Art of Procurement

"Don't ask AI to do something that you don't know how to do yourself." - Gretchen Vance, Vice President Procurement at Forest Lawn Parks and Mortuaries
Procurement transformation often comes down to a leader's willingness to push for change, even when the path forward requires taking a risk. For Gretchen Vance, Vice President of Procurement at Forest Lawn Parks and Mortuaries, that once meant putting two pieces of paper on her CFO's desk: a proposal for an e-procurement system and her resignation.
In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Gretchen about the transformation she has led during her 18 years at Forest Lawn, from digitizing a previously paper-based purchasing function to taking responsibility for the full procure-to-pay process. She shares how procurement supports Forest Lawn's deeply service-oriented mission and why that same commitment to service shapes the suppliers her team chooses to work with.
Gretchen also offers a practical perspective on AI. Her team is already using it to analyze data, support RFQs, and streamline contract reviews, but she is clear that procurement professionals still need the knowledge and judgment to recognize when an AI-generated answer is wrong. She discusses why digitization and good data matter, how bringing procurement and AP together can strengthen supplier relationships, and what it takes to lead people through continued change.
In this episode, Gretchen also explains how to:
-Build supplier relationships around shared culture and purpose
-Position procurement as a problem-solving partner to the business
-Use AI to save time without sacrificing human expertise and judgment
-Create a strong data foundation for digitization and AI
-Connect procurement and AP to improve the end-to-end supplier experience
-Take calculated risks when meaningful transformation requires leadership commitment
-Embrace continuous learning and change as a procurement leader
 
Links:
Gretchen Vance on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchen-vance-cpsm-6869794a/ 
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

"The expectation level of procurement is rising. Today's stuff that was not possible a year ago, that felt like science fiction three years ago, is something that we can create for our customers today." - Sammeli Sammalkorpi, Co-founder & CEO, Sievo
For CPOs and their teams, procurement data has never been more abundant… or more challenging to harness. Demands go far beyond savings: teams are being asked to link procurement value to broader business goals, manage complexity, and adapt to the rapid rise of AI.
In this episode of the ProcureTech Insider we speak with Sammeli Sammalkorpi, Sievo's co-founder and CEO, for a candid "Provider of the Week" discussion about what it takes to turn chaotic data into actionable business value. 
With Sievo handling data equivalent to more than two percent of global GDP, Sammeli shares why long-term data investment, proprietary benchmarks, and hands-on integration are making the biggest difference for large enterprises.
In this episode, Sammeli also covers how to:
-Build an enterprise-wide data foundation ready for AI and rapid business change
-Turn procurement analytics into prioritized, actionable insights
-Benchmark your spend and risk using truly global, anonymized industry data
-Translate procurement results into the language of margin, revenue, and business value
 
Links:
Sammeli Sammalkorpi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammeli-sammalkorpi/ 
Visit the Sievo profile in the AOP Provider Directory: https://artofprocurement.com/provider-directory/sievo 
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

"There's an absolute risk of procurement's role and scope being diminished by AI, unless we embrace new ways of working." - Nick Heinzmann, Head of Research, Zip
According to new research from Zip, only 17 percent of organizations can demonstrate clear ROI from AI today. The difference between those seeing results and those still struggling offers some timely and important lessons for procurement.
In this episode, Philip Ideson welcomes back Nick Heinzmann, Head of Research at Zip, to unpack findings from Zip's 2026 State of AI in Spend report. They explore what separates organizations achieving measurable returns from those still dabbling with AI, and why deeper adoption requires procurement teams to rethink how work gets done.
Nick also shares what the research reveals about procurement's changing operating model, including the emergence of new AI-focused roles and the growing importance of evaluating AI outputs rather than simply generating them. He discusses how leaders can create room for experimentation while managing shadow AI, why traditional three-to-five-year transformation roadmaps are becoming less practical, and how procurement can use its unique position across the enterprise to help shape AI governance and adoption.
In this episode, Nick discusses how procurement can:
-Establish a stronger role in enterprise AI adoption and governance
-Move beyond AI experimentation to achieve measurable ROI
-Treat shadow AI as a signal for unmet demand while maintaining appropriate governance
-Move past common blockers and use early AI challenges to guide what comes next
 
Links:
Nick Heinzmann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-heinzmann-787a5041/ 
2026 State of AI in Spend Report: https://zip.com/resources/state-of-ai-in-spend-2026 
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

"If you're not completely sure about what you want to try to achieve, how will you know you ever achieved it?" - Joseph Postiglione, Sr., Author, Protecting Expected Outcomes in the Age of AI
AI investments are accelerating, but many organizations are still struggling to turn promising pilots into the business outcomes they expected. The technology may work as intended, but the original business case can quickly get lost once implementation begins.
In this episode, Philip Ideson welcomes back Joseph Postiglione, author of Protecting Expected Outcomes in the Age of AI: Why AI Implementation Must Evolve - And the Emergence of Commercial Control. Drawing on his experience in management consulting and procurement, Joseph explains why organizations need to be more intentional about defining, monitoring, and protecting the outcomes behind their AI investments.
Joseph introduces the concept of "commercial control" as a complement to traditional technology implementation methodologies. He and Philip explore what it takes to build stronger business cases, why efficiency gains need a clear plan for how freed capacity will create value, and how AI itself could help organizations identify when expected outcomes begin to drift.
They also discuss an important opportunity for procurement: bringing their commercial expertise into enterprise-wide AI investments and helping the business connect technology decisions to measurable results.
In this episode, Joseph discusses how to:
-Define expected outcomes before an AI implementation begins
-Build business cases that go beyond savings and efficiency metrics
-Monitor performance and identify why expected outcomes are drifting
-Use commercial control to create earlier opportunities to intervene and adjust
-Position procurement as a valuable contributor to enterprise technology investments
-Turn stronger AI implementation discipline into a source of competitive advantage
 
Links:
Joseph Postiglione 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

"The biggest risk today is not making the wrong AI decision. It is making no decision at all while everyone else is learning." Samir Khushalani, Senior Advisor, Art of Procurement
Procurement leaders now face more technology choices than ever, with new AI-enabled solutions emerging constantly. In this environment, picking the right tools can be overwhelming, and procurement often struggles with knowing where to start, how to avoid analysis paralysis, and ensuring their tech choices drive real business outcomes. 
In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Samir Khushalani, Art of Procurement Senior Advisor and a former McKinsey digital procurement leader. Samir has guided Fortune 500 companies and is helping to shape the ProcureTech100, the industry's top guide to procurement technology. He breaks down how to navigate a fragmented market, balance risk and urgency, and scale impact without getting stuck in "pilot purgatory." 
In this episode, Samir covers how to:  
-Take practical steps to avoid technology indecision  
-Identify true AI-native solutions versus "AI-wrapped" legacy tools  
-Partner with providers who aim for business impact, not just automation  
-Build a flexible procurement tech stack for lasting competitiveness
 Links:
Samir Khushalani on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samirkhushalani/ 
Art of Procurement Welcomes Samir Khushalani as Senior Advisor: https://artofprocurement.com/blog/blog-art-of-procurement-welcomes-samir-khushalani-as-senior-advisor 
Download the 2025-26 ProcureTech100 Yearbook: https://artofprocurement.com/procuretech100-2026 
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