AI Case Study Series for Strategic Procurement
From the App to Your Own Shopping Playbook
Contents:
- Fundamentals of large language models, prompting, deep research, and agent-based approaches.
- Procurement Process Map: Where Does AI Deliver Value Along the Source-to-Contract Journey?
- Human/AI Roles: Research, structuring, and design by AI; evaluation and decision-making by the purchasing department.
- Safe use, data protection, confidentiality, and AI literacy in accordance with current regulatory requirements.
- Personal AI Maturity Level and Initial Areas of Application.
Possible guiding questions:
- Which use case have I tested since the last module?
- What worked, and what didn't?
- What data or approvals were missing?
- Which prompt or playbook should be improved?
- What do I incorporate as standard practice into my daily work routine?
Contents:
- Use AI to refine requirements and specifications.
- Identify gaps, inconsistencies, and anticipated supplier inquiries.
- Review the RFQ documents for clarity, comparability, and completeness.
- Prepare the evaluation matrix and compare bids.
- Organize pricing components, delivery terms, Incoterms, payment terms, and ancillary conditions.
- Risks of automated analysis and the need for human validation.
Contents:
- Organize supplier profiles and relevant risk drivers.
- Identify financial, geopolitical, operational, and technological risks.
- Assess natural disasters, industry bottlenecks, dependencies, and risks associated with intermediate products.
- Deep Research and agent-based search for supplier and market analyses.
- BOM/should-cost thinking as the basis for bottleneck and cost risks.
- Source Evaluation, Confidence Rating, and Scenario Logic.
Contents:
- Structure and validate donation data.
- Analyze product categories, suppliers, budgets, and price trends.
- Identify deviations, outliers, and checkpoints.
- Create a management summary for purchasing, product category management, and the CFO.
- Limitations of AI in data quality, formulas, and ERP logic.
- A practical combination of Excel, reporting, and AI analysis.
Contents:
- Extract contracts, amendments, and general terms and conditions in a structured manner.
- Identify contract terms, notice periods, price adjustments, obligations, SLAs, and payment terms.
- Identify inconsistencies and deviations from standards.
- Identify commercial risks and outstanding issues.
- Prepare to hand off to the legal department or the relevant department.
- A Clear Distinction: AI as a tool for structuring and reviewing, not for making legal decisions.
Contents:
- Prepare the market overview, supplier positioning, and cost levers.
- Porter's Five Forces, BATNA, ZOPA, Handling Objections, and the Logic of Argumentation.
- Cost Breakdown and Should-Cost Considerations for Negotiations.
- Create a discussion guide and an internal negotiation strategy.
- Structure and document the results of negotiations based on a dictation.
- Draft the follow-up email in such a way that position, commitments, and next steps are clearly documented.
- Live negotiation assistance is provided only as a governance-reviewed outlook.
Contents:
- What agent-based AI Can Achieve in Procurement in the Future.
- Sourcing agents, supplier monitoring, quote comparison, contract assistants.
- Codex/CoWork and AI-powered automation as a future prospect.
- Understand and organize data access, RAG, interfaces, and tool control.
- Benefit-Risk Assessment for Initial Automation Ideas.
Contents:
- Finalize my personal AI playbook.
- Select a suitable pilot process for your own team.
- Identify an AI task force or internal pioneers.
- Develop team guidelines for the safe use of AI.
- Define governance, approvals, and human checkpoints.
- A 30-day plan for implementation in your own purchasing department.
Contents
Kick-off: AI in Strategic Procurement (3 hours)
The goal is to reach a shared understanding of what AI can do in procurement today, where its limitations lie, and how humans and AI can work together effectively.
Result: A personalized AI roadmap for your everyday shopping routine
Sharing Experiences and Study Groups
Transfer sessions or study groups should be scheduled between the specialized modules. During these sessions, you’ll reflect on which prompts worked, where AI results were problematic, and which use cases are realistic for your own company.
Module 1: Requirements, RFQ, and Proposal Evaluation Using AI (2.5 hours)
This module replaces the original concept of “AI-driven RFP” with a more practical and reliable approach: AI supports the refinement of requirements, improves RFQ quality, and assists in bid evaluation, while the final decision remains with the procurement team.
Result: RFQ Readiness Check and Bid Evaluation Grid
Module 2: Supplier Analysis and Risk Management Using AI (2.5 hours)
You'll learn to analyze suppliers in a structured way and better interpret risk signals without uncritically accepting AI results.
Result: Supplier Risk Brief with Source and Confidence Logic
Module 3: Donation Analytics with AI (2.5 hours)
The focus is on how AI can use Excel, ERP, or reporting data to identify better procurement questions, anomalies, and management insights.
Result: Spend Management Summary with Audit Findings and Action Items
Module 4: Contract Analysis Using AI (2.5 hours)
This module focuses on the commercial review of contracts, not on legal advice.
Result: Contract Risk Sheet for Commercial Contract Review
Module 5: AI-Powered Negotiation Support (2.5 hours)
You'll learn how to use AI to prepare for, structure, and follow up on negotiations.
Result: Negotiation Prep Canvas, including a follow-up framework
Module 6: Agent-Based AI and the Next Stage of Development (2.5 hours)
This module is intended as an optional overview, not as the technical core of the series.
Result: Automation Concept with a Benefit-Risk Assessment
Checkout: Transfer and Change in Purchasing (3 hours)
Finally, the goal is to apply what you’ve learned to your own daily work and to your team.
Result: Team Transfer Plan and Personal AI Shopping Playbook
Learning environment
In your online learning environment, you will find useful information, downloads and extra services for this training course once you have registered.
Your benefit
You as participant:
- understand where AI realistically adds value in strategic procurement and where your human review remains essential,
- develop reusable prompts, playbooks, and checklists for your core procurement tasks,
- improve the quality of your RFQs, bid comparisons, supplier analyses, contract reviews, and negotiation preparations,
- learn to handle sensitive purchasing data, contract information, and negotiation details more securely,
- You'll apply what you've learned to your own daily work through small practical exercises and by sharing experiences,
- You'll leave the series with a personalized AI scouting playbook and a concrete transfer plan for your own team.
Methods
Each module follows the same logic:
- Real-World Use Case from Purchasing
- Live Demonstration and Exercise
- A practical tool for your daily work
- Safety Guardrail: What Data Can Be Used in AI, and Where Is Testing Mandatory?
- Transfer task due by the next deadline
Tool
Recommended for
This learning journey is primarily aimed at strategic purchasers, lead buyers, and category managers with some experience in AI. It is also relevant for purchasing managers who want to implement AI in a structured way within their teams.
- Customized training courses
- Direct application in practice
- Efficient use of time and resources