HFS Research recently published a new report Freedom Within Fences: Autonomous Sourcing Goes Mainstream that highlights how business leaders are increasingly recognizing the transformative potential of AI-driven sourcing and spend management. The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the procurement landscape, offering unprecedented opportunities for efficiency, cost savings, and strategic growth

Here's five reasons the reports says that for enterprises aiming to stay competitive, adopting AI-driven autonomous sourcing is no longer optional—it's imperative.

1. Addressing Procurement’s Biggest Challenges
   One of the most significant challenges in traditional procurement is the inefficiency of sourcing requests, particularly RFx (requests for anything). Centralized procurement teams have historically managed these processes due to their specialized knowledge in market differences, negotiation tactics, and comprehensive evaluations. However, these manual processes are often slow and cumbersome, leading to dissatisfaction among business leaders who face delays in sourcing requests. Leading US financial group T. Rowe Price has adopted autonomous sourcing to significantly reduce procurement friction and improve process efficiency while delivering substantial cost savings.

2. Creating Instant Efficiency Gains
   Despite the belief that competitive RFx is essential for evaluating solutions, creating negotiation leverage, and ensuring fair market value, the traditional six-month RFx timelines are a significant pain point. CFOs' push for savings has expanded the influence of procurement across all spending categories, prompting procurement teams to seek savings in overlooked areas. Autonomous sourcing, powered by generative AI (GenAI), is emerging as a game-changer in this context, automating and expedite the sourcing process, acting as virtual sourcing specialists.
   
   
3. Bringing Procurement to the Business
   Business leaders frequently encounter delays when collaborating with procurement on sourcing requests and some chief procurement officers (CPOs) have been skeptical about their businesses’ ability to conduct an unbiased RFP. Unlike traditional systems, autonomous sourcing platforms give the best of both worlds, enabling stakeholders to run professional RFx efficiently within established procurement guardrails and best practices.
   
   

4. Delivering Cost Savings of up to 20%
   Fidelity Investments adopted our AI-powered procurement platform to manage a high volume of transactions. The platform reduced the time to contract by about 50% and achieved a 20% savings rate in the professional services category with minimal procurement involvement. The seamless integration of the platform with existing systems enhanced operational transparency and efficiency.
   
   
5. Putting You on The Path to Success
   AI-powered autonomous sourcing platforms can transform organizations into 'Generative Enterprises'—entities that use advanced digital technologies to automate procurement processes, reduce manual effort, and enhance strategic decision-making. Our platform uses AI to match business needs with the best suppliers, manage complex proposals, and facilitate real-time negotiations. This not only speeds up the procurement cycle but also enhances decision-making through deep data analytics.
   
   

Act Now or Fall Behind Your Competition!
The report concludes that as we navigate the complex and competitive landscape of 2025, integrating top-tier AI autonomous sourcing platforms is essential. These platforms position the procurement function as a critical enabler of innovation, cost savings, and competitive differentiation.

Click here to download your copy of the full HFS Research report – Freedom Within Fences: Autonomous Sourcing Goes Mainstream