Procurement Leaders Say AI and Digital Fluency Will Be Most Needed Skill in 2030
Businesses’ procurement teams are facing a critical training and capability gap that threatens their ability to reduce costs, drive productivity and mitigate supply disruptions, according to new research from Procurious. According to the report released October 27, “The Procurement Skills and Training Gap,” more than 90% of procurement leaders say skills shortfalls are already impacting their ability to deliver on business objectives.
A critical factor is that training systems and investment have not kept up with procurement’s elevated role. Almost 60% have no formal procurement capability or skills framework, and 60% say their current training budget is insufficient.
The future procurement professional will need more than technical fluency, the reports warns. Behind AI and digital fluency, respondents rank stakeholder engagement and influence (42%) and commercial acumen (39%) as the next priority skills for 2030. And capability gaps are already affecting the bottom line and increasing supply chain risk. If procurement’s current skill gaps are left unaddressed over the next 12 to 24 months, respondents expect a negative impact on cost savings and cost avoidance, procurement team productivity and output, regulatory compliance and audit risk, and supply chain disruptions.
The 67 respondents to the survey were located predominantly in the Asia-Pacific region, with the rest in Europe, the U.S., the Middle East and Africa. In terms of job title, most of the respondents (67%) were CPOs or head of procurement or supply chain. The remaining 33% were directors or managers in procurement or supply chain, or specialist/analyst/coordinator in procurement or supply chain.
