Procurement teams are readily seizing the opportunities provided by advances in artificial intelligence, with new tools and technologies promising to automate, optimise and enhance the function’s approach to all manner of processes.

But the impacts of AI will not just be technological. Changes to the work done in the function look set to significantly alter how its people work, the capabilities it needs and, ultimately, the structure of procurement itself.

As well as focusing on the tools available, leaders must also grapple with how they hire, develop and manage talent, the types of roles that could disappear or emerge as procurement undergoes this transformation and how to implement changes while minimising disruption.