Explores how AI strengthens supplier partnerships, improves visibility and delivers measurable results in SRM
AI Garage
Sustainable Supplier Management That Delivers Impact
Embedding ESG and sustainability into supplier relationships to drive measurable results.
Why focus on AI now?
SRM technology statistics
Based on the latest State of Flux 2025 Benchmark.
87% rely on office tools or no tools to manage supplier actions and projects.
Only 10% of Leaders have technology to prioritise value and innovation.
75% view SRM technology mainly as a single place to store supplier information.
What this means:
Most organisations are still operating without the digital foundations needed to scale supplier performance or co-innovation.
SRM technology readiness
Based on research done by Pascal d'Arc.
28% have not started using AI at all, often because they lack clarity on where it fits.
61% have experimented with small AI pilots, but these early tests remain isolated and have not scaled across categories, processes, or supplier groups.
Only 11% have successfully embedded AI into daily operations.
What this means:
AI is still in the experimentation phase for most teams. The gap is readiness, not technology.
Leading organisations achieve
Based on Hackett World-Class Metrics.
81% more self-service transactions than peers.
59% less savings leakage from maverick buying.
<50% of time spent on transactional activities.
1.5x higher customer satisfaction for delivering superior business value.
What this means:
Most organisations are still operating without the digital foundations needed to scale supplier performance or co-innovation.
Overview
Procurement teams are facing rising complexity, heavier supplier dependency, and tighter capacity than ever. AI can help ease that pressure, but only when it is applied in a practical, grounded way.
Our AI Garage helps teams understand what is possible, test ideas quickly using real scenarios, and build capability through hands on learning. No complexity, no long programmes, just clear value delivered at pace.
1. Foundational discovery
Finding your AI opportunities
Identify high impact, low risk use cases based on your data, processes, and supplier relationships.
2. Applied innovation
Proving the concept
Build and test a working prototype using real scenarios, so teams can see the impact immediately and learn by doing.
3. Transformation enablement
Scaling change and outcomes
Turn successful prototypes into operational AI capability with integration, governance, and change support.
4. Ad hoc and custom AI projects
Tailored solutions for unique needs
Some organisations have specific challenges or ambitions that fall outside a standard roadmap. We support bespoke AI projects that address specialised requirements, complex data environments, or advanced supplier management scenarios.
Who you’ll be working with
Founder and CEO of State of Flux, recognised for global leadership in SRM, capability building, and transformation. Focuses on how technology supports stronger supplier relationships and sustainable value.
Digital innovation leader with two decades of experience applying AI and emerging technologies into procurement and supply chain. Known for practical, rapid prototyping that helps teams learn fast and build capability.
1. Foundational Discovery
Finding your AI opportunities
Identify high impact, low risk use cases based on your data, processes, and supplier relationships.
2. Applied Innovation
Proving the concept
Build and test a working prototype using real scenarios, so teams can see the impact immediately and learn by doing.
3. Transformation Enablement
Scaling change and outcomes
Turn successful prototypes into operational AI capability with integration, governance, and change support.
4. Ad hoc and Custom AI Projects
Tailored solutions for unique needs
Some organisations have specific challenges or ambitions that fall outside a standard roadmap. We support bespoke AI projects that address specialised requirements, complex data environments, or advanced supplier management scenarios.
Making AI Work: How Human Relationships Drive Smarter SRM
The webinar covered how AI is already helping teams surface early risk signals, strengthen supplier conversations, and uncover opportunities that traditional tools often miss. We also shared the latest findings from our 2025 SRM Research and walked through examples of how organisations are building capability through practical, low risk experimentation.
Most ESG roadmaps fail not because of ambition, but because of unclear ownership, scattered data, and lack of supplier engagement. These three actions can help you move from intent to impact.
Three Ways to Turn ESG Goals into Supplier Action
Benchmark ESG maturity to drive change
Without a clear starting point, ESG goals risk being vague, misaligned, or difficult to measure across suppliers.
Establishing a credible baseline helps you understand where suppliers are today, where expectations need to shift, and how to track progress over time.
Prioritise the suppliers that matter most
Treating every supplier the same spreads your ESG efforts thin and limits overall impact.
Focusing on the suppliers with the highest risk, greatest opportunity, or most influence ensures your sustainability efforts are targeted, efficient, and effective.
Make ESG a joint mission
When ESG feels like a one-way audit, suppliers are less likely to engage meaningfully.
Embedding ESG into the joint business planning with your supplier builds shared ownership and opens the door to co-developing solutions on emissions, circularity, and human rights.
Insights to Strengthen ESG Performance Through Suppliers
