Report

AI Readiness – How the Purchasing Industry Can Prepare for the Technological Revolution

Department objectives are still primarily financial. AI can support analytical tasks, but cannot replace humans in key areas such as relationship-building or negotiation. The greatest challenges remain internal and require cooperation between management and teams to create effective processes, new roles, and safely implement automation.

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Almost two years after the release of the report “The Role and Challenges of Procurement Departments in Poland,” I am pleased to invite you to read the report “AI Readiness – How the Purchasing Industry Can Prepare for the Technological Revolution.” The report was produced through collaboration between Antal and Sodexo, under the expert guidance of the Polish Association of Logistics and Procurement Managers (PSML).

The procurement field is currently at a critical juncture of rapid technological transformation. The industry has not yet established standards for AI use, nor has it reached consensus on its implementation. On the market, there are organizations that are already using new technologies, those that plan to do so, and those that have no such plans.

Procurement teams are experiencing changes in their daily tasks that are gradually redefining their roles, creating uncertainty and tension among employees. Despite AI being in its early stages of development, many trends remain stable and consistent with earlier research on the evolution of procurement roles.

Department objectives are still primarily financial. AI can support analytical tasks, but cannot replace humans in key areas such as relationship building or negotiations. The greatest challenges remain internal and require cooperation between management and teams to create effective processes, new roles, and safely implement automation.

Sincerely,

Artur Skiba, CEO, Antal

Ahmet Zeytinoglu, CEO, Sodexo Polska