Industry news

UK businesses have emerged as AI leaders with more than a fifth of companies implementing AI technologies across their businesses.

This is according to a global study from consultancy BearingPoint, which found that while the UK statistics are nearly double the global average (12%), the country’s public sector is lagging behind on adoption of AI (13%) – despite the new government looking to explore future opportunities for growth with AI.

Read the full article on Management Today here.

AI builds resilience by mitigating risks and improving decision-making through accurate, real time data. One of the biggest challenges in today's supply chains is inaccurate or outdated inventory data, which can lead to stockouts, over-ordering, or delayed responses to disruptions.

AI helps solve this by providing real-time, accurate insights into inventory levels, allowing procurement teams to make more informed decisions.

For example, by capturing inventory data at the dock door and updating existing inventory management systems, Kargo enables teams to realise inventory faster than manual processes. With Kargo, companies see a 30-50% improvement in inventory integrity.

Read the full article on Procurement Magazine here.

A new study from Apple's AI researchers has exposed significant limitations in the reasoning capabilities of large language models (LLMs).

In a newly released paper titled "GSM-Symbolic: Understanding the Limitations of Mathematical Reasoning in Large Language Models," the researchers argued that LLMs, despite their impressive language skills, demonstrate a troubling degree of inconsistency when solving mathematical problems.

The study found that these models struggle with even simple mathematical problems when presented with even slight changes in the wording of queries.

Read the full article on Computing here.

Indian tycoon Ratan Tata has died aged 86, says the Tata Group, the conglomerate he led for more than two decades.

Tata was one of India's most internationally recognised business leaders.

The Tata Group is one of India's largest companies, with annual revenues in excess of $100bn (£76.5bn).

In a statement announcing Tata's death, the current chairman of Tata Sons described him as a "truly uncommon leader".

Natarajan Chandrasekaran added: "On behalf of the entire Tata family, I extend our deepest condolences to his loved ones.

"His legacy will continue to inspire us as we strive to uphold the principles he so passionately championed."

Read the full article on the BBC here.

Meta has now teased its own AI text to video tool, ‘Meta Movie Gen’. Not only will you be able to generate videos from user prompts, you can also use it to edit existing videos, and add sound (something Sora cannot currently do). Users can also use photos of themselves to create a personal video of them doing an action such as painting on a canvas. 

Read the full article on TechMarketView here.

In an increasingly complex and interconnected world, effective procurement and supply chain management is critical for business success and resilience. Global disruptions, sustainability demands, and evolving technology are transforming how organisations operate.

At Procurement Magazine we are dedicated to empowering businesses with the tools and insights they need to adapt and thrive.

Launching The Procurement Survey in 2025 furthers this ambition to be part of the conversation, tell the success stories, share the strategies, and highlight best practices from those dedicated to innovation and sustainable business practices.

Stakeholder engagement is vital for procurement, to promote sustainability across supply chains. DP World shares how it makes working together work

Engaging with stakeholders is crucial for sustainability in procurement, as it creates an environment in which collaboration can flourish, transparency can be found and all parties can align on goals towards a number of issues — including sustainability.

By working alongside these groups, organisations can improve their decision-making, mitigate environmental and social impacts and build strong, more resilient processes.

Read the full article on Procurement Magazine here.

The Government is changing the way it governs this country - setting long-term goals and breaking down silos. Mission-driven government means raising our sights as a nation and focusing on ambitious, measurable, long-term objectives that provide a driving sense of purpose for the country.

The Cabinet Office wants to understand how a new, mission-driven approach to public procurement could support delivery of the Government’s missions alongside local priorities.

Complete the survey here.

Indian businesses are eyeing expansion campaigns in the UK, according to research from Grant Thornton. However, while 89% of India’s mid-market see the UK as the top market to grow into, many feel that a lack of a free trade agreement between the nations could be holding them back.

In spite of mounting human rights concerns relating to India’s incumbent nationalist government, UK businesses are clamouring to get tap into the country’s market. The country’s GDP is anticipated to expand by 8.2% in the current fiscal year, in spite of the global economy’s slower performance – and its huge population of 1.4 billion people, alongside its historically cheap labour market, means there is plenty of room for further expansion in the coming years.

Workday and Cognizant have been appointed as the enterprise resource planning (ERP) and systems integration (SI) services suppliers for the government’s Matrix Programme. This will see a single shared service centre established to deliver corporate services across finance, HR and payroll for nine departments led Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). The ERP component of the contract with Workday is for ten years, with the Cognizant SI element running for five years; both parts can be extended by up to two further years. The maximum values of the deals are £81m and £63m respectively.

Read the full article on TechMarketView here.