Representatives of Techint Engineering & Construction attended the mega event held in London. The company was the only of the industry present at the gathering.

José Ferreiro, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Leopoldo Torres, Supply Contracting Director, and Mauricio Mare, IT Sr. Director of Techint Engineering & Construction, attended the World Procurement Congress which took place in London from May 14 to 16. 

The mega procurement event pivoted on the single and crystal-clear concept that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay. Compared to the Internet revolution, but showing markedly swifter growth and progress, AI has established itself as a crucial tool for increasing productivity and enhancing human talent.

The gathering proved to be highly relevant for global purchasing leaders and supply chain management experts, and was attended by 973 people, 365 companies and 136 Chief Procurement Officers, representing 54 countries and 42 industries.

“Last year, there was a lot of talk about AI, but it wasn’t such a hot topic. This year, the key message was about how to stay competitive and not fall behind. The path we have started at Techint E&C is holding steady, and although progress may be a little slower, we don’t feel excluded from this global trend,” summarized José Ferreiro.

Similarly, Mauricio Mare explained that the company is already moving forward with the first implementations and proofs of concept of Machine Learning (such as, for example, date estimation for Expediting) as well as over 50 automated processes via RPA (Robot Process Automation). In addition, proofs of concept are being developed using generative AI, such as tests focused on cataloging materials and analyzing documents, for instance.

Leopoldo Torres pointed out: “Early adopters run risks but they also enjoy advantages. At this stage, we don't know how quickly AI will advance, but we’re not going to profit much from resisting, not even on a personal level, because this technology can enhance our work. So it’s important for employees to find out about and get closer to this technology.”

He also emphasized the irreplaceable role of humans in this process: “At the end of the day, human judgment and oversight will continue to be crucial. Technology is a tool that can increase our productivity, but we must make sure we understand it, adopt it and train ourselves adequately.”

Ferreiro added: “AI is a tool that is designed to be an assistant, to help us. It should alleviate the workload as regards repetitive tasks, allowing us instead to focus on higher value-added activities.”

Digitalization

Digitalization was another key theme at the congress. “This is a must-do area, and most companies are already digitalizing a lot of their work. The first thing that needs to be done is to organize our affairs, organize the data and the company’s information sources to avoid duplication and inconsistencies,” stated Torres.

Another critical area is Change Management. The congress explored the pressing need to manage cultural change balanced with the importance of focusing on people alongside technology and processes. “Only 20% of digital transformation projects actually work, and one of the main reasons they fail is because of how cultural change and people change management are handled,” Mare pointed out.

He went on to say: “In the company, we’ve been working with different initiatives such as the Upskilling Program (which includes Webinars and the IT Data Bootcamp, among others) and the idea is to deepen these. We have to continue developing and training our people so that they can join in more and more as part of a growing global program.”

Resilience and collaboration

Another central theme of the congress was resilience, underscored as vital for procurement teams in order to swiftly restore supply chains during disruptions and crises, such as Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In this context, the congress highlighted collaboration as a crucial tool for enhancing resilience.

“Ecosystems are becoming increasingly collaborative, particularly with the integration of AI. For example, the value chain connecting subcontractors and their clients can be strengthened by sharing information across different links. This drives knowledge sharing: as we seek information, we must also be prepared to share it,” Torres said.

The issue of sustainability was also addressed with a special focus on the European agenda, which aims to decarbonize company operations by 2030.

During the gathering, the Techint E&C team had the opportunity to meet with representatives from SAP and Deloitte as well as with several solution providers, where they discussed initiatives to carry out proofs of concept.

To summarize, the event was a fruitful three days of collaboration, inspiration and exploration of new initiatives. “These types of events allow us to connect with various industries and observe the directions some leading companies are taking. Even NASA was present. We discussed the potential of artificial intelligence, delved into case studies about its application, and conversed with peers from other companies, catching up on the latest trends and developments,” concluded Ferreiro.

If you want to know more about AI in the construction industry, click here.