Online Reporter
Judith Phiri
Zimpapers Business Hub
PROCUREMENT professionals in Zimbabwe have been called on to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and automation in procurement to enhance efficiency and drive cost savings.
Cutting-edge technologies in procurement processes are also fostering strategic partnerships and ensuring sustainable growth in the modern business landscape.
Speaking at the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) 4th Annual Public Procurement Symposium in Bulawayo, 5G Technologies (Private) Limited chief executive officer (CEO), Dr Frederick Mandizvidza, said with these technologies, machines and software had the ability to conduct tasks in procurement that typically require human intelligence through learning from available historical data.
“Procurement professionals in the country can utilise AI tools such as machine learning (ML) to learn from data, natural language processing (NLP), decision-making algorithms, and pattern recognition,” he said.
“These ensure you carry out cognitive procurement where AI can predict risks and suggest strategic options. The key application outcomes include price forecasting and cost optimisation, delivery timeline prediction, supplier patterns performance analytics, spend classification, and fraud detection.”
He said the use of software robots that mimic human interactions with digital systems was key to performing rule-based repetitive tasks or structured workflows.
Dr Mandizvidza said the robotic process automation (RPA) applications result in invoice processing generation, vendor onboarding, know your customer KYC verification, and checking PRAZ registration validity, among other things.
“Procurement professionals, it becomes faster, error-free processing of invoices and vendor data, you have automated KYC and PRAZ compliance checks, ensuring regulatory adherence as well as streamlined vendor onboarding, reducing manual workload, while there is instant communication with suppliers via automated welcome emails and portal access,” he added.
He said there was 85 percent increased accuracy in market predictions through AI and predictive analytics enhances decision-making in procurement processes.
Dr Mandizvidza said there was also a 60 percent adoption rate of AI tools in procurement sectors as over half of professionals are using AI for efficiency.
In terms of benefits of contract automation, he said: “This is enhancing efficiency and reducing manual errors. We are witnessing reduced bottlenecks and accelerating procurement cycles; in Zimbabwe it went from 15 to 20 days to under seven days, while globally it has reduced time by 50 to 70 percent according to statistics.”
Dr Mandizvidza said there was improved data quality, minimising human error as well as inclusion of small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and rural suppliers.
He, however, said challenges to adoption in Zimbabwe were due to low digital literacy in the procuring community among procurement officers, suppliers, executives, and boards.
“There is also infrastructure gaps as generally rural areas are not connected and cultural resistance as automation is frowned upon, perceived as a contributor to massive job losses. There are cybersecurity risks as well as most procurement professionals fear threats of cybersecurity,” he said.
“85 percent of ethical AI implementation challenges show that many organisations face significant hurdles in establishing ethical frameworks for AI in procurement processes.”
Dr Mandizvidza called for Afrocentric strategies in procurement starting from local insights of understanding cultural nuances to enhance supplier relationships and procurement effectiveness.
On community engagement, he said involving local stakeholders ensures sensitivity to regional needs and expectations, while tailored approaches customise procurement strategies fostering sustainable growth within African markets.
The two-day symposium which ended on Tuesday was running under the theme: “Beyond Compliance: Strategic Thinking for the Modern Procurement Professional,” recognising procurement as a strategic pillar for effective and efficient service delivery.
