Procurement AI creates value before the decision reaches ERP

Tom Raftery highlights that supplier-selection decisions are often substantially complete before information reaches the ERP, making pre-award intelligence and workflow orchestration the more consequential AI layer.

The affected decision is which supplier receives an award and under what commercial and risk conditions. Value requires AI to structure requirements, supplier evidence, risk signals and trade-offs before the sourcing decision is locked.

The principal failure mode is adding AI to ERP transaction execution after supplier choice, resilience exposure and commercial terms have already been determined.