Art of Procurement

"There's an absolute risk of procurement's role and scope being diminished by AI, unless we embrace new ways of working." - Nick Heinzmann, Head of Research, Zip
According to new research from Zip, only 17 percent of organizations can demonstrate clear ROI from AI today. The difference between those seeing results and those still struggling offers some timely and important lessons for procurement.
In this episode, Philip Ideson welcomes back Nick Heinzmann, Head of Research at Zip, to unpack findings from Zip's 2026 State of AI in Spend report. They explore what separates organizations achieving measurable returns from those still dabbling with AI, and why deeper adoption requires procurement teams to rethink how work gets done.
Nick also shares what the research reveals about procurement's changing operating model, including the emergence of new AI-focused roles and the growing importance of evaluating AI outputs rather than simply generating them. He discusses how leaders can create room for experimentation while managing shadow AI, why traditional three-to-five-year transformation roadmaps are becoming less practical, and how procurement can use its unique position across the enterprise to help shape AI governance and adoption.
In this episode, Nick discusses how procurement can:
-Establish a stronger role in enterprise AI adoption and governance
-Move beyond AI experimentation to achieve measurable ROI
-Treat shadow AI as a signal for unmet demand while maintaining appropriate governance
-Move past common blockers and use early AI challenges to guide what comes next
 
Links:
Nick Heinzmann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-heinzmann-787a5041/ 
2026 State of AI in Spend Report: https://zip.com/resources/state-of-ai-in-spend-2026 
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"If you're not completely sure about what you want to try to achieve, how will you know you ever achieved it?" - Joseph Postiglione, Sr., Author, Protecting Expected Outcomes in the Age of AI
AI investments are accelerating, but many organizations are still struggling to turn promising pilots into the business outcomes they expected. The technology may work as intended, but the original business case can quickly get lost once implementation begins.
In this episode, Philip Ideson welcomes back Joseph Postiglione, author of Protecting Expected Outcomes in the Age of AI: Why AI Implementation Must Evolve - And the Emergence of Commercial Control. Drawing on his experience in management consulting and procurement, Joseph explains why organizations need to be more intentional about defining, monitoring, and protecting the outcomes behind their AI investments.
Joseph introduces the concept of "commercial control" as a complement to traditional technology implementation methodologies. He and Philip explore what it takes to build stronger business cases, why efficiency gains need a clear plan for how freed capacity will create value, and how AI itself could help organizations identify when expected outcomes begin to drift.
They also discuss an important opportunity for procurement: bringing their commercial expertise into enterprise-wide AI investments and helping the business connect technology decisions to measurable results.
In this episode, Joseph discusses how to:
-Define expected outcomes before an AI implementation begins
-Build business cases that go beyond savings and efficiency metrics
-Monitor performance and identify why expected outcomes are drifting
-Use commercial control to create earlier opportunities to intervene and adjust
-Position procurement as a valuable contributor to enterprise technology investments
-Turn stronger AI implementation discipline into a source of competitive advantage
 
Links:
Joseph Postiglione on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joepostiglione/ 
Subscribe to the AOP Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe 
Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement

"The biggest risk today is not making the wrong AI decision. It is making no decision at all while everyone else is learning." Samir Khushalani, Senior Advisor, Art of Procurement
Procurement leaders now face more technology choices than ever, with new AI-enabled solutions emerging constantly. In this environment, picking the right tools can be overwhelming, and procurement often struggles with knowing where to start, how to avoid analysis paralysis, and ensuring their tech choices drive real business outcomes. 
In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Samir Khushalani, Art of Procurement Senior Advisor and a former McKinsey digital procurement leader. Samir has guided Fortune 500 companies and is helping to shape the ProcureTech100, the industry's top guide to procurement technology. He breaks down how to navigate a fragmented market, balance risk and urgency, and scale impact without getting stuck in "pilot purgatory." 
In this episode, Samir covers how to:  
-Take practical steps to avoid technology indecision  
-Identify true AI-native solutions versus "AI-wrapped" legacy tools  
-Partner with providers who aim for business impact, not just automation  
-Build a flexible procurement tech stack for lasting competitiveness
 Links:
Samir Khushalani on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samirkhushalani/ 
Art of Procurement Welcomes Samir Khushalani as Senior Advisor: https://artofprocurement.com/blog/blog-art-of-procurement-welcomes-samir-khushalani-as-senior-advisor 
Download the 2025-26 ProcureTech100 Yearbook: https://artofprocurement.com/procuretech100-2026 
Subscribe to the AOP Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe 
Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement

"Procurement's future is bright, when we continue to do it the right way for the right reasons." - Travis Hodge, Director of Enterprise Sourcing & Procurement at nVent
Procurement is no longer just a back-office function. As business models shift and digital transformation accelerates, procurement leaders face more pressure (and more opportunities) than ever to become true business partners. 
Supplier experience, strategic talent, and AI-enabled efficiency are fast becoming the new playbook for teams aiming to drive results in hyperscale markets.
This episode features Travis Hodge, Director of Enterprise Sourcing and Procurement at nVent, who shares how his organization is reinventing both its processes and culture to keep pace with customer needs and rapid growth. Recorded at Ivalua's 'Procurement Innovation on Tour' Summit in Chicago, Travis offers candid insights on supplier segmentation, why executive sponsorship matters, and the operational and emotional impact of genuine employee engagement.
His approach starts with treating suppliers as partners and ensuring procurement is measured not just on savings, but on real business value delivered in order to position procurement as a growth engine.
In this episode, Travis discusses:
-Reframe supplier experience as a cornerstone of transformation and value
-Leverage executive sponsorship to unlock strategic change
-Connect AI, automation, and data strategy to tangible business outcomes
-Prioritize employee experience as a real differentiator
 
Links:
Travis Hodge on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-hodge-phd-612139125/ 
Procurement Innovation on Tour: https://www.ivalua.com/procurement-innovation-on-tour/ 
Subscribe to the AOP Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe 
Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement

"Visibility is not the end goal. The end goal is how does that visibility enable me to make a quick decision." - Mohit Ahuja, Strategy & Transformation Leader, Caterpillar
Business leaders can no longer afford to think about digital procurement as "plug and play." This is especially true in manufacturing, where the risks of disruption run deep. Legacy systems, change-weary teams, and rapid-fire market shifts all raise the stakes for today's CPOs.
In this episode, Mohit Ahuja, a strategy and transformation leader at Caterpillar, shares what it takes to navigate these challenges. Drawing on over 16 years across engineering, supply chain, and operations, Mohit offers candid stories and actionable strategies for moving the needle on digital transformation without leaving people behind.
Whether you're wrestling with technical debt, siloed teams, or cultural resistance, this episode delivers perspective for CPOs and procurement professionals trying to drive lasting impact.
In this episode, Mohit covers how procurement can:
-Move from reactive to proactive and enable real-time, predictive risk management
-Build trust on the shop floor by practicing adaptive leadership
-Focus on early, low-risk wins to build momentum for transformation
-Shift from cost minimization to resilience as a core procurement goal
 
Links:
Mohit Ahuja on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohit--ahuja/ 
Subscribe to the AOP Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe 
Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement