The conversation focused on tangible ways AI is creating efficiency and value across procurement. Joe’s team at Western Union uses AI to analyze vendor relationships, identify competitors, and pull contract terms without opening a document. This not only saves time but also enhances accuracy and builds trust with executives by enabling real-time answers.
In another example, Joe’s team faced a massive data cleanup challenge with 53,000 outdated vendor records. By leveraging AI and Microsoft tools, they were able to programmatically delete and clean up their VMS, completing in hours what would have otherwise taken weeks of manual effort, without any disruption.
On the manufacturing side, Gabe explained how Nikola streamlined its application ecosystem, reducing the number of tools from 440 to 107 and saving $2 million in the first year. With AI-backed tools in place, departments across the company can now self-serve critical data, easing the burden on IT and enabling faster, more informed procurement decisions.