AI tools and agents are rapidly entering procurement and supply chain operations — yet adoption remains fragmented. Economist Impact’s 2025 research, sponsored by GEP, examines how organisations across the US and Europe are deploying AI, where it is delivering value, and why many initiatives struggle to scale.

Drawing on a survey of more than 400 senior executives, the report explores the challenges of integration, trust, ROI measurement and governance, while highlighting where AI agents perform best and how organisations are balancing automation with human oversight.

What’s Inside the Report:

• Adoption levels of AI tools and agents across procurement and supply chains
• Where AI delivers the strongest results — and where complexity limits effectiveness
• Key use cases, from supplier management and risk detection to forecasting and negotiations
• Workforce impacts, including reskilling and human-in-the-loop models
• The role of trust, transparency and governance in AI-enabled decision-making