At the beginning of 2025, we took a look at the trends that were defining finance, procurement, and supply chain for the year. Well, we don’t need to remind you how quickly things move in the ServiceNow ecosystem.
Now that we’re coming up on the end of the year, we wanted to revisit those trends, to see how things panned out, where our predictions were spot‑on (or off), and whether any unexpected shifts occurred. All things considered, we're feeling pretty good about our accuracy.
(Of course, if your experience differed, we want to hear about it. Please reach out to hello@corexcorp.com and let us know what you think.)
Prediction: Procurement teams would rely on AI to reduce manual work, make real‑time decisions (on spending, vendor performance, market shifts), and raise the bar for fraud prevention, all tied together via ServiceNow’s procurement/finance/workflow solutions.
Reflection: This trend largely moved forward, though not at the pace or scale every organization may have expected. Many procurement executives reported using generative AI tools weekly, with noticeable efficiency and analytical gains.
ServiceNow’s AI Platform deepened integration across workflows, emphasizing intelligent automation. Still, most teams remain in pilot or early adoption phases, since data quality and governance proved to be key hurdles.
Question: Did your procurement or vendor‑management teams realize measurable efficiency or fraud‑prevention gains from AI in 2025? Or did you find governance/data maturity to be the bottleneck?
Prediction: By 2025, RPA integrated with AI would handle high‑volume procurement tasks, such as invoice processing, order management, etc., freeing teams for strategy, supplier engagement, and innovation.
Reflection: Progress was meaningful in reducing manual work, but full autonomous procurement remains on the horizon, due to Chief Procurement Officers facing more than a few unexpected supply chain and tariff issues. ServiceNow announced autonomous procurement agents capable of quote parsing and exception flagging, but most organizations still operate with automation plus human oversight. We anticipate consistent movement toward this goal in the coming year.
Question: Are your invoice‑processing, order‑management, or supplier‑reorder workflows now significantly automated (with decision‑making bots)? Or are you still primarily in "automation + human review" territory?
Prediction: Digital maturity in procurement means connected systems delivering real‑time insights across the lifecycle. Companies would move away from patchwork tools and toward unified platforms for smoother supplier collaboration, quicker approvals, and better forecasting.
Reflection: This prediction proved accurate for many, though transformation remains part of future goals. ServiceNow’s AI‑first operating system further positioned the platform as a unified workflow hub. Yet, hybrid environments, legacy tools, and integration complexity continue to delay full platform adoption. It's not an "if?" but rather a "when?"
Question: Did your procurement, finance, or supply‑chain teams move toward a unified workflow platform this year? And if so, what were the biggest sticking points?
Prediction: Companies would move from a single supply‑chain model to flexible, diversified networks, emphasizing near‑shoring, AI‑powered risk tools, and dynamic scenario‑planning.
Reflection: The trend gained traction, especially around resilience and risk simulation. Progress varied by industry, but many firms now treat resilience as a measurable investment. As is common, cost, contracts, and geopolitics slightly hindered full diversification.
Question: Did your supply‑chain or procurement team adopt new resilience‑oriented models this year, like near‑shoring, multiple supplier networks, or simulation tooling? What was the payoff (or the obstacle)?
Prediction: Financial operations would become more integrated with day‑to‑day workflows, with AI accelerating approvals and reconciliations, and blockchain enabling transparency and automation.
Reflection: Integration and automation advanced significantly, especially for embedded financial workflows and AI‑assisted reconciliation. And blockchain adoption began moving forward. While still limited to pilot projects and niche use cases, the transparency and smart‑contract vision remains far more than aspirational.
Question: Have you embedded financial services tools directly into your procurement or operational workflows this year?
Prediction: The regulatory landscape would evolve rapidly, pushing enterprises toward regulatory‑tech platforms leveraging AI to stay ahead, while zero‑trust architecture and unified GRC would become standard.
Reflection: This trend significantly materialized. Organizations increased investment in AI‑driven monitoring and compliance automation, and ServiceNow strengthened governance tools within its AI offerings. True unification of risk and compliance systems remains a 2026 goal for many enterprises. But we're far from "far off."
Question: How far along is your organization in shifting from reactive to proactive compliance and risk management?
Prediction: Procurement professionals would evolve into strategic partners and analysts, emphasizing cross‑functional collaboration with finance, legal, and ESG teams.
Reflection: This transformation is in motion. Many procurement teams have begun upskilling to adapt to analytics‑driven, strategic roles. Remote collaboration expanded global hiring and cross‑functional agility. Yet, legacy cultures and limited analytics maturity continue to slow progress.
Question: Did your procurement or finance teams experience a meaningful role redefinition this year? What helped (or hindered) that shift?
In our original post, we wrote that every trend feeds into the next: AI shapes procurement, procurement drives ESG, ESG reshapes supplier strategy, and strategy affects risk. Looking back, that idea holds.
The past year reflected a turning point toward holistic transformation, where finance, procurement, and supply chain functions started working more cohesively than ever before.
Whether refining compliance practices, embedding financial tools into operations, or preparing your workforce for strategic roles, the choices made this year have laid the foundation for long‑term agility and value. The path ahead remains about evolving intelligently, collaboratively, and with the full enterprise in mind.