Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping work – and will probably transform the roles of procurement and supply professionals. What challenges and opportunities should you be considering? Where is AI being deployed well today, and what might be possible tomorrow? How do you embrace its potential while navigating complex ethical questions? A panel of practitioners and experts address these big questions, and try to answer that all-important question – will AI take my job?

Time is in short supply for procurement professionals. Technology is there to overcome this key challenge, yet many functions have yet to invest and take advantage of the efficiencies created. What are the obstacles to adoption? Where is a good starting point to begin digitising your function? And, what can specific procurement tech, such as e-procurement systems, automation and AI, practically do for you? Learn from RS as they reveal the findings of the 2024 Indirect Procurement Report and share tips on how to adopt and harness the power of technology to drive performance in your team.

Unlocking the future of inventory management requires AI functionality to ensure your business can meet demand with agility, speed, and precision. How can AI functionality accelerate inventory forecasting? What are the benefits of AI in optimising inventory? And, how does AI help when there are changes in demand and supply? Hear from global inventory management and demand planning experts on how AI functionality will unlock value from your inventory data to identify opportunities to reduce excess stock or stock-outs in real-time and rectify these situations before they even occur.

Smarter, agile and connected supply chains are the future, and digitalisation is the catalyst to achieving this goal. Yet the theoretical must now become the reality. What technology is available to procurement and supply professionals now, and in the future? How do you broaden your tech horizons and take advantage of innovative start-ups? And why does procurement need to empower itself and prioritise digitalisation? Learn the role of the UK’s Digital Catapult in accelerating the advent of digital supply chains and uncover the opportunities of technology such as AI for procurement from one of its pioneering start-up partners.

Your organisation is only as cyber-secure as your supply chain. The frequency and severity of cyber-attacks are accelerating at pace, and procurement leaders must ensure their supply chain remains resilient. How are high-profile organisations responding? Where are the emerging risks? What should you be doing to prepare? On this panel: an internal lead safeguarding a defence and aerospace giant; and a leading IoT and cyber expert.

The choices facing procurement and supply professionals can be excruciatingly complex. How do you balance multiple stakeholder interests? What’s most important: cost or environmental impact? Speed or reliability? In this keynote address, hear from one of the world’s pre-eminent ethical thinkers about navigating complexity in uniquely turbulent conditions.

Diversity comes in many forms. People who are neurodivergent or who come from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds can face significant obstacles in building a career. Is procurement and supply truly accessible to everyone? Is your organisation reaching into all corners of society to find great talent? How diverse is your own thinking? In this inspirational conversation, you will hear from procurement professionals who have faced adversity and, through careers in procurement, altered the trajectory of their lives.

Public procurement is changing. The new Procurement Act will “shake up the UK’s outdated system”, says the government. But where will public-sector professionals see the most immediate change? How should you be preparing your teams? And what new skills will public-sector procurement professionals need? Hear from a panel of public-sector procurement professionals and experts at the sharp end of the new legislation.

Imagine if purpose were at the core of every project you worked on – what could be achieved? The development of emergency vaccination programmes require purpose beyond measure to achieve success, as demonstrated by a global pandemic. Working at the heart of vaccine manufacturing operations, Alice Kan has important lessons to share from her experiences – lessons that will resonate strongly with the daily challenges faced by procurement and supply professionals. How do you best communicate with data and keep stakeholder’s attentions? How do you get the right people around the table to make decisions? Listen to a unique perspective of operating during Covid and be inspired by how purpose can be the driver of success for your own projects.