64% Organizations Very Likely to Invest in Agentic AI, Says Research
- AI is set to make a huge impact on procurement and supply chain operations.
- Lack of internal expertise and siloed data are preventing businesses from jumping into AI deployment.
- Given the pace at which technology is evolving, the choice of a third-party vendor can prove crucial.
October 07, 2025 | Procurement Software 3 minutes read
The race to adopt artificial intelligence is picking pace.
New research from Foundry supported by GEP, which surveyed 100 senior IT decision-makers in the U.S. in April 2025, highlights this momentum.
65% of IT leaders report that AI will be integrated into supply chain and procurement operations within six months. Also, 64% of organizations are very likely to invest in agentic AI while 35% are somewhat likely, as per the same report.
“Everyone is clear that AI is real, and AI is something they need to get onboard with. We don’t see questions about ‘the art of the possible’ anymore,” says Ashwin Kumar, vice president of consulting at GEP.
This also means that procurement teams must get ready to embrace technology in routine operations. And they must do so quickly, with agentic AI unlocking unprecedented automation possibilities.
Agents can not only make decisions proactively, but also autonomously on their own. They can analyze procurement data in real time and offer strategic insights.
But the big question now is: Are procurement organizations ready for such transformation?
While leaders agree that the adoption of AI will make a huge impact and help businesses stay ahead of competition, they are quite concerned about organizational readiness.
Kumar explains, “Organizations have digital transformation fatigue; they have taken on a lot of initiatives over the last 10 years.”
Let’s look at some of the key challenges.
What Stands in the Way of AI Deployment
The first challenge is the lack of internal expertise
Most organizations don’t have the expertise needed to ensure successful AI rollouts, with only 6% of organizations planning to deploy AI independently.
Most businesses know that successful deployment requires deep collaboration between IT, procurement and supply chain leaders from the get-go.
To achieve such collaboration, 65% of organizations are looking to partner with third-party experts and specialized vendors. 54% of organizations are looking for software vendors that have proven AI capabilities.
The second key challenge is the lack of unified data
59% of organizations believe their systems aren’t ready to fully support the technology. More than half of organizations (53%) do not have their key procurement data integrated into a single system or architecture.
To become “innovation-ready,” organizations must first get their data in order.
They need to get their entire data synchronized across different systems and functions. By solving their data challenges, organizations can go beyond proof of concept and fully leverage the power of agentic AI.
Nearly three-quarters (72%) of organizations say they are fully prepared for agentic AI as they have a unified data system.
The Agentic AI Playbook for Procurement Pros
How to Move from Hype to Action and Results
What Leaders Should Do
To begin with, leaders should adopt an incremental approach. They should build one use case at a time, says Kumar. As technology is evolving, they should not overinvest in a particular area, he suggests.
The success of one use case can inspire confidence and allow leaders to expand the program to other use cases.
When it comes to data cleaning, leaders should adopt a similar approach. Instead of cleaning up all their data first, they should take a more methodological approach. They should start by looking at the goals their business hopes to accomplish with AI and work back from there.
“You need to identify the outcomes you want before you start cleaning the data en masse. Clear framing of the AI problem will define the data you want to clean up,” says Kumar.
Choosing the Right Vendor
Enterprises realize that AI is critical to organizational growth. They also know that agentic AI is nascent and will evolve rapidly. The choice of vendor therefore becomes crucial for successful AI deployment.
To unlock the full power of technology, companies should partner with vendors with proven AI expertise. Vendors should also have deep understanding of the problem they are solving and be able to prepare data for specific use cases. They should also be ready to work closely with internal business teams.
To learn more findings of the Foundry research and steps that IT leaders must take, read the full research report Agentic AI: The Key Steps IT Leaders Must Take To Leverage This Pivotal Moment.
