In 2025, procurement leaders are navigating accelerating process complexity at the same time as...
Navigating Procurement Agility in a Time of Constant Change
As procurement leaders face unrelenting macroeconomic pressures, technology disruption, and organizational complexity, agility has emerged as a defining capability. This was a central theme in a recent ORO Labs and Ardent Partners webinar focused on how procurement teams are responding to rising risks, evolving technology expectations, and internal fatigue from years of transformation efforts.
The conversation, grounded in findings from the 2025 State of Procurement Agility report, revealed that many organizations are still struggling with manual processes, fragmented systems, and data challenges—despite a clear desire to modernize.
Macroeconomic Pressures Driving Change
Ongoing tariff volatility, geopolitical tensions, and inflation were cited as leading sources of disruption. For many enterprises, managing shifting trade regulations has become a full-time responsibility. Some companies have even developed internal apps just to track tariff changes—a signal of how reactive procurement must be today. These challenges are forcing teams to reevaluate their supplier strategies, often looking to diversify away from single-source or high-risk geographies.
Yet, even when alternate suppliers are identified, onboarding them remains a significant hurdle. Survey findings showed that onboarding typically takes three weeks or more—a timeline that limits flexibility in times of crisis.
The Dual Pressures of Risk and Speed
Interestingly, the research surfaced two opposing trends: some organizations are loosening risk thresholds to move faster, while others are tightening controls to prevent compliance lapses. Both responses speak to the difficulty of achieving the right balance between agility and governance.
What’s clear is that procurement teams are spending significant time managing exceptions, approvals, and internal coordination—time that could be better spent driving value.
Technology Barriers Remain
Despite years of investment, many procurement functions are still hampered by poor data quality, disconnected tools, and inflexible systems. This complexity makes it harder to orchestrate processes end-to-end. Rather than rip and replace existing systems, organizations are looking for ways to connect and enhance what they already have.
Procurement orchestration—layering flexible workflows over existing systems to automate intake, guide approvals, and improve visibility—is increasingly seen as a pragmatic solution. ORO Labs, for example, enables customers to manage supplier onboarding, risk reviews, and purchasing workflows without requiring IT support or custom development.
AI Adoption Is Accelerating, But Training Lags
Procurement leaders are exploring AI to streamline decision-making, improve user experiences, and analyze large data sets. But while many teams are experimenting with AI tools, only 39% of survey respondents reported receiving any formal training. This suggests a need for more structured education and guidance, especially as organizations begin to deploy agentic AI for specific use cases like intake triage or supplier risk monitoring.
Procurement agility is no longer a nice-to-have. The organizations that will lead are those able to navigate uncertainty, integrate systems intelligently, and adopt new technologies in a thoughtful, human-centered way. And agility isn’t about speed alone. It’s about adaptability, visibility, and enabling smarter decisions at every step.