Art of Procurement

In this Provider of the Week episode of the ProcureTech Insider podcast, host Jyothi Hartley speaks with Darshan Deshmukh, President of ProcureAbility.
ProcureAbility is a leading procurement and supply chain services provider, offering advisory, managed services, digital solutions, and talent support to help organizations drive measurable value and build sustainable procurement capabilities.
In this episode, Darshan shares how ProcureAbility has evolved from a traditional consulting model into a full-service partner, one that not only identifies opportunities but also helps clients execute and sustain results over time.
From their focus on procurement-specialized talent to their emphasis on becoming a seamless extension of client teams, this discussion highlights what it takes for high-performing procurement teams to move beyond strategy and deliver consistent outcomes and value to the business.
In this episode, you'll learn:
-How ProcureAbility structures its services across advisory, managed services, staffing, and digital
-Why talent specialization is a core differentiator in procurement delivery
-How they measure success through both traditional KPIs and "client implied promise"
-The growing importance of revenue enablement and supply chain resilience as procurement metrics
-What procurement leaders should expect as AI reshapes service delivery models
Links: 
Darshan Deshmukh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darshan-deshmukh/
AOP Provider Directory - ProcureAbility: https://artofprocurement.com/provider-directory/procureability 
Subscribe to the AOP Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe 
Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement

"You need to get visibility into the AI tokens, what workloads they are being used for, which users are using them, and what department they're coming out of. Most organizations don't have that visibility yet. They just get the bill." - Jon Winsett, CEO, NPI
AI tokens have gone from a niche curiosity to a major line item practically overnight. 
The cost models are new, spending is climbing at breakneck speed, and most enterprises can't actually see what's driving their biggest AI bills. For anyone tasked with managing technology spend, this is mission-critical territory for the rest of 2026 and beyond.
In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Jon Winsett, CEO of NPI, to unpack everything procurement leaders need to know about AI tokens. Jon and his team advise some of the world's largest companies on navigating this new category and share what's working (and what's not). From budgeting pitfalls to guarding against runaway costs, Jon explains the challenges and opportunities associated with AI tokens.
Jon tackles questions like: Where are organizations overspending? How do you negotiate when the rules keep changing? What practical steps can CPOs take right now? 
Listen in for a pragmatic, insider's view on:
-How and where rapidly rising AI token costs are hitting enterprise budgets  
-Ways to build practical guardrails and learn from early missteps  
-How to use open source models and contract negotiation as real levers  
-Why current consumption-based pricing is likely to change again soon  
 
Links:
Jon Winsett | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-winsett-0734b/ 
Enterprise AI Pulse Study: https://arcana-research.com/study/npi - For Fortune 1000 enterprises that want to participate
Governing AI Token Spend - A Five-Layer Defense Framework: https://www.npifinancial.com/knowledge-center/white-paper-governing-ai-token-spend/ - Whitepaper
Learn more about NPI: https://www.npifinancial.com/ 
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"Don't overvalue the top procurement spot, and don't undervalue the tools and the budget required. It's an ecosystem." - Stephen Rauf, Global Head of Indirect Procurement, Zoetis
Delivering more value with fewer resources is an easy thing to want, but tough to execute consistently over time… unless procurement rethinks their entire approach, from operating model and team structure to technology and stakeholder influence.
In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Stephen Rauf, Global Head of Indirect Procurement at Zoetis, the world's leading animal health company. Stephen unpacks how he has steered a lean, high-impact team through transformation, why "build vs. buy" is a weekly question, and what it takes to create true business partnership – while surfacing next-gen use cases for AI. 
In this episode, Stephen shares his point of view on:
-Building nimble procurement teams that can punch above their weight
-Moving from managing spend to shaping demand with stakeholders
-Using tech – and especially AI – to enable rather than overwhelm
-Deciding when to build internal strength vs. partnering for expertise
-Measuring a broader spectrum of procurement value, not just cost savings
 
Links:
Stephen Rauf on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenrauf/ 
Subscribe to the AOP Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe 
Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement

Procurement teams are under increasing pressure to do more with less… less time, less headcount, and often less budget. But, at the same time, the volume of data they manage continues to grow, making it harder to uncover insights and act on them quickly.
That's the challenge Suplari wants to solve.
In this ProcureTech Insider Startup of the Week episode, Jyothi Hartley speaks with Jeff Gerber, Co-Founder and CEO of Suplari, about how AI-powered procurement intelligence can help teams move beyond visibility and into action.
Suplari brings together fragmented spend, supplier, and contract data into a single, governed source of truth. From there, its AI capabilities identify opportunities, surface risks, and increasingly help teams take action by automating the path from insight to impact.
Jeff shares Suplari's origin story, why traditional analytics fall short, and how procurement teams can start unlocking value from their data faster than they might expect.
In this episode, Jeff discusses:
Why connecting siloed procurement data is the foundation for better decision-making
How AI can move procurement beyond analytics into action and orchestration
What makes Supplari different in a crowded AI and analytics market
How procurement teams can uncover hidden savings and inefficiencies
Why imperfect data shouldn't stop you from getting started
Links:
Jeff Gerber on LinkedIn
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"Catalyst is really a unicorn. You walk in the room, check your ego at the door, and everybody is there to learn." - Christine Moore, Managing Partner, RAUS Global
Procurement is racing to harness AI, but simply "doing more" won't be enough. At Catalyst San Francisco, the most recent in-person event hosted by Art of Procurement, procurement executives came together to confront what's truly needed right now: going beyond efficiency, investing in stronger change management, and breaking free of the old excuses that hold teams back.
In this event recap conversation, Christine Moore, Managing Partner at RAUS Global, and Joe Postiglione Sr., author of the upcoming book Achieve Results with AI and Avoid the CFO Hot Seat, join Philip Ideson to discuss how intimate, curated professional gatherings like Catalyst drive practical, real-world progress. 
Listen in to hear what sets this unique environment apart, why open dialogue matters more than buzzwords, and how procurement leaders can champion a culture that turns AI into a strategic advantage to deliver measurable, real-world results.
Whether you're developing your own digital roadmap or guiding your business partners, these takeaways will help you reframe what's possible for procurement.
In this episode, Christine and Joe describe how procurement can:
Build a proactive, outcome-driven approach to AI projects  
Lead change and create a sense of safety for candid discussions  
Reframe the "data problem" and move initiatives forward  
Recognize how compute and AI usage costs can impact value  
Shift from pure efficiency to growth-focused thinking
Links:
Christine Moore on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-adamsson-moore/ 
Joe Postiglione Sr. on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joepostiglione/ 
Subscribe to the AOP Newsletter: https://resources.artofprocurement.com/art-of-procurement-podcast-subscribe 
Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtofProcurement