Artificial intelligence is increasingly transforming contract management in the SAP environment – but its true value lies in its practical application. Our presentation shows how AI, in combination with XFT Contract Manager 4S4, makes the entire contract lifecycle more efficient, transparent, and less risky: from the automatic creation of contract files and contract analysis to the identification of critical clauses and deadlines.

• Why the pressure on procurement right now is unlike anything before 
• What it looks like when agents run end-to-end with real business context 
• A concrete case study: how a governed, observable purchase-to-pay agent transforms operational procurement from a manual processing function into a controlled, automated, value-optimizing system 
• How to start your own journey, wherever you are today

Why standard tenders quietly drive up costs — and how IT hardware buying keeps saving after the signature.

Two procurement decision-makers. Two approaches. A dispute that remains unresolved. 

Data quality. AI. ESG. Compliance. Every issue currently preoccupying procurement demands two things simultaneously: better systems and better organisations. But how do you get through it? One side relies on clear rules — even in the face of resistance. Because discipline shapes behaviour, not the other way round. The other side relies on the team — because no rule works if people don’t buy into it. 

Göktürk Simsekol, Director Indirect Procurement at mks | Atotech, and Wiebke Stahmann, eProcurement expert and project manager at the DMK Group, are both in the midst of major transformations — with very different stories behind them. How do procurement decision-makers really drive change today? 30 minutes of debate, unresolved. Moderated by Klaus Bernzen, apsolut.

Tail Spend begins where traditional procurement-processes and -systems reach their limits: software subscriptions, online purchases, IT equipment, immediate purchasing needs, or one-off services. These purchases are often paid for using so-called “department credit cards,” with unclear approval processes, missing invoice documentation, and numerous small transactions that drive up process costs, reduce transparency, and lead to maverick spend. SpendOne demonstrates how this can be transformed into a secure, traceable end-to-end process: from demand capture and approval through to virtual credit cards in partnership with AirPlus, automated invoice collection, verification, and posting. Propain Bicycles provides real-world proof from a CFO’s perspective: concrete, relatable, and straight from day-to-day business practice. Three perspectives, one goal: managing tail spend more efficiently, transparently, and in full compliance.

In the ever-changing regulatory landscape of ESG compliance, procurement professionals struggle to gain a clear overview, transparency and action plans for the most pressing  compliance regulations. Key to polycrisis resilience is the integrated approach of holistic supplier risk management - bringing compliance and spend management together. In this session we show how Coupa supports upcoming EU regulations and share an outlook on our broader ESG strategy. 

Rather than viewing ESG merely as a chore and simply playing catch-up with regulatory requirements, this panel offers a different perspective. The focus is on how integrated ESG data in procurement can help to cut costs, reduce risks and strengthen the resilience of the entire supply chain.

Procurement in SMEs is under pressure: declining demand, fragile supply chains, talent shortages, and rising costs. Casual supplier collaboration and purely price-driven negotiations are no longer effective. What is needed is active risk management, optimized processes, and digitization that connects teams both with each other and with data. In this Masterclass, we will provide practical insights into how to overcome these challenges. We will focus on automation and AI within a holistic procurement strategy, supported by our platform, which digitizes the entire source-to-pay process end-to-end.

Drawing parts have long been a blind spot in technical procurement: data scattered across drawings, ERP and the market, no real comparability, decisions dependent on the individual buyer's experience. This is exactly where Zentreo comes in. The new AI platform for drawing parts helps procurement teams understand technical parts, compare prices and suppliers with real market data and make decisions they can stand behind.

Frank Sattler, CEO of Zentreo, shows in this talk how Zentreo automatically reads 2D drawings and 3D CAD models and connects them with real transaction data and supplier structures from 25 years of market experience. For the first time, spend on engineered parts becomes fully transparent, suppliers can be strategically consolidated, and with Zentreo the largest savings lever in technical procurement becomes realizable with every order.

Circularity goes far beyond traditional sustainability. Companies that keep materials in use for longer, reduce dependencies on scarce resources and rethink their business models can turn circular approaches into a concrete competitive advantage. The focus is on the commercial opportunities of circularity: lower costs, more resilient supply chains, new revenue models and a stronger future position in the market. The session shows why the circular economy is not only an ecological necessity, but a strategic lever for companies that want to remain competitive in the long term.

How can shipping packaging evolve from a cost factor into a true success driver? In his keynote, “Perfectly Packed: What Shipping Can Learn from a Tailored Suit,” Fabian Kraft from RAJAPACK explains why packaging today is far more than simple product protection. 

Using the analogy of a tailored suit, he demonstrates how perfectly fitted packaging solutions can enhance customer experience, reduce costs, and support sustainability goals — topics that are becoming increasingly important due to rising customer expectations, growing logistics requirements, and the new European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). 

