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How a 2007 challenge is finally being addressed in 2025

August 23, 2025 1:46 pm

Summary of the 2007 Procurement Insights Article and Its 4 Points

The 2007 blog post from Procurement Insights critiques the “change management myth” in e-procurement implementations, arguing that many failures stem not from resistance to change itself but from deeper systemic issues in how technology is deployed. It draws on insights from a commenter named Chris, based on over a decade of public sector experience, to outline four key reasons why automated procurement systems often fall short, leading to poor adoption and outcomes.

The four points are:

1. Lack of Technical Savvy and Cultural Understanding: Workforces often lack basic computer skills, and leadership fails to foster a cultural shift. Training focuses on “how” to use tools (e.g., click here, type this) rather than “why” it’s important, resulting in disengaged users who don’t see the value.
2. Procurement Module as an Afterthought in ERP Systems: ERP procurement modules prioritize financial tracking over comprehensive procurement needs, especially in complex environments like public sector, where policies and efficiencies aren’t adequately supported.
3. Lack of Process Mapping/Improvement Before Automation: Organizations skip mapping and optimizing existing processes, leading to a “square peg in a round hole” fit. Arbitrary deadlines force compromises, eroding buy-in and creating new inefficiencies.
4. Discrepancy Between Promises and Delivery: Vendors oversell solutions, but post-implementation support wanes, leaving organizations with unfulfilled promises and trading old problems for new ones.

These points highlight that true change requires addressing human, process, and systemic factors beyond just installing software.

Summary of the 2025 LinkedIn Post

The August 2025 LinkedIn post by Shaun Syvertsen titled “Building Rio Procurement’s First Digital Team Member” reframes “change resistance” in procurement and supply chain initiatives as valuable “rich data” rather than a barrier. Key ideas include: resistance signals that people care and have insights from lived experience; instead of pushing through it, leaders should use it as feedback to refine design, timing, and communication; validate emotions and tie changes to a clear “why” for better adoption; and real change happens through people, not just processes. Syvertsen references a discussion with change management expert Sarah L. Manley Robertson to emphasize these themes. The post directly ties to ConvergentIS’s Rio, positioning it as an AI-driven tool that embodies this people-focused approach to digital transformation.

Relation Between the 2007 Article’s 4 Points and the 2025 LinkedIn Post

The 2025 post directly relates to the 2007 article by challenging the “change management myth” through a modern, human-centered lens. The earlier piece identifies why e-procurement efforts fail—often blaming “resistance” while ignoring root causes like inadequate training, poor system fit, and unfulfilled promises—which aligns with Syvertsen’s view that resistance isn’t opposition but insightful feedback from those “closest to the work.” For instance:

• The 2007 points emphasize cultural and process gaps (e.g., points 1 and 3) that breed resistance, which the 2025 post counters by advocating for emotional validation and iterative refinement, turning potential myths into opportunities.
• Both critique top-down implementations: the 2007 article warns of false hopes in software alone, while the 2025 post stresses that “real change doesn’t happen through process alone—it happens through people,” promoting dialogue over force.
• In a 2025 context, the post updates the 2007 critique for AI-era tools, suggesting that embracing resistance as data can prevent the pitfalls of past ERP rollouts, leading to higher adoption in procurement transformations.

Overall, the 2025 post evolves the 2007 ideas, shifting from diagnosing failures to prescribing proactive, empathetic strategies—especially relevant as procurement tools like AI agents become more prevalent.

How ConvergentIS’s Rio Addresses the Four Points in 2025 And Is It Worth A Look?

As you read the following overview of RIO, I want you to keep the following three points in mind because they are crucial indications of problem-solving versus chasing shiny new solutions:

• ConvergentIS, founded in 2002 as an SAP partner, spent years building foundational ERP and mobility solutions (e.g., Fiori apps) before tackling the 2007 myths head-on with Rio.

• The company addressed 2007 issues incrementally—e.g., through case studies on streamlining OTC processes—before AI enabled a comprehensive tool like Rio, which turns resistance into iterative improvements.

• The timeline to launch RIO wasn’t due to ignorance of the problems but the time needed for technology, markets, and organizations to align for effective solutions. By 2024–2025, this convergence allowed Rio to not just mitigate but proactively resolve the 2007 critiques through AI-empowered, people-focused design.

