The “negotiation companion” for the future of purchasing
Using AI to smart purchasing - Stepstone's “negotiation companion”
Stepstone wants to significantly improve strategic purchasing through the intelligent use of data and AI. The vision: A system-supported “negotiation companion” that supports purchasing in negotiations with existing and potential suppliers, with precise recommendations, well-founded assessments and maximum usability.
The vision of the “negotiation companion” is to sustainably strengthen Stepstone's purchasing through data-based decision-making bases and intelligent recommendations. To achieve this goal, a first functional prototype was developed, as a starting point for a holistic, scalable and user-friendly concept. From the outset, the focus was on a technical architecture that is sustainable in the long term and meets the specific requirements of purchasing.
Impact
With the new concept, Stepstone's “negotiation companion” becomes a scalable and intelligent negotiation tool with a clear vision:
- 11x more supplier analysis
- Significantly increased efficiency through self-service approaches
- Seamless connection of internal and external data sources
- Using Elasticsearch as a flexible data hub
- AI-driven negotiation approaches
With the “negotiation companion”, Stepstone is ideally positioned for a productive future in digital purchasing, powerful and user-friendly.
“With our companion, we have gained an additional team member who can analyse complex contexts in a factually sound and structured manner and provide us with an initial assessment. An initial basis for recognising correlations and addressing critical issues in the blink of an eye. This new reinforcement has become a valued colleague in no time at all.”
Wolfgang Schwemmer, Team Lead Procurement, Stepstone
5 steps to a “negotiation companion”
Analysis & workshops
At the beginning, together with Stepstone's purchasing team, we analyzed which information, KPIs and levers are required in the seven planned modules. In several workshops, we defined the technical requirements and prioritized central functions for the “negotiation companion.”
UX concept & wireframes
Based on the content requirements, we developed a consistent UX concept. Wireframes were created for each of the seven modules, which clearly visualize KPIs and interactions and enable intuitive user guidance.
Technical concept & feasibility analysis
We designed the technical architecture for all planned modules, including the system landscape, relevant integrations and interfaces. Through a feasibility analysis and initial technical tests, we were able to ensure the feasibility and scalability of the solution at an early stage.
Prototyping & MVP development
Based on the overall concept, we developed a functional prototype that already represented the most important modules. This was iteratively developed into an MVP, with stable connection to systems such as Creditsafe and Sievo as well as deployment on Stepstone's Azure infrastructure.
Transfer & Empowerment
The final MVP was successfully handed over to the purchasing team. With clearly documented architecture and self-service functionalities, Stepstone is now able to independently use the "negotiation companion" and update data.
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