Procurement teams seek to streamline sourcing and broader procurement to boost efficiency and value capture in the face of the various challenges such as macroeconomic uncertainties, supply chain volatilities, and geopolitical shocks that enterprises face today. Agentic AI, a configurable layer of autonomous agents, now makes it possible to generate content, derive insights, collaborate with humans-in-the-loop, invoke tools and APIs, and execute decisions end-to-end. Applied across S2P, agentic AI can triage intake, identify and qualify suppliers, assemble events and documentation, administer and monitor events, analyze proposals, support negotiation and awards, resolve PO/invoice exceptions with autonomous three-way match and fraud checks, enable guided tail-spend buying, and continuously sense third-party, ESG, and compliance risks. In this report, we examine agentic AI applications built for procurement and present detailed provider profiles, analyzing capabilities across procurement activities. The report is designed for procurement teams seeking to optimize sourcing and procurement through agentic AI by clarifying where to start and which solutions best fit their operating context.

Procurement leaders today face multifaceted challenges marked by macroeconomic uncertainties, geopolitical turmoil, evolving regulations, cost pressures, and supply chain volatility. Amid these challenges, they are expected to optimize savings, manage supplier risks, ensure compliance, and meet sustainability goals – all while constrained by fragmented, reactive legacy systems. These legacy procurement systems fall short, often leading to reactive decisions, poor visibility, compliance lapses, and operational inefficiencies. This Viewpoint introduces Systems of Execution (SoE) as the next evolution for procurement: an intelligent, autonomous decision-execution framework orchestrating AI agents and operating seamlessly across the Source-to-Pay (S2P) value chain. By overlaying and embedding SoE capabilities into existing systems, procurement organizations can shift from static, reactive processes to dynamic, proactive workflows, enabling an intelligent, autonomous, agile, and execution-oriented procurement ecosystem. Scope All industries and geographies Contents In this report, we explore: SoE-led procurement transformation Functional transformation across the S2P value chain An implementation roadmap for procurement Strategic considerations for chief procurement officers

Enterprises are striving to streamline their sourcing processes to enhance efficiencies and optimize value, and integrating AI-driven automation can significantly aid these efforts. Autonomous gen AI-powered sourcing tools have made it possible to improve sourcing activities through their capabilities to create content, generate insights, and enhance stakeholder relationships. Enterprises are increasingly interested in fully automating sourcing processes using these tools, which can automate supplier identification and qualification, sourcing event preparation, event administration, supplier evaluation, negotiation, and selection. The market offers many solutions, including best-of-breed tools and comprehensive source-to-pay and source-to-contract suite providers. These solutions offer varying levels of customizability and configurability and, thus, capabilities and functionality. However, enterprises often face challenges in navigating this vast landscape to select, implement, and optimize these solutions effectively. In this report, we examine autonomous sourcing technology solutions and share detailed provider profiles, analyzing their capabilities and solutions across sourcing activities. The report is vital for stakeholders seeking to optimize their sourcing activities through AI and gen AI, including new buyers / parent organizations exploring sourcing activities’ digitalization, autonomous sourcing technology providers, service providers, and industry influencers, such as investors and industry bodies. Scope All industries and geographies This research leverages our interactions with 12 leading autonomous sourcing technology providers worldwide Contents In this report, we examine: Adoption drivers for AI-driven sourcing tools Autonomous and AI-driven sourcing overview and technology provider landscape, as well as provider profiles Best-in-class capabilities across sourcing activities Membership(s) Procurement and Supply Chain Sourcing and Vendor Management

This report is available only to Outsourcing Excellence members. For information on membership, please contact us In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, sourcing organizations are streamlining their processes and maximizing their efficiency. They recognize the potential of digital technologies to revolutionize traditional sourcing practices, so many have adopted e-sourcing tools as a foundational step toward digital transformation. As technology advances, next-generation tools such as autonomous sourcing tools are gaining prominence. These tools fuse automation and AI, leveraging cutting-edge technology to drive productivity and accuracy across the sourcing workflow. In this report, we explore the intricate landscape of autonomous sourcing tools, detailing their functionalities and capabilities. From initial supplier identification to contract negotiation and beyond, these tools are poised to revolutionize every stage of the sourcing process. Scope All industries and geographies Contents In this report, we: Explore the autonomous sourcing technology landscape Share insights on the current state of automation adoption in sourcing technologies Discuss the best-in-class features and functions to seek in an autonomous sourcing tool