NOW YOU ARE READY TO MEET RIO

ConvergentIS’s Rio, launched in October 2024 as an AI-powered “digital team member” for procurement, directly tackles the 2007 pain points through its design as an intuitive, SAP-integrated intake and orchestration tool. By 2025, Rio has seen updates (e.g., featured in a February 2025 ProcureTech demo) emphasizing real-time efficiency, compliance, and user-centric automation, with reported gains like 4.2x cross-system efficiency and 28% improved SLA compliance. It automates requests from email, chat, or forms, creates SAP requisitions, and embeds policies into workflows, allowing procurement teams to focus on strategy over manual tasks. Here’s how it addresses each point:

1. Lack of Technical Savvy and Cultural Understanding: Rio minimizes the need for advanced skills with a conversational chat interface and email integration, meeting users “where they work” without requiring extensive training. It implicitly teaches the “why” by delivering immediate value (e.g., auto-classifying requests and reducing errors), fostering cultural buy-in. A 2025 example highlights a “Procurement Curmudgeon” who resisted but became an advocate after Rio handled chaos efficiently, aligning with change management strategies like starting small and using early adopters to build credibility and address resistance.
2. Procurement Module as an Afterthought in ERP Systems: Unlike basic ERP modules, Rio is purpose-built for procurement, enhancing SAP with AI-driven intake, orchestration, and compliance for complex needs (e.g., public sector policies). It centralizes vendor quotes, automates approvals, and provides real-time insights, making procurement a core, efficient function rather than a financial add-on—directly countering inadequacies in traditional systems.
3. Lack of Process Mapping/Improvement Before Automation: Rio inherently improves processes by AI-triage, prioritization, and workflow embedding, avoiding force-fits. It analyzes data in seconds, eliminates manual entry, and supports iterative testing (e.g., start with one use case like invoice approvals), enabling pre-automation refinement and higher buy-in without arbitrary deadlines. This aligns with 2025 priorities for scaling with smaller teams and RPA.
4. Discrepancy Between Promises and Delivery: Rio delivers on promises with seamless SAP integration, measurable ROI (e.g., faster cycles, error reduction), and adaptive learning. Ongoing 2025 developments (e.g., utilities and mining solutions) suggest sustained support, not abandonment, helping organizations avoid trading problems—echoing ConvergentIS’s focus on real-world implementation without overwhelm.

In 2025, Rio positions procurement as agile and people-driven, aligning with CPO priorities like AI adoption and resilience, ultimately debunking the 2007 myths through practical, feedback-informed innovation.

TODAY’S TAKEAWAY

Solution providers like ConvergentIS, Focal Point, AdaptOne, ApolloRise, PhysicsX, Vultr, and Vellum aren’t being covered by most mainstream analyst firms. In the few times they, their presence is reduced to a “face-in-the-crowd” logo solution map – usually using outdated taxonomies.

As you read the above, ask yourself this one question: with 23 years under their belt, isn’t it possible that ConvergentIS (and solution providers like them) may have figured out a few things that can have an immediate impact and return for your procurement team?

In short, look at the company, overcome institutional inertia and start making the Metaprise, Agent-based, Strand Commonality models work for you!

There are no excuses not to.

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BONUS COVERAGE – WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS POLL RESULT!

Here is an excerpt of from the upcoming Procurement Insights post:The Angry Poll.

“Mainstream analyst firms like Gartner and Forrester, along with consultants, often miss or under-recognize smaller or innovative solution providers due to a combination of structural, financial, and methodological factors. The attached poll image—from a August 15, 2025, Procurement Insights blog post—illustrates this disparity vividly: while 100% of respondents recognize Capgemini/WNS (a major consulting and business process outsourcing entity), 0% have heard of innovative providers like Vultr (a cloud infrastructure platform), Vellum (an AI development platform), and PhysicsX (an AI-driven engineering simulation company). This isn’t unique to procurement or AI sectors; it’s a systemic issue across tech landscapes, where coverage skews toward established giants.”

Posted by piblogger

Categories: Commentary

Tags: AI, Artificial Intelligence, business, change management myth, change resistance, ConvergentIS, procuretech, RIO, Sarah L. Manley Robertson, Shaun Syvertsen, technology

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