Stop scrolling the AI hype and start building a strategy.

Every procurement leader is feeling it: the pressure to "do AI" without a clear map of where to start. In this episode, Sam Jenks sits down with Marijn Overvest, founder of Procurement Tactics, to move past the anxiety and look at the actual reality of procurement in 2026.

Marijn breaks down why 2024/25 was the "year of experimentation" and why 2026 is officially the Year of the AI Agent. We move beyond ChatGPT prompts to discuss how autonomous agents will soon handle the "boring" administrative tasks, finally freeing up procurement pros to do what they do best: build relationships and drive strategic value.

In this episode, we cover:

• The 4 Stages of AI Maturity: Where does your team actually sit?

• The "Skills Gap" Myth: Why digital literacy is more important than buying new software.

• Sustainability vs. Survival: How to handle ESG goals when margins are under fire.

• Future-Proofing: Why empathy and "soft skills" are your ultimate shield against automation.

Unlock the secret to transforming procurement from a cost center into a powerhouse of value with Simon Frost, a true procurement adventurer and a seasoned strategist known for turning procurement into a strategic, value-creating function.

After two decades working with giants like Mars and Innocent, Simon reveals how visionary sourcing and strategic supplier relationships can revolutionize your business - no matter the industry or size.

If you’re a procurement leader feeling overlooked, overwhelmed, or underperforming, this episode is your blueprint to step into your true potential.

Simon shares gripping stories from sourcing $5,000 tons of mango in India to building procurement functions from scratch - showing that procurement is less of a back-office support role and more of a high-stakes adventure.

You’ll discover how elite teams leverage advanced cost modeling to slash costs, boost supply chain resilience, and embed sustainability directly into the P&L. He breaks down the often-misunderstood world of Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) and exposes the wild-west landscape of SRM technology, revealing how mature organizations turn supplier partnerships into strategic long-term alliances.

We dive deep into the critical mindset shifts necessary to elevate procurement’s impact. Simon explains why positioning procurement as a true business partner - rather than a support function is fundamental to winning C-suite buy-in. Plus, he reveals why many teams fail at technology adoption and shares practical strategies that turn software implementations into lasting success stories.

This episode isn’t just for procurement specialists - it's for any business leader eager to unlock procurement’s full potential.

Canda Rozier shares her insights from over 30 years as a procurement practitioner and CPO. The discussion centers on the current state of procurement technology, the hype surrounding AI, and the critical importance of organizational readiness before implementing new tools.

The Reality of AI and Tech Hype

Rozier explains that while AI is currently the "new shiny toy" , it feels different from past trends due to its widespread personal and professional adoption. However, she warns that many companies are simply using "phrase du jour" marketing—like "AI-enabled" or "AI-powered"—without changing their underlying technology. She advises buyers to watch for "tells" of fake AI, such as sales teams who get a "deer in the headlights" look when asked about their underlying Large Language Model (LLM) or vendors who refuse to show a live sandbox demo in favor of a recorded video.

The Inconvenient Truth of Implementation

A significant portion of the discussion addresses why procurement tech often fails. Rozier points out that failure or abandonment rates can reach 80% to 90%. The "inconvenient truth" is that many organizations simply aren't ready for the tech they buy. She compares buying complex software without readiness to buying a Lamborghini without knowing how to drive a manual transmission. Success requires "absorption capacity," which includes the corporate appetite to handle process changes, policy updates, and the realignment of job responsibilities.

Defining Readiness and the "Why"

To be truly ready, Rozier argues that a company must have a unified goal and understand their "why" before purchasing. This includes having a multi-dimensional governance structure and involving cross-functional stakeholders like Finance early on to avoid surprises like mismatched charts of accounts. She also emphasizes that "dirty data" is often a symptom of "dirty processes". Companies must standardize their processes to ensure that once data is cleaned, it stays clean going forward.

Risk as a New Mandate

While procurement has traditionally been "cash motivated" and focused on savings , Rozier notes that risk management is becoming a top-tier mandate due to global regulatory requirements like CSRD and EUDR. She suggests that the fastest way to waste a year in procurement is to chase a shiny toy without a clear purpose , whereas the fastest way to "win a year" is to understand business drivers and partner closely with internal stakeholders.