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Procurement Analytics and Spend Management Blog

Data & Analytics

How to Build AI-Ready Procurement: The Four-Stage Roadmap From Spend Analytics to Agentic AI

About the author: Syed Naqvi has spent 12 years building procurement analytics centers of excellence..

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How to Build AI-Ready Procurement: The Four-Stage Roadmap From Spend Analytics to Agentic AI

About the author: Syed Naqvi has spent 12 years building procurement analytics centers of excellence...

Data & Analytics,

Your Data Doesn't Need to Be Perfect: 7 Real Questions Procurement Leaders Asked About AI

This FAQ covers the most common questions procurement leaders ask about adopting AI when their data ...

Procurement Explained, Data & Analytics,

AI-Ready Procurement Data: How to Adopt Procurement AI Without Perfect Data Quality

Most procurement leaders believe poor data quality is a reason to delay AI adoption. This article ex...

Data & Analytics,

Price Benchmarking in Procurement: How to Know If Your Pricing Is Actually Competitive

Your team delivers consistent savings, spend analytics is live, data is categorized, and category st...

Data & Analytics,

Why Procurement Teams Can't Get a Reliable View of Spend And How to Fix the Foundation

Most procurement data problems share a common root: spend is captured across disconnected systems, c...

Data & Analytics,

2026 Infrastructure & Utilities Procurement: Benchmarks, KPIs & AI Readiness

Infrastructure & Utilities procurement is entering 2026 under materially different conditions fr...

Data & Analytics,

Chemicals & Biotechnology Procurement KPIs: A Benchmark Analysis

Chemicals & Biotechnology procurement teams enter 2026 with continued raw-material volatility, e...

Data & Analytics,

Automotive and Manufacturing Procurement Benchmarks: An Industry Outlook for 2026

Automotive and industrial manufacturers enter 2026 with procurement under pressure from multiple dir...

Data & Analytics,

Services & Retail Procurement in 2026: Industry Benchmarks and KPIs

In Services and Retail, small procurement improvements show up fast in the numbers—margins, service ...

Data & Analytics,

FMCG Procurement: Benchmarks and KPIs for 2026

Procurement teams in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry sit in a tight spot. Cost pressu...

Data & Analytics,

Healthcare Procurement Industry Benchmarks and KPIs for 2026

Healthcare and pharma procurement teams enter 2026 with rising spend, volatile supply markets, and h...

Data & Analytics,

Best Practices in Budgeting & Forecasting for Procurement and Finance

For manufacturers, the difference between steady margins and sudden shortfalls often lies in the qua...

Savings & Finance, Procurement Explained,

Agentic AI in Procurement: Transforming Decision-Making at Scale

In the Sievo webinar titled "Driving Procurement Decision Orchestration: How Agentic AI is Changing ...

Data & Analytics,

Procurement Savings Tracking: Why the Process Is Changing

Every procurement team gets the same marching orders: Show us the impact. Not just plans or slides, ...

Savings & Finance,

Embracing Agentic AI in Procurement: Bridging the Data-to-Action Gap

By Varvara Kharitonova and Marius Ciobanu. Special thanks to Heta Pirttijärvi. Agentic AI is making ...

Data & Analytics,

From Tracking to Performance: The Future of Initiative Management in Procurement

Procurement has long relied on spreadsheets, dashboards, and manually built reports. It’s a familiar...

Savings & Finance,

The Hidden Costs of US Tariffs and How to Mitigate Them

U.S. tariff policies have made understanding the financial impact, legal responsibilities, and strat...

Thought Leadership,

PowerBI Alternatives for Procurement in 2026

Procurement teams are now under pressure to re-evaluate their analytics strategy in light of Microso...

Spend Analysis,

6 Procurement Priorities for 2026

2026 has started with procurement facing a perfect storm of change. The world is moving faster than ...

Thought Leadership,

Procurement Performance Management (PPM) and the future of initiative tracking

Procurement Performance Management (PPM) is a set of processes and technologies to enhance the effic...

Savings & Finance,

Hidden costs of building in-house procurement analytics

Recently, we hosted a webinar with The Hackett Group and Mondelez on whether to build or buy your pr...

Procurement Performance & Development,

The pitfalls of in-house procurement analytics tools

In the fast-paced world of procurement, the allure of DIY analytics solutions like Excel, PowerBI, o...

Data & Analytics,

How to Improve Your Spend Visibility: Best Practices

If you're looking to improve spend visibility for your organization, there are several steps you can...

Spend Analysis,

How TDC NET Successfully Reduced Scope 3 Emissions Using CO2 Analytics

The urgency for companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has never been greater. Today, nearly h...

