GEP have adopted an AI-First approach
SUPPLY CHAIN INTERVIEW
As she entered the workforce during the original startup . com boom in the 1990s , she always felt that solving problems was more important to her than simply making money . As the company now helps to lead the conversation on the use of AI in the field of procurement and supply chain software , she still warmly looks back on the early days of the company and the strong grounding it has given the leadership team .
“ As an early stage company , we had to do it all . I had to do it all from the administrative tasks , all the way to selling to Fortune 500 companies and getting a foot in the door ,” she says , “ to hiring our first people , to figuring out a plan for our product roadmap and becoming a product manager and learning along the way .”
These phases of growth and development over nearly 25 years of GEP have resulted in one of the world ’ s leading procurement
GEP have adopted an AI-First approach
• AI-First is an approach that ensures that no stone is left unturned when looking for ways in which they can help customers derive greater value from their supply chain and procurement operations .
• AI-First does not mean AI-Only – far from it . Like any set of tools , how AI is used , and used to best effect , will be determined by the people and how they interpret and act on the information at hand . service solutions companies , and that presents Shah and her fellow leadership with a welcome challenge .
“ Our next challenge is to continue to scale a fast-growing business while not losing the culture , attracting the greatest talent in the world and still continuing to pivot as the world around us continues to change in this generative AI revolution .”
Growing a company without losing a culture GEP has grown from a small team in a co-founder ’ s basement , to a world-wide enterprise with 26 global offices , 6,000 employees , customers in more than 100 countries and partnerships with some of the leading companies on the planet .
With so much competition in the space for procurement transformation , with established players and innovative startups continuously entering the fray , why do their clients and customers choose to partner with GEP ? Shah briefly considers the question , but is emphatic in her reasoning why companies choose them over other worthy competitors .
“ For most organisations these days , they want a long-term partner who is going to solve problems and be there with them every step of the way . At GEP , given that we ’ re founder-led , that we ’ re not just a startup with a nice new toy , but have been around for 25 years with the founders fully embedded in the business and working with a much longer term vision for the company ,” she explains . “ They believe in us . They believe in our people , our leadership team , and our product and expertise that we bring . All we do is live and breathe procurement and supply chain .”