Why Category Management Still Matters in the AI Era
Discover why category management remains a cornerstone of procurement strategy, and how AI, analytics, and digital tools are shaping its future.
For more than two decades, category management has been a strategic powerhouse in procurement. At GBS London Procurement, our team has delivered category management and procurement transformations for leading organisations — from Reuters, Deutsche Bank, and the Central Bank of South Africa (SARB) to Microsoft, GE Healthcare, Mattel, Caterpillar, and Ingram Micro.
Our approach is grounded in integrity, collaboration, and client-driven innovation. The result? Procurement functions that deliver sustainable savings, robust supplier relationships, and greater resilience in global supply chains.
Why Category Management Endures
Category management aligns procurement teams around categories of spend, enabling:
Economies of scale in sourcing products and services.
Strengthened supplier relationship management (SRM).
Enhanced resilience and uninterrupted supply.
Better engagement with CFOs and the wider financial community.
By organising sourcing professionals into category-focused teams, businesses gain:
Faster savings delivery.
Improved global spend visibility.
A consistent, strategic conversation with finance leaders.
The Digital Shift
While the core principles remain, digital transformation is changing how category management works.
Today’s tools, from advanced analytics to AI-powered procurement platforms make it easier to:
Analyse global spend in real time.
Identify savings opportunities faster.
Monitor supplier performance and risk continuously.
Automate routine buying processes.
What once required manual data analysis and lengthy negotiations can now be supported by intelligent automation, predictive sourcing, and AI-driven insights.
Our Proven Track Record
GBS London Procurement has established procurement and category management functions at regional and country levels for international organisations in high-tech, financial services, consumer goods, retail, industrial, and manufacturing.
We’ve helped:
NGOs, start-ups, and multinationals deploy contract management capabilities.
Organisations establish KPIs, SLAs, and governance frameworks with global suppliers.
Teams adopt agile, data-driven category management structures that deliver measurable results.
Looking Ahead
As AI and digital tools evolve, category management will become:
Faster - with more automation in sourcing and contract processes.
Smarter - using predictive analytics for supplier selection and negotiation.
More integrated - embedded within global business services (GBS) operating models.
The future isn’t about replacing people, it’s about augmenting procurement teams with intelligent tools to deliver greater value, control, and resilience.
Call to Action
If your organisation is ready to modernise its category management and integrate AI-driven tools into procurement strategy, we can help you design a model that delivers sustainable impact.