This report is available only to Outsourcing Excellence members. For information on membership, please contact us In today’s business landscape, sustained growth relies heavily on the implementation of streamlined and efficient procurement processes. To remain competitive, procurement must embrace cutting-edge technologies, such as generative AI, to drive innovation and operational excellence. Generative AI’s transformative impact extends beyond merely optimizing procurement processes. Its ability to mitigate risks, enhance decision-making, and transform organizational operations positions it as a vital tool for fostering resilience, achieving cost savings, and gaining a strategic advantage. In this report, we discuss AI’s role in procurement, the driving forces behind the demand for generative AI in procurement, potential generative AI use cases, and the associated risks and challenges. Scope All industries and geographies Contents In this report, we: Distinguish between traditional AI and generative AI’s role in procurement List key drivers behind generative AI’s demand in procurement Present existing and potential use cases of generative AI in procurement Address the risks and challenges associated with generative AI adoption

Enterprises prioritize developing strong supplier relationships to maintain business continuity, drive innovation, and capture value. The adoption of digital technologies can potentially improve the efficiency of supplier management activities. However, digital adoption varies significantly across activities within supplier lifecycle management. There is a growing interest among enterprises in leveraging technology for Supplier Relationship Management (SRM), which encompasses various activities such as supplier segmentation, supplier governance, supplier performance management, supplier collaboration, supplier-driven innovation, and supplier conflict management. Best-in-class SRM tools focus on enabling optimized workflows, comprehensive performance management, seamless collaboration and communication, and targeted relationship management by leveraging data. The market offers an increasing number of solutions, including best-of-breed tools and S2P and S2C suite providers, each with varying depth and breadth of functionality across SRM activities. These solutions provide different levels of customizability and configurability, influencing their capability and functionality. Enterprises typically face challenges in selecting, adopting, implementing, and utilizing such SRM solutions. In this report, we study SRM technology solutions and analyze technology provider capabilities and solution characteristics across SRM activities, along with sharing individual provide profiles. The report will be relevant for stakeholders interested in driving agile and resilient supplier relationships using digital tools to achieve diverse objectives. This includes new buyers / parent organizations exploring the digitalization of SRM activities, SRM technology providers, service providers, and industry influencers such as investors and industry bodies. Scope All industries and geographies This research leverages our interactions with 11+ leading SRM technology providers worldwide Contents In this report, we examine: Digital adoption trends across supplier lifecycle management activities Best-in-class capabilities across SRM activities SRM technology provider landscape and provider profiles Membership(s) Procurement and Supply Chain Sourcing and Vendor Management

This report is available only to Outsourcing Excellence members. For information on membership, please contact us Organizations prioritize efficient supplier management to ensure business continuity, consistency, and quality. Various stakeholders play vital roles in supplier life cycle activities such as onboarding, risk management, performance management, governance, and collaboration. Traditionally, organizations relied on manual processes and spreadsheets for supplier management. However, with advancing technologies, many organizations now create roadmaps for best-of-breed and purpose-built solutions to manage suppliers. Adoption of these tools/solutions varies across supplier management activities, depending on factors such as complexity, ease of transition, integration ability, and stakeholder accessibility. In this report, we assess technology adoption in supplier management across organizations, while understanding organizational transformation through digital adoption and the challenges encountered in this journey. The report establishes a framework for the supplier management technology solutions space, details how these solutions enable organizational transformation throughout the supplier life cycle, and identifies factors that help achieve desired outcomes with technology adoption. Scope All industries and geographies Contents In this report, we: Examine the supplier life cycle management technology landscape Discuss supplier management tools/technology adoption trends Study challenges and success factors in adopting supplier management tools