CAPS News-04 February 2026

A Practical Framework for AI-Driven Negotiations

AI is already changing the way procurement negotiates. Our new white paper introduces Negotiation Bots — a practical framework that captures anchoring, power asymmetry, and emotions — and shows how AI can automate routine negotiations, boost efficiency, and strengthen supplier relationships. Drawing on academic research and real pilots (including Walmart and Maersk), it separates hype from impact.

What’s inside:

How Negotiation Bots work and where they add immediate value
Lessons from live deployments — what drove wins and what held teams back
Why many pilots stall: fragmented data, weak governance, and limited readiness
A roadmap for CPOs: invest in clean data, integrated platforms, AI literacy, and clear autonomy/transparency rules

Explore the report in the library now. 

Webinar Recording: Negotiation Bots

Watch our on-demand webinar for a practical debrief of the new Negotiation Bots report. Dr. Rui Yin breaks down the three forces shaping negotiation outcomes, shares findings on first-mover advantage and emotional tactics, explains what this means for procurement strategy, and covers a practical checklist for responsible AI adoption. 

If you’re evaluating how AI fits into sourcing and supplier negotiations, this session translates research into next steps. See what’s working in practice, understand the guardrails that matter, and identify common blockers before you pilot. 

Quick Fact – GenAI and Negotiations

Market snapshot from CAPS’ GenAI in Practical Use Cases report: 5% of organizations use GenAI to simulate negotiation scenarios and predict outcomes, while 23% have plans to adopt this capability. With a 3.7/5 effectiveness rating, negotiation simulation is an emerging capability to consider, especially as you translate insights from the recent Negotiation Bots report and webinar.

Ready to explore CAPS’ AI capabilities through its ASU-supported tools? Reach out to learn how our team can help support your AI adoption journey.

Sharpen Your Category Strategy

January is reset season — when organizations step back from last year’s results and set priorities for the year ahead. For many procurement leaders, this moment brings category management back into focus because it defines where to focus effort, which levers to pull, and what trade-offs to accept.

We’re seeing this firsthand at CAPS, with several companies reaching out to strengthen or reset their category management approach. In response, we’ve supported “lite” category reviews grounded in our Category Management Playbook — a practical, senior-level guide that supports clearer, more consistent category-level decisions. Access this faculty-vetted, industry-informed report here. 

January is reset season — when organizations step back from last year’s results and set priorities for the year ahead. For many procurement leaders, this moment brings category management back into focus because it defines where to focus effort, which levers to pull, and what trade-offs to accept.

We’re seeing this firsthand at CAPS, with several companies reaching out to strengthen or reset their category management approach. In response, we’ve supported “lite” category reviews grounded in our Category Management Playbook — a practical, senior-level guide that supports clearer, more consistent category-level decisions. Access this faculty-vetted, industry-informed report here. 

CAPS Member Benefit: Advisory Session with a Hal Fearon Fellow

CAPS members can schedule a personalized advisory meeting — up to 2 hours — with a CAPS Hal Fearon Fellow, faculty from ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business, Department of Supply Chain Management. An advisory meeting can broaden your perspective on business challenges, tap faculty expertise, learn new tools or techniques, and learn about emerging supply chain trends. Get tailored insights grounded in research and real-world experience. 

Interested? Reach out to Miranda Metcalfe with a topic or specific question you'd like to discuss to learn more.