Role-Based Programme
RB1354

AI for Category Management

Spend Intelligence, Market Strategy & Supplier Value Optimisation

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Duration
16 Hours
Level
Intermediate
Delivery
Instructor-Led
Format
Capability Training

Programme Objectives

  • Develop practical AI capabilities for category analysis, spend intelligence, supply-market research, supplier strategy, and category planning.
  • Apply AI to analyse category spend, demand patterns, supplier concentration, cost drivers, market trends, risks, and value opportunities.
  • Use AI to strengthen category strategies, sourcing pipelines, supplier segmentation, negotiation preparation, and stakeholder communication.
  • Improve category performance through structured prioritisation, cost and value analysis, risk management, scenario planning, and performance tracking.
  • Apply responsible AI practices related to confidential spend data, supplier information, commercial sensitivity, source validation, fairness, and human oversight.

Tools covered

Generative AI AssistantsAI Search & ResearchSpend AnalysisCategory IntelligenceSupply Market ResearchSupplier IntelligenceCost & Price AnalysisDemand AnalysisCategory Strategy SupportRisk AnalysisPerformance AnalyticsExecutive Summarisation

Who should attend

  • Category Managers
  • Senior Category Managers
  • Procurement Managers
  • Strategic Sourcing Managers
  • Category Specialists
  • Procurement Analysts
  • Category Analysts
  • Supplier Management Professionals
  • Vendor Management Professionals
  • Commercial Managers
  • Procurement Operations Professionals
  • Supply Chain Professionals
  • Spend Analysis Professionals
  • Procurement Team Leaders
  • Procurement & Vendor Management Leaders

Prerequisites & Participant Readiness

  • Experience in procurement, category management, sourcing, supplier management, or commercial operations
  • Familiarity with spend data, suppliers, sourcing, market analysis, commercial terms, and procurement KPIs
  • Basic familiarity with Generative AI tools is recommended
  • Ability to interpret category, supplier, market, and commercial information
  • No programming knowledge required

TOC Modules

Concepts
  • Understanding Generative AI, reasoning models, multimodal AI, and AI assistants
  • Exploring AI applications across spend analysis, category research, supplier intelligence, and strategy development
  • Understanding how AI complements procurement suites, sourcing platforms, ERP, and analytics systems
  • Recognising hallucinations, unsupported market claims, and limitations in commercial decisions
Practical activities
  • Mapping the category-management lifecycle to practical AI applications
  • Identifying high-value versus high-risk category use cases
  • Comparing traditional and AI-assisted category workflows

Scenarios

Fragmented Category Spend to Strategic Category Plan

Spend Analysis → Demand Review → Market Intelligence → Supplier Segmentation → Cost Drivers → Sourcing Levers → Initiative Prioritisation → Category Strategy

Participants use AI to analyse a simulated fragmented category, identify spend and supplier opportunities, evaluate market conditions, and develop a structured category strategy.

High Supplier Dependency to Category Resilience Strategy

Supplier Concentration → Market Analysis → Cost & Risk Review → Alternate Suppliers → Commercial Scenarios → Negotiation Options → Mitigation Actions → Resilience Roadmap

Participants use AI to analyse a simulated category with high supplier dependency, identify commercial and continuity risks, evaluate alternative sourcing options, and build a resilient category roadmap.

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