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AI: removing jobs or enabling change?

How is AI technology transforming the profession?

Some say that by 2028, entry-level roles will be obsolete. Others believe these roles will fundamentally evolve. As AI blurs the line between code and reality, can human connection survive in procurement and supply? How will the profession respond?

Technology is going to transform the profession and rewrite the rules

The procurement and supply landscape is shifting beneath our feet. To help you navigate this revolution, we’ve looked beyond the jargon to capture the perspectives of the people from around the world who are actually living the transformation.

This is a thought piece; a collection of diverse voices from across industries and the globe, exploring the most pressing question right now: What happens to our jobs when the machines take over?

We interviewed nine people in different jobs, from thought leaders to heads of procurement to practitioners. We've carefully distilled them into authentic, relatable reflections that get straight to the point so that you can see exactly how the profession is evolving.

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Meet the practitioners

  • Headshot of Joseph A. Yacura
    The Expert: Joseph A. Yacura

    Joseph A. Yacura: The Founder of the International Association for Data Quality, Governance and Analytics, has MBA, MS and MQM qualifications and also the Senior Advisor to MIT’s Chief Data Officer Quality Information Program.   

    “If generative agents are adopted, we could have a supply chain function operating in a ‘lights out’ way by 2028” 
    READ FULL ARTICLE
  • Headshot of Sarah Simpson
    The Brand Champion: Sarah Simpson

    Sarah Simpson: The Senior Manager for Ethical Sourcing and Sustainable Procurement at Bega Group, an Australian food and drinks manufacturer. 

    “There are still going to be entry-level jobs. They’ll just be different jobs that demand different skills” 
    READ FULL ARTICLE
  • Headshot of Belinda West
    The Non-Trade Specialist: Belinda West MCIPS

    Belinda West (MCIPS): The Head of Non-Trade Procurement for Woolworths, a leading South African retailer in the food, fashion, homeware and beauty markets. 

    “As AI hits puberty, maybe I'll start relying on it” 
    READ THE ARTICLE
  • Headshot of Liam Osborn
    The Public Sector Voice: Liam Osborn

    Liam Osborn: A Senior Commercial Manager for the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC). He heads up the Digital, Data and Technology Commercial Delivery and Performance team within the Department and comes from a public sector procurement background. 

    “It isn’t AI that’s the risk, so much as how we use it” 
    READ FULL ARTICLE
  • Headshot of Georgia Hennessey
    The Procurement Manager: Georgia Hennessey

    Georgia Hennessey: A Category Procurement Manager for Arm Limited. The company provides a cutting-edge computing platform that is used by companies such as AWS, Microsoft, Google, Meta, NVIDIA and Samsung to deliver on the promise of AI.  

    “Human connection can’t be replaced”  
    READ FULL ARTICLE
  • Headshot of Imran Shareef
    The Industry Influencer: Imran Shareef FCIPS

    Imran Shareef FCIPS: The Regional Head of Procurement for Motorola Solutions in Europe, having previously been their Head of Procurement for the Middle East, Central Asia and Asia Pacific.   

    “AI is already changing the conversation at the leadership table” 

    READ FULL ARTICLE
  • Headshot of Oliver Norman
    The Tail Spend Guru: Oliver Norman

    Oliver Norman: The Chief Revenue Officer for Nomia, a company that specialises in finding value in tail spend using an AI-powered cloud-based software procurement platform.   

    “What AI is going to do for the procurement industry is elevate people into positions where they can do the jobs that technology can’t” 
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  • Headshot of Wame Sedirwa
    The Practitioner: Wame Sedirwa MCIPS

    Wame Sedirwa MCIPS: The Assistant Manager Procurement for North East District Council, Botswana, and Chairperson of the country’s CIPS branch.   

    “We must balance AI’s efficiencies with human oversight” 
    READ FULL ARTICLE
  • Headshot of Ram Trivedi
    The Thought Leader: Ram Trivedi

    Ram Trivedi (FCIPS): The General Manager of CIPS India, where he leads the strategic expansion of CIPS operations, partnerships, and professional capability development across the country. 

    “Any change brings resistance, and AI is going to bring big changes to our way of life” 
    READ FULL ARTICLE

Procurement Skills Training Courses

Our expert-led collection of AI skills training has been created specifically for procurement and supply professionals. From foundational introductions to advanced strategic development, our courses will boost your knowledge and give you the confidence to leverage AI to streamline complex workflows. You can become the catalyst for digital transformation within your organisation by learning how to implement data-driven strategies that deliver measurable impact.

Let’s keep the conversation going…

The Great Conversation is a global initiative led by CIPS to bring together the procurement and supply community in a shared dialogue about the future of the profession.

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