The session demonstrates in a practical way how companies can create real added value through intelligent packaging design, smart material selection, and multisensory brand experiences.

How can AI truly advance procurement today? This presentation highlights applications that are already working reliably in day-to-day operations – from faster analyses to automated workflows. At the same time, it demonstrates why AI in procurement does not simply work “out of the box”: results need to be understood, interpreted, and complemented with expert knowledge to enable sound decision-making. Using practical examples, the presentation shows how this gap can be bridged and how AI can create real value in procurement.

If you only start when the negotiation begins, you've already missed the biggest lever. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, and supply shortages mean more complexity, more constraints, and less room to maneuver at the negotiating table. In this masterclass, Alperen Can and Alejandro Basterrechea share three game-changing approaches, illustrated through real-world case studies, that demonstrate how procurement can create impact earlier, think beyond traditional boundaries, and evolve from an executor into an active driver of business value in an increasingly complex world.

The biggest obstacle to AI in procurement isn't the agent. It's the data.

Most AI pilots will fail this year. Not because the agents don’t work, but because the underlying data is broken. In this session, you’ll hear about two procurement AI deployments that initially didn’t work due to data issues, and how they were ultimately fixed. Both stories show the same pattern: where the data fails, why agents amplify data issues, and what it takes to get to production. 

You'll leave knowing what to look for and fix in your own environment before deploying.

In preperation

My masterclass isn’t about #hype, but about substance: what can large language models really achieve? Where do concrete use cases arise in procurement? What role do data, information and context play? And how do companies establish robust AI governance?

According to WirtschaftsWoche and the appliedAI Institute for Europe gGmbH, akirolabs is one of the #27 most promising #AI start-ups in Germany.

Building on this, I will provide a practical overview of what really matters when it comes to #AI in #procurement – from the basics right through to implementation within corporate structures.

Which substances are in your products — and can you prove it across your supply chain at any time? This masterclass shows how procurement and sustainability teams can connect supplier data with product and material compliance to manage REACH, RoHS and PFAS more efficiently, identify gaps earlier, and build a scalable, audit-ready process.

We discuss how AI significantly simplifies, speeds up and enhances the security of procurement processes, from demand to order.

• Faster demand notifications
• Greater compliance
• Intelligent AI support
• Automated quotation acceptance
• Transparent PR/PO status enquiries

As the proportion of electronics in all products continues to rise, electronics procurement is playing an increasingly critical role in ensuring production stability, supply reliability, and savings in the millions. Sebastian Schaal, CEO and co-founder of Luminovo, explains why this strategically critical function remains fragmented and digitally underdeveloped in most companies—and what the consequences of this are. Using concrete examples from the industry, he demonstrates how end-to-end digital solutions create transparency, identify risks early on, and empower procurement teams to act proactively rather than reactively. A wake-up call for anyone who still underestimates the importance of electronics procurement.

AI agents don't just change individual tasks – they rewrite the logic of entire procurement processes. Those who don't rethink their stack now will be forced to rebuild it soon. We show how agentic systems come to life in practice – using concrete industry use cases. From idea to working agent in a single session. Agentic AI changes who decides what in procurement and how processes need to be designed.

The historical portfolio data is already there. What's missing to turn it into value isn't just the link to the external market, it's internal alignment. 

In day-to-day operations, category teams often work in silos, creating cross-functional half-truths and untapped potential. And with more data than ever, AI agents producing ever more output, and that siloed way of working, human communication becomes the new bottleneck. The answer isn't “MORE DATA” or “MORE AI”. Procurement, like many industries before it, has to learn to master this information overload. 

This Master Class shows you, step by step — Have, See, Understand, Act — how to merge your internal history with live market data to spot potential and actually unlock it.

Resilience in the Supply Chain: From Strategy to Operating Reality

In today's world, supply chain resilience is no longer a strategic objective – it's an operational necessity. 

In this session, Moody's, will take participants beyond theory and show the practical mechanisms for building supply chains that are able to anticipate, manage and adapt to continuous disruptions.

Against the backdrop of geopolitical fragmentation, increasing regulatory requirements and ongoing volatility, global supply chains are undergoing a fundamental transformation – away from cost-optimized "just-in-time" models towards resilient, data- and information-driven and risk-aware ecosystems.

This session will shed light on what this change means in concrete terms for those responsible in purchasing.

Reach on LinkedIn is collapsing, and visibility suddenly works very differently. Much of what worked for procurement professionals for years is now losing its impact. The AI algorithm is fundamentally changing how content, people and networks become visible on LinkedIn, with direct implications for procurement, supplier discovery and digital visibility. Mario Bruggmann talks about uncomfortable truths, new mechanics and why many procurement professionals have not even noticed the shift yet. A reality check for everyone who does not want to become invisible on LinkedIn.