Procurement AI pilots drive real progress when they address a clear business need, have an accountable owner, and include a practical plan for adoption. CPOs and transformation leaders should define the intended improvement before testing a tool, then assess whether the application can benefit other teams. The goal is to establish how people will use it to improve procurement work.

At ProcureCon East 2026, practitioners explored how to turn individual experimentation into broader organizational value. Dan Sirhal, Senior Director, Global Procurement at Iron Mountain, described category teams developing useful dashboards and insights, then raised the opportunity to extend those benefits across procurement. His emphasis was inclusive: "we need to figure out how to bring everybody in." The discussion connected that ambition with enterprise-wide training and clear expectations for how employees should use AI tools.

The 2026 ProcureCon Insights State of Procurement Report, based on a survey of 100 senior procurement leaders, found that 68% were piloting AI in select procurement areas without a formal roadmap. For teams already experimenting, the next opportunity is to turn those pilots into a coordinated plan with clear priorities, milestones, and expectations for wider adoption.

Start by selecting pilots that address shared procurement needs and defining a measurable outcome for each, such as less manual analysis or faster access to contract information. Assign an owner, confirm data requirements, and involve intended users early. Before expanding, review output quality, user adoption, and support needs so that a successful experiment has a practical route into everyday work.

Join procurement leaders at ProcureCon East to explore how focused pilots, shared learning, and practical adoption plans can turn AI's potential into meaningful progress.