Welcome to the #loveprocurement podcast, where we bring you a fresh and lighthearted take on all things procurement. We’ll dive into this fascinating world with a twist of humor and a sprinkle of fun. Each episode explores a different topic, inviting industry experts and special guests to share their insights, experiences, and stories.
For those that #loveprocurement or are curious why others do.
Season 3 – Episode 18
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Season 3 Ep 18: Procurement Predictions for 2027 and Beyond feat. Ari Stone
RELEASED 10 novembre, 2026
AI was supposed to hand procurement a block of free time all at once. Instead, the change has arrived gradually, and it is already separating teams that use the extra capacity to think more deeply from those that simply finish the same work faster.
Meanwhile, tariffs, trade policy shifts, and ongoing disruption have made resilience a permanent requirement rather than a temporary response.
Procurement’s value is moving away from finding the lowest bidder and toward mitigating risk, partnering with suppliers, and contributing earlier in product design. None of that works without good data, and the year ahead will test how ready procurement is for autonomous sourcing and suppliers who are using AI just as much as buyers are.
In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast host Kelly Barner welcomes Ari Stone to the show. Ari is the Global SVP of Value Engineering, Solution Consulting and Services, and he returns for his annual conversation to look back at the year in procurement and ahead to what comes next.
Ari shares his observations on 2026 and his predictions for 2027:
- How AI has changed the way procurement professionals spend their time, and why data quality still determines the value of the results
- Why procurement is shifting from a cost savings organization to a risk mitigation and design partner, including closer ties to supply chain
- What 2027 may bring, from autonomous tail spend to agent-to-agent negotiations with suppliers
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