712: Reflections of an AI Contrarian w/ Alan Veeck
Jul 8, 2024
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Alan Veeck, CEO of Summit Procurement, shares his contrarian views on AI in procurement. He believes AI won't disrupt the job market as quickly as feared. Veeck advises CPOs to approach AI adoption cautiously, focusing on real-world use cases. He discusses the evolution of procurement automation, challenges in supply discovery, and the importance of team development amidst AI integration.
AI's impact on procurement job disruption may be overstated, requiring a measured approach by CPOs.
Separating exaggerated AI capabilities from practical use cases is crucial for enhancing procurement effectiveness.
Effective leadership and strategic decision-making are essential for maximizing AI benefits within procurement teams.
Deep dives
AI Revolutionizing Procurement
AI is viewed as a potential game-changer in procurement, with discussions centered around its impact on job disruption, real-world applications, and caution in implementation. Contrary to popular beliefs, the podcast delves into why AI may not drastically alter the procurement job market as feared, emphasizing the need for CPOs to adopt a measured approach. Insights focus on separating exaggerated AI capabilities from practical use cases that truly enhance procurement effectiveness.
Challenges in Implementing AI
The podcast highlights challenges in implementing AI in procurement, drawing from past experiences with robotic process automation (RPA) technology. Examples are shared wherein initial high expectations surrounding tech advancements, like RPA, led to underwhelming results due to complexities and lack of adaptability within businesses. The discussion underscores the importance of practicality and gradual integration of AI solutions within procurement operations.
AI Applications in Procurement
Concrete examples of AI applications within procurement are explored, focusing on areas such as supplier discovery, supplier management, and data analysis. While showcasing the potential of generative AI models, the podcast notes the current limitations in achieving seamless automated data processing. Practical insights are shared regarding AI's role in enhancing supplier evaluation, monitoring, and improving procurement analytics.
CPO's Role in AI Adoption
The podcast addresses the pivotal role of Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs) in navigating AI adoption and maximizing its benefits within their teams. Emphasizing the importance of effective leadership and strategic decision-making, CPOs are advised to prioritize team education, experimentation, and targeted AI implementation. The discussion underscores the continuous learning process required for successful incorporation of AI technologies in procurement strategies.
Future of Procurement Technology
In looking ahead to the future landscape of procurement technology, the podcast anticipates significant advancements and transformative changes influenced by AI and automation. While cautioning against overestimating technology capabilities, the conversation stresses the iterative nature of tech progress and the need for consistent adaptation and skill development within procurement teams. The dialogue envisions a technologically dynamic future that requires ongoing learning, experimentation, and adaptation to foster innovation and efficiency in procurement operations.
“It’s incumbent upon all of us to be change ready, to be curious, to always be learning because this overestimated technology today will truly be delivering huge results tomorrow.” - Alan Veeck, CEO & Founder at Summit Procurement
There are very few voices in procurement right now – or businesses in general, for that matter – who are raising the flag that all of the fear, enthusiasm, and hand-wringing over AI’s growing influence might be one big, collective overreaction.
Alan Veeck, CEO & Founder at Summit Procurement, is one such voice. In this episode, he shares with Philip Ideson why his contrarian attitude toward AI has little to do with his belief that AI will indeed revolutionize the space.
Alan explains how decades of seeing other technology hype cycles come and go have given him a more measured outlook for innovative or emerging digital breakthroughs (including generative AI) and why he thinks other procurement leaders should dial down the frenzy around AI that likely isn’t doing their teams, or the business, any favors.
In this conversation, Alan also talks about:
Why he thinks AI is not going to disrupt the procurement job market nearly as much or as quickly as many people think
How to separate the overblown capabilities from real-world use cases where AI can genuinely move the needle for procurement today
How CPOs can embrace AI and maximize its impact without leading their teams, and the business, down a rabbit hole of new solutions and platforms that cause more problems than they solve