Sustainability & Diversity,

Why faster time-to-value matters in procurement analytics

Procurement teams need actionable insights to make fast, informed decisions. Relying on general-purp...

Procurement Performance & Development, Data & Analytics,

Overcoming Supply Chain Risks: A CPO's Guide to Supply Continuity

Everything is political. Today’s interconnected world is shaped by underlying political forces, from...

Sustainability & Diversity,

Key to Scope 3 Emissions: SBTi Framework for Procurement

Decarbonization has become a critical imperative for businesses worldwide. While internal emissions ...

Sustainability & Diversity,

Rethink Sustainability with 6 Practices for Procurement

In today’s competitive business landscape, leading companies take control of their Scope 3 emissions...

Sustainability & Diversity,

Why Clean Scope 3 Data Matters (and How to Get It)

With 75% of CO2 emissions lying in the supply chain, reducing Scope 3 emissions is an urgent race ag...

Sustainability & Diversity,

Optimizing procurement performance: strategies for success in 2024

In the rapidly evolving world of procurement, Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs) face an array of cha...

Data & Analytics,

5 Ways to Elevate Procurement Analytics with User Adoption and Training

In a hectic procurement landscape, data and analytics tools are crucial for making future-proof deci...

Data & Analytics,

5 Ways GenAI is Changing Procurement

Traditionally, procurement has been dominated by structured data, such as purchase orders and invoic...

Data & Analytics,

ChatGPT for Procurement: LLM use cases for analytics

There is much hype around ChatGPT, and it’s well deserved. Analytics platforms—including Sievo—are e...

Data & Analytics,

California's SB 253 and SB 261: Prep for Climate Accountability

California is pushing towards a greener future with its latest legislative move. With the introducti...

Sustainability & Diversity,

Guide to Best Practice CO2 Analytics RFP | Free Template

Looking to reduce your organization's carbon footprint but struggling to find the best solution for ...

Sustainability & Diversity, RFP & POC,

What procurement can do to support the queer community

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the visibility and acceptance of the queer...

Sustainability & Diversity,

Carbon Analytics: How to Measure, Track, and Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

The time to act on reducing emissions is now. As businesses face increasing pressure to reduce their...

Sustainability & Diversity,

Optimizing M&A Spend Management: Challenges, Strategies, and Opportunities

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) can be complex, involving a myriad of considerations and potentia...

Data & Analytics,

Improve Your Spend Visibility in 2026: Tips and Best Practices

Spend visibility is crucial for organizations to gain control over their expenses and track their sp...

Spend Analysis,

How PO analysis fuels P2P performance

Procure-to-pay (P2P) is a complex process that involves multiple stakeholders, including procurement...

Procurement Performance & Development,

Advancing Your Procurement Maturity Through Data

The concept of organizational maturity has various frameworks and is widely recognized. Similar to o...

Procurement Performance & Development,

Potential of procurement: how to get more value for your business

At its core, procurement is designed to obtain the right goods and services at the right price and o...

Procurement Performance & Development,

Before spend analysis: the data cleansing and enrichment process

Organizations analyze procurement spend data to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and improve suppl...

Data & Analytics,

Spend forecasting techniques for Procurement

Forecasting your spend is a vital part of meeting Procurement and Finance targets. Spend data is a v...

Procurement Explained, DMF,

How Spend Analytics Improves the Procure-to-Pay (P2P) Process: Maverick Spend, Supplier KPIs and Payment Optimization

Integrated spend analytics across the procure-to-pay (P2P) cycle consolidates fragmented procurement...

Data & Analytics,

How to combat inflation and price increases in procurement

When inflation is eating up your profit, understanding your spend is as important as ever. Spend ana...

Savings & Finance,

What Are Tier 1, 2, and 3 Suppliers? A Complete Guide to Supply Chain Visibility

Understanding your suppliers—and your suppliers' suppliers—is essential for building a resilient, su...

Category Management,

Key Differences Between Direct and Indirect Spend Management

What Is Direct Spend in Procurement? Direct spend in procurement refers to goods and services direct...

Procurement Explained,

6 Practical Steps to Improve Indirect Spend Management

Indirect spend management covers the goods and services required to support business operations that...

Category Management,

What is Spend Management and Why Is It Important?

The last few years have put the maturity and competencies of procurement organizations to the test. ...

Spend Analysis,

The strategic sourcing process fueled by data

Strategic sourcing has a vital role to play in supply chain management and ensuring profitable busin...

Data & Analytics,

Why onshoring supports your sustainable procurement agenda

In the procurement world, offshoring is the relocation of production, business process or operations...

