CPO Crunch: Reserving judgement on the balance between automation and human input - Procurement Leaders

CPO Crunch: Reserving judgement on the balance between automation and human input By David Rae 1 June 2026 While AI can make decisions, it can’t build the trusted relationships linked to sound judgement There was a huge amount of insight shared at Procurement Leaders’ World Procurement Congress , which took place in London just over a week ago, but one thing that I’ve been thinking quite a lot about is the issue of judgement. It came up on multiple occasions across the three days, as CPOs wrestled with the question of what role humans will play in the procurement operating model of the future. A quote shared by Mauricio Odovaine, global head of strategic sourcing at Meta, during the AI Forum made the point particularly succinctly. “We are not automating the old organisation. We are designing a new one where AI does the work and humans provide the judgement.” It was something that continued to crop up in conversation and presentations, how data models can bring knowledge, speed and scale but they wouldn’t be able to provide that crucial element of judgement. Of course, we could debate whether this is a safe assumption. If we agree judgement is about the application of knowledge, experience and values to make a reasoned decision, then it’s feasible that technology could indeed do a good job here. Much like AI models have been shown to provide greater empathy than humans in recent studies by Nature , judgement seems also to be within grasp. The issue, perhaps, isn’t the act of providing judgement, but the deeply human interactions, the trust and relationship capital that surround it. Speaking on the final day of the Congress, Flex SVP and CPO Vincent Cellard ( pictured above ) provided a strong overview of how the world is changing and what this means for the function –increased regionalisation, reduced margins for error and new measures of success. But two things he said resonated strongly. The first was his concept of procurement needing to “move to the left”; or, in other words, get involved and bring suppliers into strategic business discussions earlier. The second, was that “agents can’t have dinner”. The latter was an important nod to the reality that relationships matter when it comes to building long-term, trusted business partnerships. In time, the application of AI has the potential to level the playing field as every organisation has access to similar tools and technologies. What will differentiate, therefore, will be the application of relationship capital, understanding and being mindful of the needs of others and explaining and, in some cases, justifying why certain judgements have been arrived at. To receive weekly insights from the Procurement Leaders community, sign up to the  CPO Crunch  newsletter using the link at the top of this page . The CPO Crunch Inspiring CPO community insights – straight from the source into your inbox. Subscribe to your CPO newsletter: Thanks for subscribing to the CPO Crunch newsletter. Keep an eye on your inbox for your first one. More insights Being a CPO: Probably the best job in the world READ MORE Research – Beyond centre-led: The future of procurement operating models READ MORE World Procurement Congress 2024: We’re only just getting started READ MORE Thought leader: How to get early supplier involvement right READ MORE Procurement – much more than a job READ MORE CPO Crunch: The procurement culture club READ MORE New research: supply chain transparency – enabling insights into the invisible READ MORE CPO Crunch: A rewarding time READ MORE CPO Crunch: Hydrogen making its mark READ MORE CPO Crunch: Looking back on the ‘year of AI’ READ MORE 2024 planning: Supporting growth by expanding strategic procurement and optimising operating models READ MORE Research: Purpose-driven procurement: Entering an age of holistic value READ MORE Research: High-velocity procurement READ MORE Can brands save profits without squeezing suppliers? READ MORE Next generation category management READ MORE CPO Crunch: Cause for (cautious) optimism READ MORE CPO Crunch: Building for the next crisis READ MORE CPO Crunch: Putting procurement at the heart of rapid investment READ MORE CPO Crunch: Communication key to cyber response READ MORE