Over 90% of procurement leaders report that skills shortfalls are already hurting their ability to meet business goals, with AI and digital fluency identified as the most critical skillset needed by 2030. Without investment in ongoing learning and capability development, procurement teams face risks to cost savings, compliance, productivity, and supply chain resilience.
- 90% of procurement leaders say skills gaps are already impacting their ability to deliver on business objectives
- AI and digital fluency is ranked as the top priority skill for 2030, followed by stakeholder engagement (42%) and commercial acumen (39%)
- 60% lack a formal skills framework and 66% report insufficient training budgets to address capability gaps
- 40% have no defined per-employee training budget, while 36% believe the right spend should be $2,000 or more per employee annually
- Negative impacts expected include reduced cost savings, lower productivity, increased compliance risk, and supply chain disruptions if skills gaps remain unaddressed
Over 90% of procurement leaders say skills shortfalls are already impacting their ability to deliver on business objectives, as outlined in Procurious’ The Procurement Skills and Training Gap.
In fact, if procurement’s current skill gaps are left unaddressed over the next 12-24 months, respondents expect a negative impact on cost savings and cost avoidance, procurement team productivity and output per FTE, regulatory compliance and audit risk and supply chain disruptions.
“The procurement function has a generational opportunity to shape the business and economic decisions of the next decade, but businesses must invest in the people expected to lead it. Too often, capability development prioritizes sales and revenue growth, leaving those managing cost, risk and compliance under-resourced and under-skilled,” says Tania Seary, founder of Procurious. “Closing the gap requires more than static curricula and occasional training. Procurement professionals need ongoing learning that keeps pace with changing markets, supply chains and technology, informed by what peers are trying and which approaches are delivering results.”
Key takeaways:
· Behind AI and digital fluency, respondents rank stakeholder engagement and influence (42%) and commercial acumen (39%) as the next priority skills for 2030.
· Almost 60% have no formal procurement capability or skills framework. 66% say their current training budget is insufficient.
· More than half of respondents lack either the budget or the time and resources to develop and maintain training programs. When development opportunities exist, 52% of respondents say they don’t actively participate due to workload issues.
· Beyond cost and productivity, 30% of respondents say regulatory compliance and audit risk reduction would suffer if capability is not strengthened, 22% point to revenue outcomes including time to market and supplier innovation, and 21% say supply disruptions would be harder to mitigate.
· 9% invest nothing per employee and 40% have no defined per-employee training budget at all. Asked what the right spend would be, 36% say $2,000 or more and a further 21% say between $1,500-2,000.
· 45% of respondents at companies above $5 billion in revenue say capability gaps create noticeable or significant challenges, against 36% across all respondents.
