Skipping e-proc: companies are going straight to AI agents
Companies that never implemented an e-procurement system are considering skipping it entirely and going straight to AI agents.
Someone asked me: do I really need an e-proc system? Can I just skip it?
The idea is simple: companies that never implemented an e-proc won't ever have one. They'll go straight to AI agents.
Why does this make sense? Because most of what e-proc does is cover procurement processes that the ERP doesn't handle well. And in that regard, agents win by a mile on two fronts:
- Customization: an agent is built for the company's specific need, unlike an e-proc that is purposefully generic. The process becomes more efficient and more automated.
- Implementation: you deploy an agent in 1 month. Prove one use case, scale to the next. Small budget, value proven continuously, no 18-month project behind it.
But without e-proc, two challenges remain: where to record everything that happens before the purchase order (system of record) and how to ensure every purchase follows the right path (governance).
These challenges are real, but solvable. And the cost of solving them is a fraction of what it costs to implement an e-proc.
In 3 to 5 years, we'll see companies with more agile and cheaper procurement than competitors who spent millions on e-proc. And those companies will never have had one.