Sustainability & Diversity,

Fighting Modern Slavery in Procurement

Modern slavery can be defined as the recruitment, movement, harboring or receiving of human of all a...

Sustainability & Diversity,

How to measure sustainable performance: KPIs and Metrics

Procurement is at the forefront of sustainability measurement. Tracking sustainable performance is t...

Sustainability & Diversity,

How to implement sustainability in Supplier Relationship Management (SRM)

Supplier relationship management (SRM) is a business initiative that aims for mutually beneficial su...

Sustainability & Diversity,

Everything you need to know about supplier negotiations

Supplier negotiation combines interpersonal skills, tactics, market understanding, and data-driven i...

Procurement Explained,

Everything you need to know about the CSRD

Reporting on sustainability initiatives is no longer optional. Even medium-sized companies are getti...

Sustainability & Diversity,

How to select (and develop) sustainable suppliers

Suppliers play an essential role in your sustainability journey. Sustainability goals will only be a...

Sustainability & Diversity,

6 things to consider in your sustainable procurement roadmap

Sustainable procurement is the integrated process of lowering environmental impact and creating posi...

Sustainability & Diversity,

How to be compliant with the German Supply Chain Act

The German Supply Chain Act (The German Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains ...

Sustainability & Diversity, Multi-language,

What is sustainable procurement and why is it important?

Sustainable procurement is a process that integrates environmental, governance, and social factors o...

Sustainability & Diversity,

The Marketing Procurement relationship: tips for collaboration

One of the key issues for Procurement is to elevate its role as a strategic advisor to the business....

Category Management,

How to Build a Procurement Strategy: 8 Steps for Procurement Leaders

A procurement strategy is a medium- to long-term roadmap that defines how an organization strategica...

Procurement Performance & Development,

Total cost of ownership (TCO) of procurement software

When it comes to procurement analytics, the question of whether to build it yourself or buy it from ...

Data & Analytics,

Scope 3 emissions: what can procurement do?

Sustainability has become a pressing priority for all organizations. Recent research conducted by th...

Sustainability & Diversity,

Working capital optimization through payment terms

Financial managers are constantly being asked to do more with less. It is important to track every p...

Savings & Finance,

What Is Category Management in Procurement - Criticality Matrix Example

Category management in procurement is a strategic approach that segments organizational spend into g...

Category Management,

Procurement ROI and Operational Procurement Performance

Procurement performance measurement (PPM) is the systematic process of measuring the effectiveness, ...

Procurement Performance & Development,

How to measure supplier diversity in procurement | Metrics and KPIs

Supplier diversity is a proactive procurement strategy that encourages organizations to include mino...

Sustainability & Diversity,

Decentralized procurement, centralized procurement, or center-led?

Centralized procurement means that purchasing is managed at the headquarters level. Decentralized pr...

Procurement Performance & Development,

3 ways to tackle commodity price fluctuations and volatility

In procurement, a commodity is a raw or semi-processed material used to produce a good. Commodities ...

Savings & Finance, DMF,

Agile procurement: a closer look at agile sourcing

The complexity of supply chains and market environments is increasing. Staying relevant within procu...

Procurement Performance & Development,

7 tips to reduce maverick spend in procurement

Maverick spend — also called off-contract spend or rogue spend — refers to purchases made outside of...

Spend Analysis,

Contract Handover | Best practices and success factors

In most organizations, once a supply contract has been negotiated and signed, it will be handed off ...

RFP & POC,

7 Benefits of Procurement Analytics

Procurement analytics uses quantitative and analytical methods to derive actionable insights from pr...

Data & Analytics,

How to Run an RFP Process | Step-by-Step Guide

A Request for Proposal (RFP) is a structured way for businesses to invite vendors to solve a specifi...

RFP & POC,

How to manage a POC project for Spend Analytics

A proof-of-Concept (or POC) is a great low-cost exercise when in need of further assurance in soluti...

RFP & POC,

RFP template for procurement savings management solution

One of the reasons behind an RFP can be to collect information from vendors in order to make the bes...

RFP & POC,

RFP questions to ask software vendor | free template and cover letter

Previously, we published a blog post How to Write an RFP for Procurement Analytics Software. To resp...

RFP & POC,

4 Proven Steps to Increase Spend Under Management

Spend under management is the amount of spend managed by procurement out of total company spend. Imp...

Spend Analysis,

How to build an effective procurement team in 10 steps

There used to be a saying that the brightest person would be assigned to product development, the mo...

Procurement Performance & Development,

How Category Management Works in Procurement: Key Concepts, Examples, and Common Challenges

Category Management (CM) is a strategic approach to procurement where organizations group together s...

