Only 1 in 10 Procurement Leaders have Progressed Beyond AI Pilots, According to Icertis Sponsored Study
New findings from the 2026 ProcureCon Chief Procurement Officer Report, published in partnership with ProcureCon Insights, reveal a widening gap between procurement’s appetite for AI and the foundational readiness required to scale it.
While CPOs are accelerating investments in modern, cloud-based procurement platforms and automation, most organizations are still in their early stages of AI maturity – constrained by fragmented systems, siloed data, and governance concerns that limit measurable outcomes. Despite enthusiasm for technology and a surge in AI initiatives as part of broader digital transformation efforts, measurable impact remains rare. This presents an opportunity to make contract intelligence a key investment area for procurement leaders looking to operationalize AI across the enterprise.
Key findings from the 2026 CPO Report highlight:
- AI readiness is low despite momentum. Only 11 percent of procurement leaders say they are already implementing AI and machine learning with measurable impact. Meanwhile, 89 percent of CPOs rate themselves “mostly or somewhat ready” to leverage AI, with CPOs either piloting AI solutions (65 percent) or evaluating AI opportunities (24 percent). This gap indicates that many organizations are still striving to move from AI experimentation to scalable, measurable outcomes.
- CPOs are prioritizing AI, but fragmentation remains a barrier. Top technology investments include integrated cloud-based procurement platforms (43 percent); automated sourcing and negotiation platforms (39 percent); supplier risk management solutions (39 percent); advanced analytics (34 percent); and GenAI for contract analysis (30 percent). The need for integrated systems is a persistent theme across these priorities – particularly as procurement leaders seek greater visibility and control through strategic assets like contracts.
- Governance and quality data are the biggest barriers to scaling AI in procurement. CPOs cite data privacy, security, and compliance (67 percent); data quality and cross-system integration (54 percent); and resistance to change based on concerns about AI replacing human judgment (51 percent) as top barriers. These challenges reinforce the importance of trust and responsible AI, and the opportunity for contracts to help create clear guardrails.
- Supplier relationships remain the top strategic priority, with AI as the accelerator. Enhancing supplier relationship management and strategic partnerships ranks highest (55 percent), followed by implementing AI-driven procurement automation and decision support (45 percent) as priorities. This suggests procurement leaders recognize that technology alone cannot transform their function – relationships with key suppliers remain foundational to achieving cost reduction, risk mitigation, and transformation
“The findings in this report underscore an important reality: procurement is investing in AI, but operationalizing it requires a strong foundation,” said Bernadette Bulacan, Chief Evangelist, Icertis. “As AI becomes central to procurement strategy, trusted data, clear guardrails, and connected workflows are what translate AI investment into measurable enterprise impact – starting with contracts, the single source of truth for all supplier relationships.”
The ProcureCon CPO report is published annually based on research conducted by ProcureCon Insights, the research arm of the ProcureCon event series. The survey includes responses from procurement, supply chain management, and risk management leaders across organizations and industries in the U.S. and Canada. More than 45 percent of respondents represent companies with over $250 million in spend under management.
Download the full report to learn more: 2026 Annual ProcureCon CPO Report