ProcureAbility's 2026 CPO-CIO Report Finds that Lack of Collaboration Between Procurement and IT Teams on AI Governance is Limiting AI Deployments and Adoption

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ProcureAbility, a Jabil company, the leading provider of procurement and supply chain services, today released "The 2026 ProcureCon CPO-CIO Report." The report, created in collaboration with ProcureCon, offers data and insights about how procurement and technology leaders are collaborating to navigate AI governance and digital scale to drive value for the enterprise. The report draws insights from survey responses submitted by select senior procurement professionals from a diverse array of industries. 

Collaboration on AI Governance

Examining how IT and procurement are collaborating, the survey found that while 96% of procurement and IT teams are collaborating to some degree, 54% are not collaborating on AI governance. Because AI tools are dependent on enterprise data infrastructure, security protocols, and other integrations managed by IT, procurement teams and IT teams must utilize a joint AI governance model to be successful. "AI is a powerful catalyst for transformation, but without the right guardrails, it creates as much risk as opportunity," said Satyen Pathak, Managing Director-India at ProcureAbility. "Governance may feel like friction, yet it is precisely what empowers organizations to scale faster and act with confidence."

The Data Governance Problem 

The report reveals the biggest data-related obstacle to AI adoption in procurement: 36% of respondents rated insufficient data governance policies or standards as the biggest barrier to adoption. Following closely is limited internal skills to manage and analyze procurement data, with 26% of survey respondents citing this as the largest limiting factor. 

However, many organizations are working to develop internal AI capabilities:

• 63% are encouraging self-directed learning through online courses or certifications.
• 60% are embedding IT or data specialists within the procurement team.
• 54% are partnering with technology vendors for hands-on enablement. 

Most organizations are utilizing self-directed learning to address AI knowledge gaps. While this is easy to scale and cost effective, it can have limitations. According to Satyen Pathak, "Gaining AI fluency is akin to learning a new language. While self-study can build a foundation, immersion and structured instruction significantly accelerate mastery." 

Demonstrating a positive trend toward integrating IT and procurement operations, 60% of organizations are embedding AI expertise into the procurement team. This approach addresses the skill gap efficiently, without requiring slow cross-departmental requests. 

Collaboration Frequency and Efficacy

Respondents were surveyed about overall IT and procurement department collaboration.

• Of the 96% of teams that are collaborating, 51% are collaborating regularly and 45% are collaborating occasionally. 
• When IT and procurement departments do collaborate, the majority (54%) rate their collaboration as effectively or perfectly coordinated. 
• 53% of respondents report that their CPO and CIO are equal partners in technology procurement. 

This percentage, 53% of equal partnership, is the latest in a significant trend in increased collaboration over time. In 2025, only 45% of respondents reported equal CPO and CIO partnership in technology procurement decisions. Further, in 2024, 55% of respondents said that CIOs took the lead and CPOs were in supporting roles. 

"For too long, procurement has operated downstream of technology decisions, tasked with execution, not influence," said Darshan Deshmukh, President of ProcureAbility. "Today's leaders are redefining that paradigm, elevating CPOs to the center of strategic decision-making and enterprise value creation. As the procurement groups are transitioning to AI-ready organizations, it's critical that Procurement and IT are collaborating effectively to drive implementation and adoption."

For more information or to access the full report, visit https://procureability.com/2026-procurecon-cpo-cio-report/.

About ProcureAbility
ProcureAbility, a Jabil company, is the leading provider of procurement and supply chain services, offering advisory, managed services, digital, staffing, and recruiting solutions. For 30 years, we have focused exclusively on helping clients elevate their procurement and supply chain functions.

We combine leading methodologies, analytics, market intelligence, and industry benchmarks with our uniquely flexible and customizable service delivery model. Global organizations of all sizes trust ProcureAbility to transform their procurement operations, drive growth, and reimagine what's possible.

Let ProcureAbility help you reimagine your procurement and supply chain capabilities. For more information, visit www.ProcureAbility.com.

Media Contact:
Kathleen M. Pomento
Chief Marketing Officer, ProcureAbility
[email protected]

SOURCE ProcureAbility