Role-Based Programme
RB1352

AI for Category Management

Smarter Spend Analysis, Market Intelligence & Category Strategy

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Duration
4 Hours
Level
Awareness
Delivery
Instructor-Led
Format
Awareness Session

Programme Objectives

  • Understand how AI can support Category Management across spend analysis, market research, supplier intelligence, category planning, and opportunity identification.
  • Explore practical AI applications for analysing category spend, supplier concentration, demand patterns, cost drivers, and market developments.
  • Apply structured prompting techniques to create category briefs, market summaries, supplier insights, and sourcing-opportunity recommendations.
  • Use AI to improve productivity across category reviews, strategy development, stakeholder communication, and procurement reporting.
  • Recognise confidentiality, commercial sensitivity, source quality, bias, competition considerations, and human-review requirements when using AI in Category Management.

Tools covered

Generative AI AssistantsSpend AnalysisCategory IntelligenceSupplier Market ResearchDemand AnalysisCost Driver AnalysisSupplier Portfolio AnalysisOpportunity IdentificationAI-Powered Reporting & Productivity Tools

Who should attend

  • Category Managers
  • Senior Category Managers
  • Category Executives
  • Procurement Managers
  • Strategic Sourcing Managers
  • Sourcing Specialists
  • Procurement Analysts
  • Spend Analysts
  • Supplier Relationship Managers
  • Vendor Management Professionals
  • Purchasing Managers
  • Commercial Managers
  • Supply Chain Professionals
  • Procurement Strategy Professionals
  • Category Management Team Leads

Prerequisites & Participant Readiness

  • Basic understanding of procurement, sourcing, or supplier management
  • Familiarity with categories, suppliers, spend data, sourcing, or purchasing is helpful
  • Basic analytical, research, and commercial skills
  • No programming or technical AI knowledge required
  • No previous AI-tool experience required

TOC Modules

Concepts
  • Understanding Generative AI and its relevance to Category Management
  • Exploring AI applications across spend analysis, market intelligence, supplier research, and category strategy
  • Understanding the difference between AI assistance, procurement analytics, sourcing tools, and category-manager judgement
  • Recognising AI limitations, hallucinations, outdated market information, and unsupported commercial conclusions
Practical activities
  • Identifying high-value AI applications across a typical category-management workflow
  • Comparing a traditional category-analysis task with an AI-assisted approach

Scenarios

Category Spend to Strategic Opportunity Plan

Category Spend → AI-Assisted Analysis → Supplier Concentration → Demand Patterns → Market Context → Opportunity Identification → Priority Action Plan

Participants use AI to analyse sample category-spend information, identify sourcing and demand-management opportunities, and prepare a prioritised category action plan.

Market Change to Category Strategy Review

Market Signal → AI-Assisted Research → Cost Drivers → Supplier Landscape → Supply Risks → Strategic Options → Category Recommendation

Participants use AI to evaluate a sample market development, assess its potential impact on a procurement category, and prepare a concise strategic recommendation for stakeholder review.

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