As we step into 2026, procurement stands at a clear inflection point.
The past few years introduced powerful new technologies—like intake automation, workflow orchestration, and agentic AI—but many procurement teams are still navigating fragmented processes, disconnected systems, and growing complexity. The opportunity ahead isn’t just to digitize what already exists, but to fundamentally rethink how procurement operates across the enterprise.
That’s why, as we closed out 2025 and counted down to the new year, we shared our Top 10 Procurement Resolutions for 2026. Each resolution reflects a shift we believe is essential: from transactional to strategic, from siloed to orchestrated, and from manual execution to agentic, AI-powered enablement.
Together, these resolutions tell a story, starting with how work enters procurement, and ending with procurement’s role as a driver of enterprise-wide value. Here’s the complete list new year’s resolutions for enterprise procurement teams in 2026.
In order to ring in the new year, we’re counting down to 2026 with our Top 10 Procurement Resolutions! 🎉 We start where all things begin, with intake.
Intake is the front door to procurement, and in 2026 it deserves more than a generic form or email inbox. By standardizing intake with guided, intelligent experiences, procurement ensures every request starts on the right path from the very first click.
Context-aware questions, embedded policies, and automated routing help users get what they need without guesswork or back-and-forth. Intake becomes a moment of enablement, not friction—setting expectations early and preventing downstream issues.
When intake is orchestrated, procurement gains visibility, consistency, and control across the entire enterprise.
Watch an overview of intelligent intake management with ORO.
Procurement can only be as smart as the data it runs on—but in an agentic world, imperfect data is no longer a reason to slow down. In 2026, clean, connected data becomes foundational infrastructure, even as AI agents grow better at interpreting ambiguity and working with what already exists. Rather than waiting for perfection, procurement invests in systems that continuously improve data quality as work gets done.
When data is structured, enriched, and unified through everyday workflows, intelligence flows naturally across the process. AI agents help validate inputs, fill gaps, and prevent errors from repeating in the future. Users gain clearer insights, recommendations become stronger over time, and decisions improve with every interaction.
Good data isn’t just hygiene—it’s a self-reinforcing accelerator.
Watch our co-founder and CEO Sudhir Bhojwani speak at DPW New York about using agentic AI to manage data and enable better decision making.
The days of rigid, monolithic procurement systems are fading fast. Composable architecture gives teams the flexibility to add, swap, or integrate capabilities without tearing down what already works.
In 2026, procurement leaders should embrace modularity so they can respond quickly to new business needs, regulations, and priorities. Orchestration layers tie these systems together, ensuring a cohesive experience even when the tech stack evolves.
With a composable approach, procurement gains both stability and agility.
Read about how ORO’s partner network accelerates the intake-to-source journey.
Risk management has evolved beyond periodic review cycles and now operates as a continuous, always-on reality.
In 2026, procurement embraces dynamic monitoring that surfaces issues as they emerge, not months after an audit. Integrated signals around cyber, financial, regulatory, ESG, and geopolitical threats help teams act before disruptions escalate. Automated workflows ensure that risk reviews, escalations, and mitigations happen consistently and collaboratively.
With proactive insights in place, resilience becomes a built-in advantage instead of a lucky outcome.
Learn more about risk orchestration with ORO.
The holidays are a time to reconnect with family and friends and appreciate the relationships that matter most.
Business relationships deserve that same care, and suppliers shouldn’t have to navigate confusing portals or chase status updates just to work with you. In 2026, procurement takes a more human-centered approach, designing processes that are intuitive, transparent, and supportive.
From onboarding through invoicing, streamlined workflows help suppliers respond faster and with fewer questions. Better experiences lead to better engagement, and ultimately better outcomes for both sides. When suppliers feel like partners, the whole value chain performs better.
Learn how ORO improves supplier engagement and reduces onboarding times with its Supplier Front Door.
In 2026, sustainability moves from aspiration to expectation, and procurement sits at the center of measurable impact.
Instead of treating ESG as a separate checkbox, teams integrate responsible criteria directly into intake, supplier selection, contracts, and performance reviews. Automated guidance helps requesters make better choices without slowing them down. Transparent reporting keeps stakeholders aligned and accountable.
When ESG is woven into the workflow, doing the right thing becomes the easy choice—not an extra step.
Read more about how ORO integrates ESG sourcing strategies into procurement processes.
As automation takes on more tactical work, procurement professionals step into roles that require stronger analytical, collaborative, and strategic capabilities.
In 2026, teams invest in learning to interpret AI insights, craft compelling narratives from data, and build deeper partnerships with stakeholders. Human judgment becomes even more valuable as AI agents handle execution.
Upskilling ensures that procurement remains a trusted advisor rather than a service desk. Learning isn’t optional—it’s a differentiator.
Interested in building your knowledge of agentic AI in procurement? Check out our upcoming Agentic Procurement Orchestration Masterclasses.
Agentic AI goes beyond answering questions and takes purposeful action on behalf of the user.
In 2026, procurement embraces AI agents that draft documents, route approvals, flag risks, validate inputs, and propose next steps. These agents learn from patterns across the organization, making recommendations that get sharper over time.
Humans still set the strategy, but AI handles the operational lift with speed and consistency. Together, they create a more agile and intelligent procurement function.
ORO helps accelerate numerous workflows with agentic AI. Learn more here.
Procurement has long been a collection of disconnected steps: intake here, contracts there, suppliers somewhere else.
In 2026, orchestration becomes the connective tissue that ties these moving parts into a coherent, guided experience. Requesters receive clarity, stakeholders stay aligned, and systems work in harmony rather than in silos.
Orchestrated workflows eliminate confusion, reduce exceptions, and shorten cycles. The result is a procurement function that feels effortless, even as complexity increases.
Watch our recent webinar on how orchestration is the missing link in improving procurement operating models.
This is the year procurement steps confidently into its role as a creator of enterprise-wide value, not just a process gatekeeper.
With orchestration and AI streamlining execution, teams can redirect their focus toward innovation, cost optimization, supplier partnerships, and risk-informed decision-making. Procurement becomes a central connector across functions, ensuring that every request, supplier relationship, and contract contributes strategically to business goals. AI agents and harmonized workflows expand the team’s capacity, enabling greater impact without additional complexity.
When procurement leads with insight and orchestration, it becomes a catalyst for growth, resilience, and transformation across the entire organization.
Learn how BASF used ORO to consistently drive value and not just be a "one hit wonder."
In 2026, the most successful procurement organizations won’t be defined by how many tools they deploy or how much work they automate. They’ll be defined by how well they orchestrate people, processes, systems, and AI to deliver real business outcomes.
Agentic AI will continue to mature. Data will improve as work flows through smarter systems. Intake will become an experience instead of a bottleneck. And procurement teams will spend less time managing friction and more time creating value. At ORO, we believe procurement orchestration is the operating model that makes all of this possible.
Here’s to a year of smarter workflows, stronger partnerships, and procurement that truly works for the enterprise.
Register for our next demo webinar on January 15 to learn more about how ORO can help you achieve your 2026 goals.