Category Management,

6 steps to take toward sustainable procurement

Sustainable procurement can be defined as the process of finding, sourcing, and acquiring goods and ...

Sustainability & Diversity,

Procurement KPIs: a complete list

KPIs (key performance indicators), also called metrics, are designed to measure the performance and ...

Procurement Performance & Development,

Everything you need to know about Procurement savings

The main goal of procurement is to ensure products and services are bought at the right price. Cost ...

Savings & Finance,

What Is Direct Procurement? Direct Materials and Sourcing Explained

Direct procurement is the process of purchasing raw materials, goods, and services that are used dir...

Procurement Explained,

Build or Buy? How to Choose the Best Spend Analysis Solution for Procurement

Every procurement organization needs visibility of their spend. There are many ways to do this. For ...

Spend Analysis,

What is spend cube analysis made up of?

Spend cube analysis is spend data presented as a multidimensional cube. The three dimensions of a pr...

Procurement Explained,

Materials Forecasting Explained

Materials forecasting involves creating direct materials cost budgets and forecasts to help your bus...

Procurement Explained, DMF,

Supplier Segmentation 101 – Strategic Suppliers and Future Success

Supplier segmentation is the process of allocating suppliers into distinct groups so that limited re...

Category Management,

How to Manage Tail Spend in 5 Steps

Tail spend refers to the portion of an organization’s procurement that accounts for approximately 80...

Procurement Explained,

Spend Analysis: A Short Introduction

Spend analysis is the practice of analyzing procurement spend to decrease costs, increase efficiency...

Procurement Explained,

Supplier diversity analytics | tracking, reporting, and managing your program

The interest in supplier diversity programs is growing. In the United States, there are more than 15...

Sustainability & Diversity,

Spend Categorization Explained: Taxonomy & Best Practices

Spend categorization does not have to be painful. Granted, it can be time-consuming and demanding, b...

Procurement Explained,

Procurement Transformation: 5 Shifts in Mindset

Transformation is one of the most overused words in business. When applied to discussions about proc...

Procurement Performance & Development,

Key Terms and Abbreviations in Procurement

Terms used in procurement can be pretty complex. There are many concepts to familiarize oneself with...

Procurement Explained, Multi-language,

How to Write an RFP for Analytics Software | Free Question Template

Are you looking for an analytics solution and struggling with evaluating and assessing potential ven...

RFP & POC,

How to Build a Procurement Cost Reduction Strategy: Short-Term Wins Through Long-Term Savings

Procurement cost reduction is the practice of lowering total procurement expenditure through targete...

Savings & Finance,

How to Prepare for Procurement Contract Negotiation: 5 Key Considerations

Commercial contracts that run smoothly throughout their lifespan are a rarity. So much can go wrong:...

Procurement Explained,

How to Calculate and Forecast Purchase Price Variance (PPV)

In any manufacturing company, Purchase Price Variance (PPV) Forecasting is an essential tool for und...

Savings & Finance,

What Is a Purchase Order? (And Why It's Worth Doing Right)

A purchase order (PO) is an official document, created by the buyer, which authorizes a purchase tra...

Procurement Explained,

The Request for Quotation (RFQ) Process in 6 Steps

A Request of Quotation (RFQ) is a competitive bid document used when inviting suppliers or contracto...

RFP & POC,

Collaboration between Procurement and Finance: Cost Reduction

In many organizations, the relationship between finance and procurement is somewhere between unfrien...

Savings & Finance,

Contract Lifecycle Management: A Complete Guide to the 5 Stages

Managing commercial contracts is becoming an increasingly complex activity. The volume and variation...

Procurement Explained,

Supplier Relationship Management Do's and Don't's

Supplier relationship management (SRM) can be viewed as one of the few remaining opportunities for p...

Category Management,

10 Challenges in Contract Management and how to overcome them

Many CPOs would consider contract management being the basis for continuous supplier management when...

Category Management,

SavingsBridge – Our Solution to Connect Procurement and Finance

One of our most-read eBooks, Procurement Loves Finance, is about building and nurturing the relation...

Savings & Finance,

6 steps to measure real savings for indirect spend

I was having discussions a few weeks back with one of our clients regarding actual savings calculati...

Savings & Finance,

6 Key Learnings from 100+ Spend Cubes

During my three and a half years at Sievo, I have seen many spend cubes being created. While industr...

Spend Analysis,

12 Benefits of Advanced Spend Analysis

An advanced spend analysis solution has become a prerequisite for running a professional sourcing or...

Spend Analysis,

The challenge of bad procurement data quality

Spend analysis aims at creating a fact-based understanding of where a company spends its money: what...

Data & Analytics,

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