Predictive Procurement at Scale: Highlights from Arkestro Optimal ’25

On October 29th-30th, hundreds of procurement leaders came together in Houston for Arkestro Optimal ’25 to explore Predictive Procurement at Scale. What they saw over two days: companies cutting sourcing cycles in half, finding savings in categories they thought were tapped out, and getting ahead of spend decisions instead of reacting to them.

Prediction in Practice

The main stage featured voices from Nissan, Chevron, Koch Engineered Solutions, JLL, Zurich, and more, each sharing how predictive procurement is reshaping enterprise sourcing.

“I know Arkestro’s tagline is ‘live in five,’ but we were live in two,” said Joshua Flowers, Senior Manager of SCM IT Category Management at Chevron, during a fireside conversation with Bill Seagrave, SVP of Product Solutions at Arkestro. “On only the second day of using Arkestro, we were able to launch live events. We’re in an environment where we’re doing more with less, and Arkestro has helped us save money and make our company more efficient.”

That perspective carried throughout the event. Procurement leaders across industries shared how prediction is helping them move faster, strengthen supplier relationships, and elevate procurement’s visibility at the executive level.

In a closing conversation, Jeff Immelt, Arkestro Board Member and former GE CEO, joined Rob DeSantis, Arkestro’s CEO, to discuss how AI and predictive insights are redefining enterprise decision-making. “AI is going to be different,” Immelt said. “With these modern tools, you can’t afford to live in the status quo.”

Across the sessions, customers shared proof of that change. Solventum’s Jessica Hinkle described how her team uncovered value in categories once considered locked. Nissan shared how predictive pricing and competitive modeling are helping them navigate cost pressure and supply volatility with greater precision. Each story showed a shift toward quicker, data-informed decision-making that delivers measurable business results.

Applying Predictive Procurement Across the Enterprise

The breakout sessions gave attendees a closer look at how predictive procurement is being applied in different contexts:

Transformation sessions explored how procurement can guide enterprise strategy through better visibility and earlier influence on spend.

Margin Impact saw how predictive insights are improving competition, reducing cost, and supporting profitability goals.

Productivity focused on scaling sourcing operations efficiently through automation and better workflow design.

Each discussion revealed how leading teams are balancing technology, process, and expertise to achieve more consistent outcomes.

Introducing Arkestro Labs

Optimal ’25 also marked the debut of Arkestro Labs, announced during the event as the company’s new research and development engine. The initiative expands Arkestro’s platform with advanced capabilities in predictive pricing, autonomous negotiation, and supplier performance analytics.

Attendees were able to explore these new offerings firsthand at the Arkestro booth and during a live demo that showed how the company’s models continue to evolve through real-world data. They saw how predictive pricing can forecast competitive outcomes, how autonomous negotiation accelerates event setup, and how supplier analytics provide early visibility into performance and risk.

The experience offered a clear picture of where predictive procurement is heading: a connected, data-driven approach that helps teams act earlier and drive measurable results across categories and business units.

A Growing Community

The conversations extended well beyond the main stage and breakout sessions. The Partner Pavilion was buzzing with collaboration and new ideas. SIG and The Gap Partnership hosted specialized workshops that deepened the dialogue around strategy and negotiation.

Sponsors including Capgemini, Agiloft, and BDO played a key role in bringing this ecosystem together, demonstrating how predictive procurement is now a shared priority across technology providers and enterprise buyers.

Looking Ahead to Optimal ‘26

Optimal ’25 was a turning point for predictive procurement. It showed that enterprises are moving past proof of concept and into measurable execution, driven by better data and technology, and leaders willing to rethink traditional processes.

As Arkestro and its community look toward Optimal ’26, the conversation will continue to build around one goal: helping organizations influence more spend, more intelligently, and with greater confidence in every decision.