Key Takeaways from YPP Workshop on Category Strategy and A.I.
AI is rapidly transforming how procurement professionals build category strategies. In a recent practical showcase from the Young Procurement Professionals (YPP) hosted at NEVI House of Procurement, we explored a range of AI tools and learned how to get the most out of them with effective prompting. The session highlighted both the strengths and limitations of AI, showing how it can provide a solid foundation, while strategic thinking and human judgment remain important.
1. There’s more to discover in the AI ecosystem
While large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT get most of the spotlight, the AI toolkit is much broader and more powerful than many realize. In YPP’s practical showcase, participants were introduced to diverse tools ranging from NotebookLM, which can transform documents into digestible insights and even a podcast, to Napkin AI, a visual thinking tool that transforms rough ideas into clear, structured flowcharts and slide-ready diagrams. These tools serve different parts of the category strategy process, from research to presentation. Exploring beyond LLMs opens up new ways to simplify workflows, enhance outputs, and make procurement strategy more efficient and impactful.
2. AI work best in synergy
No single AI tool can do it all, but when used together, they complement each other in powerful ways. Combining tools create synergies that support every stage of category strategy, from research and data summarization to visual storytelling and execution. Much like building a high-performing team, each AI application brings a specific strength. We learned this not just in theory, but by doing. By experimenting with different tools during the session and seeing how they work in tandem, we learned that the future of AI in procurement isn’t about finding one perfect solution but about designing an integrated ecosystem.
3. Prompting is a professional skill
The quality of your prompt defines the quality of your results. Simple or vague prompts lead to generic outputs, while thoughtful, specific inputs generate surprisingly useful results. We explored the RISE framework, taking into consideration Role, Input, Steps, and Expectation when crafting prompts to get better outcomes.
4. Knowing When AI Needs a Nudge
AI is impressive, but it’s far from perfect. It can misunderstand the context or skip the point entirely. At the showcase, we explored how important it is for users to test AI’s limits to understand where it fails and how to fix it. A good practitioner doesn’t take AI output at face value. Instead, they recognize the gaps and actively shape the output into something accurate and useful. That’s where human intelligence still matters most: guiding AI toward strategic clarity, not just settling for its first answer.
The workshop sent one clear message, AI is not here to replace procurement professionals, but to empower them. With the right tools, thoughtful prompting, and human oversight, AI becomes a valuable partner in building smarter, faster, and more effective category strategies.
