Cyril Pourrat, Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) of BT Group and founder of BT Sourced, has pioneered a strikingly practitioner-led approach to procurement technology adoption that contrasts with conventional top-down mandates. His strategy, showcased through the deployment of Globality’s AI-powered Smart Sourcing® Platform, embodies a deeper shift in procurement culture that aligns with BT’s vision of creating a digitally advanced procurement organisation.
BT Sourced was established in 2021 as a standalone procurement entity headquartered in Dublin with a clear mandate to modernise and simplify procurement processes across BT. Central to BT Sourced’s strategy was adopting digital tools that would enable greater efficiency, agility, and value creation in managing BT’s multibillion-pound annual spend on external services. The choice of Globality’s platform, which uses AI to optimise sourcing by quickly identifying and engaging the best suppliers for diverse service categories, reflects this ambition. Pourrat had a long-standing affinity with Globality from his previous role at Sprint, which eased its adoption at BT.
Unlike many large-scale technology implementations that are dictated by senior management or IT departments, Pourrat purposely chose a bottom-up methodology that puts procurement practitioners—the daily users—at the heart of tech selection. He emphasises, “I wanted the procurement practitioners on my team to find the gaps in our process and champion the tool they think would fill them.” This approach avoids the common pitfalls where tools are imposed without end-user buy-in, reducing resistance to change. Practical tactics such as mapping the procurement process in open areas and inviting staff to mark pain points with sticky notes democratise issue identification and solution exploration. Tools that address widely shared challenges gain momentum organically.
Empowering volunteers within the procurement team to act as digital champions further stimulates adoption. Pourrat recounts how one champion organised peer demonstrations of the Globality platform, which drove usage from zero to millions in spend managed through the tool. He highlights the importance of peer advocacy, noting that recommendations from colleagues dealing with daily procurement challenges have more credibility than directives from above. This grassroots enthusiasm allowed the team to “test it, make mistakes, and move on quickly” if necessary, supported by a culture that values experimentation and agility.
Pourrat’s strategic choice of a smaller, specialist tool like Globality over sprawling ERP suites reflects a pragmatic stance on tech investments. He acknowledges that large integrated systems, such as SAP S/4Hana for finance and SAP Ariba for supplier management—both implemented at BT—can be costly and slow to yield returns. By contrast, Globality’s solution could be implemented rapidly and adapted quickly if it did not meet expectations, an important consideration in managing risk and maximizing value.
The technological leap enabled by AI and natural language interfaces not only streamlines workflows but strengthens Procurement’s stature within BT. BT Sourced actively markets itself as a digitally progressive function, attracting talent with the promise of autonomy in choosing innovative tools. Pourrat underscores the strategic benefit, “By championing digital procurement tools, we demonstrate that procurement is not just old stuff or the guys people occasionally turn to for a PO. These are the people using the most advanced technology.” This repositioning helps establish Procurement as a proactive strategic partner capable of driving significant savings and business value through smarter sourcing.
BT’s partnership with Globality exemplifies the growing influence of AI in transforming procurement. The AI-powered platform automates and accelerates the supplier discovery process and enables precise sourcing briefs generated even from minimal input, as Pourrat discussed on The Spend Sessions podcast. His vision is ambitious: to manage the entirety of BT’s £13 billion global spend through autonomous sourcing with Globality, advancing beyond the current two-thirds coverage.
In sum, Cyril Pourrat’s approach highlights a critical insight for procurement transformation: technology should be an enabler chosen by those who understand day-to-day challenges, not an imposition from above. When practitioners select and champion the tools, adoption rates soar, processes improve, and Procurement emerges as a vital driver of digital innovation and value creation within the enterprise. BT’s experience with Globality offers a compelling case study for organisations seeking to navigate the complexities of procurement digitalisation with both agility and human-centric leadership.
Source: Noah Wire Services
