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I had the opportunity to attend my fourth JAGGAER REV conference, and the conversations reinforced what many of us already know: procurement is no longer just about buying. It’s about strategy, risk management, and driving efficiency at scale. This year, I was energized by the momentum across procurement teams who are embracing change, not just to reduce costs, but to improve how their organizations operate.
Here are a few key takeaways from the event:
1. AI Is Moving from Concept to Practical Use
AI was front and center, not as a buzzword but as a tool to create real value. JAGGAER introduced a new AI assistant designed to help buyers make better, faster decisions. The focus is on turning data into actionable intelligence, whether that’s predicting supplier risk, identifying savings opportunities, or streamlining compliance tasks.
2. PunchOut Is Becoming the Norm
Organizations are increasingly requiring suppliers to support cXML POs and invoicing through PunchOut, and for good reason. It delivers speed, compliance, and visibility without adding complexity for internal teams. One example shared during the conference highlighted a dramatic time savings: 4 minutes per PunchOut order versus 31 minutes using P-cards. That’s not just efficiency, it’s time procurement can reinvest in strategic priorities.
3. Reducing P-Card Spend Helps Teams Gain Control
Several organizations emphasized that before centralizing processes, spend felt like “the wild west.” By moving away from P-cards, driving user adoption, and implementing controlled procurement processes, teams have gained clear visibility into organization-wide spend and improved compliance.
4. Procurement + AP Alignment Is a Game Changer
When procurement and accounts payable work together, everything gets easier. Organizations that consolidated these workflows and enabled cXML invoicing for the majority of PunchOut vendors reported faster processing, reduced paper usage, and stronger operational efficiency.
5. Supplier Strategy Matters More Than Ever
Supplier rationalization is becoming a top priority. Teams are reducing supplier bases, prioritizing strategic partners, and matching integration methods to value and volume (ex: PunchOut for high-volume suppliers and hosted catalogs for niche vendors). The main takeaway is that to realize the most efficient and effective ROI, buyers aren’t over-engineering for low-frequency suppliers.
Final Thoughts
JAGGAER REV 2025 underscored that the future of procurement is connected. From what we heard, the priority for purchasing teams is clear. They must enable smarter, more scalable ways to buy, with systems and suppliers that work with them, not against them.
At TradeCentric, we sit at the intersection of buyers and suppliers, integrating their systems to make B2B purchasing more efficient through PunchOut, PO Automation, and Invoice Automation. This unique position gives us insight into the challenges procurement teams face, from simplifying supplier collaboration to scaling operations and improving compliance. We’re deeply engaged with buyers to understand these priorities and deliver solutions that matter.If your team is ready to reduce manual effort, eliminate errors, and improve supplier collaboration, let’s talk.
