within The Global Enterprise?
Posted on April 29, 2025
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Going back to 1983, the purchasing/procurement department had virtually no say in what technology platform their company implemented. For the most part, we were an afterthought that would have to wait in a long line of competing departments before being told the equivalent of “you’ll get nothing and like it!”
Looking back, is it any wonder why we embraced and continue to embrace spreadsheets?
In an upcoming Purchasing & Global Supply Chain Professionals Group Poll, I will ask about the degree of the procurement department’s involvement and influence in the ProcureTech selection and implementation process. I will share the link with you here when it is available.
The reality is that, given the continuing challenges with successful ProcureTech implementations, it just hit me that the former statement sounds like a broken record – which it is, the response to the above will determine the trajectory of ProcureTech development and implementation success for the next decade.
“ProcureTech AI platforms are not “secret recipes.” They are “well-crafted kitchens” using known ingredients, with some unique recipes for procurement-specific needs. The true differentiators are data, domain tuning, UX simplicity, and workflow orchestration, not secret proprietary AI algorithms.” Procurement Insights (April 28, 2025)
Data, Domain, UX, Workflow
When it comes to developing and implementing procurement technology, procurement practitioners should not only have a voice that is heard but should also ” own and lead” the initiative.
When it comes to the data, domain, UX, and workflow, this is usually how many ProcureTech implementations are rolled out (technology-led Equation-based):
And this is how it should be rolled out (human-led Agent-based):
NOTE: Personally, I would start with Domain Tuning, then Data, Workflow Orchestration, and UX simplicity. After all, without Domain Tuning, how do you know what data sources you need to use? Here is a brief video of a real-world Agent-based rollout case study: Problem-Solving, Agent-Based Modelling, and What A ProcureTech Demo Should Do.
In my next post, I will zero in on which of the following three departments currently assumes the lead role for each of these four critical areas that determine ProcureTech selection and implementation success.
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