Art of Procurement 852: The Future of RFPs: Leaner, Smarter, and Agentic AI-Driven W/ Barri Horn
"Now with agentic AI, RFPs are becoming and will become even leaner, and they'll cut to the chase a whole lot faster. There'll be a lot less fluff." - Barri Horn, Director of Product Marketing for AI for SAP Ariba and SAP Fieldglass' strategic procurement portfolios
AI is reshaping the RFP process, but smart procurement leaders know they have to think beyond speed or efficiency drivers and, instead, reimagine the value they deliver. As teams turn to AI to break free from past challenges, the question isn't if change is coming, but how to capture its advantages while managing risk, trust, and adoption.
In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Barri Horn, Director of Product Marketing for AI for SAP Ariba and SAP Fieldglass' strategic procurement portfolios, to dig into what's truly changing in the world of RFPs, why agentic AI is different from yesterday's tools, and how procurement can use new technology without losing stakeholder trust.
Expect practical, leader-level guidance for running better RFPs and rolling out AI that sticks.
Barri discusses workflows, pitfalls, and organizational mindsets that separate successful AI adoption from failed pilots:
- How to streamline repetitive RFP tasks with AI so teams can focus on insight
- Asking smarter, market-driven questions without overwhelming suppliers
- Aligning AI "autonomy" with procurement's risk comfort level
- Building trust and credibility through transparency and foundational training
- Resetting and rebooting change programs to support adoption
Links:
- Barri Horn on LinkedIn
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- Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube