Art of Procurement

"Now with agentic AI, RFPs are becoming and will become even leaner, and they'll cut to the chase a whole lot faster. There'll be a lot less fluff." - Barri Horn, Director of Product Marketing for AI for SAP Ariba and SAP Fieldglass' strategic procurement portfolios
AI is reshaping the RFP process, but smart procurement leaders know they have to think beyond speed or efficiency drivers and, instead, reimagine the value they deliver. As teams turn to AI to break free from past challenges, the question isn't if change is coming, but how to capture its advantages while managing risk, trust, and adoption.
In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Barri Horn, Director of Product Marketing for AI for SAP Ariba and SAP Fieldglass' strategic procurement portfolios, to dig into what's truly changing in the world of RFPs, why agentic AI is different from yesterday's tools, and how procurement can use new technology without losing stakeholder trust. 
Expect practical, leader-level guidance for running better RFPs and rolling out AI that sticks.
Barri discusses workflows, pitfalls, and organizational mindsets that separate successful AI adoption from failed pilots:
How to streamline repetitive RFP tasks with AI so teams can focus on insight
Asking smarter, market-driven questions without overwhelming suppliers
Aligning AI "autonomy" with procurement's risk comfort level
Building trust and credibility through transparency and foundational training
Resetting and rebooting change programs to support adoption
Links:
Barri Horn on LinkedIn
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"There is a limit on how much you can save, but there is no limit on how much you can make." - Sergio Martin
Procurement is evolving fast. The true differentiator now is how the function can become a partner for growth and resilience. That means reimagining "customer experience" at every touchpoint, not just inside the business, but with suppliers as well.
In this episode, procurement advisor and former procurement and supply chain executive Sergio Martin explains what it takes to deliver that value. Sergio shares practical stories from his experience at companies like Burberry and Dyson, explores what it means to move beyond "cost control," and reveals why empathy, expertise, and credibility are non-negotiable.
In this episode, Sergio discusses:
Defining the idea of a "customer" for stakeholders and suppliers
Shifting procurement's mindset from savings to growth
Building credibility through continuous expertise
Becoming the customer of choice for innovation and resilience
Links:
Sergio Martin on LinkedIn
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"Persuasion is about your intent. If your intent is solely to win at the other person's expense, that's manipulation. If you want the other party to also benefit from the conversation, then that's collaborative, and that's ethical persuasion." - Martin John
Procurement leaders know that success often depends on more than just negotiating skills or cost models; it demands the ability to influence people at every level. 
But what does it take to move from presenting facts to truly persuading suppliers, stakeholders, and executives to take action? This is a question that's more urgent than ever in today's complex business environment.
In this episode of Art of Procurement, Philip Ideson speaks with Martin John, a seasoned procurement pro and licensed ethical persuasion trainer. Martin shares tools and science-backed frameworks that chief procurement officers and their teams can use right away. He pulls back the curtain on Cialdini's principles, real-world negotiation stories, and how to avoid crossing the line into manipulation.
In this episode, Martin discusses how to:
Recognize the thin line between ethical persuasion and manipulation
Build trust and rapport faster using evidence, not guesswork
Move beyond data to engage the emotions and subconscious drivers of decision-makers
Translate behavioral science into everyday procurement
Links:
Martin John on LinkedIn
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"Direct materials is the most under-innovated, untouched by modern technology of any spend area." - Spencer Penn, Co-Founder and CEO, LightSource
Direct spend makes up the lion's share of the procurement budget, but all too often, it's still managed in spreadsheets and disconnected tools. Today's volatile supply market and relentless cost pressures demand more. 
What is holding companies back from real transformation in direct procurement, and where do the smartest teams focus their innovation efforts?
In this AOP podcast episode, host Philip Ideson speaks with Spencer Penn, co-founder and CEO of LightSource. Drawing from his hands-on experience at Tesla and Waymo, Spencer explains why direct procurement's digital journey has lagged behind indirect, and what it takes to move from manual, reactive "firefighting" to scalable, collaborative value creation. 
If you're wondering how to unite engineering, procurement, and finance to drive structural cost reduction, or how to leverage tech for more than basic automation, this episode is a must-listen.
In this episode, Spencer talks about how to:
Make sense of why most direct procurement processes are still manual
Learn how collaboration between procurement, engineering, and suppliers drives lasting savings
See where legacy thinking and incentives stall change (and how to overcome it)
Discover what tech can enable and when people are essential
Find out why small sourcing decisions at scale become huge bottom-line wins
Links:
Spencer Penn on LinkedIn
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"AI has fantastic value when you look at spend analytics, sourcing decisions, and process efficiency, but to replace the infancy stage that allows you to have a relationship with stakeholders, I think, is a mistake." – Brad Keighley
Digitization and automation promise so much for procurement, but what gets lost if we let technology run the show? As organizations scale and regulatory pressure mounts, the ability to connect on a human level can become a procurement superpower. Ignore it, and procurement risks becoming just another system, not a strategic partner.
As a multiple-time CPO and procurement transformation leader, Brad Keighley has built teams for startups, pre-IPO rocket ships, and tech giants. In this episode, he shares how to structure procurement for growth while staying close to stakeholders, explains why focusing only on savings is a mistake, and offers practical approaches to scaling service without losing the personal touch.
In this conversation, Brad discusses how to:
Diagnose and fix legacy issues to win skeptical stakeholders
Sell the true value of procurement by leading with risk management and compliance
Build a "white glove" centralized service model for maximum spend capture and influence
Layer automation and analytics where it matters, without sacrificing partnership
Use stakeholder feedback to drive continuous improvement and protect procurement's reputation
Links:
Brad Keighley on LinkedIn
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