Generative AI: From Guesswork to Greatness

Last month I had the privilege of presenting at Enable’s Supply Chain Leadership Forum on how AI is transforming pricing and rebate management. The conversation in the room confirmed what we’re seeing across clients at Propel with a shift from manual reaction to confident, AI-driven decision-making.

Below are some key highlights and quotes from the session, along with a link to the full recording.

1. Agentic AI: From Tools to Teammates

“AI isn’t a calculator anymore. It’s becoming a colleague that can reason, prioritise, and act.”

I demonstrated GenSpark Super Agent analysing semiconductor supply-chain risk in real time. It selected its own data sources, built a visualisation, and even drafted an email to a CPO summarising the results.

This is Agentic AI in action. These systems that understand your intent, make trade-offs, and surface insights you hadn’t thought to ask for.

2. Focus Beats Frenzy

“The biggest reason AI projects fail? Trying to do everything at once.”

We’ve all seen it: sprawling AI initiatives that start strong and end in confusion.  The organisations that win start small and strategic. They pick one workflow (pricing, contract analysis, or rebate optimisation) and master it.

That single win builds confidence, capability, and internal momentum.

3. Envisioning the Firm of the Future

“The next competitive edge isn’t who has the most data - it’s who has the most AI fluency.”

Imagine a flatter organisation where AI agents handle the repetitive grind - market-monitoring, margin calculations, and supplier analytics - while humans focus on strategy, relationships, and creativity.

We’re already seeing this play out. One client now runs AI agents 24/7 to track markets, giving their analysts richer insights each morning.

The number of people hasn’t changed, but the quality of thinking has skyrocketed.

4. The 90-Day Challenge

“You don’t need 20 Harvard data scientists to start — just 90 days of focus.”

Start simple. Build, learn, repeat:

• Day 30: One working AI assistant solving a real problem

• Day 60: Share it with your team and refine it

• Day 90: Scale or start the next use case

And from an organisational perspective, Propel's 90 day value flywheel:

• Day 30: Establish your LLM infrastructure and enable the team
• Day 60: Run pilots and optimise
• Day 90: Drive network effects and ecosystems

5. Final Thought

AI isn’t here to replace expertise - it’s here to amplify it.

The leaders who get hands-on now will shape how AI works in their organisations. Those who wait will be reacting to others who moved faster.

“If you could hand one task to an AI teammate tomorrow, what would it be?”

Watch the Full Presentation