The 90-Day Plan for CPOs in 2026
Procurement’s Old Playbook Is Breaking: Get ready the 90-Day Plan for CPOs stepping into 2026
AI has already changed how buying, contracting, and decision-making work. Business teams know it. Technology teams know it. The uncomfortable truth? Procurement is often the last to adapt.
This toolkit is designed for CPOs who want to stay relevant — and lead — as expectations reset in 2026.
Start by reading the blog 7 Things I’d Tell a New CPO that provides guidance on what to look for, then score yourself with the CPO Readiness Scorecard and follow the CPO 90-Day Playbook for direct actions you can take.
Everything you need is below – ready to get started?
The Reality CPOs Are Facing
- AI is compressing timelines from weeks to hours
- Shadow procurement is growing — quietly
- Cost savings alone no longer justify procurement’s role
- Traditional governance models are slowing the business down
- Stakeholders expect answers, not processes
Ignoring these shifts doesn’t make them go away. It just moves procurement out of the workflow.
What This 90-Day Plan Gives You
Practical Guidance for a New Procurement Reality
This isn’t theory. It’s a 90-day reset for how procurement shows up in the business.
The 90-Day Plan for a New CPO in 2026
How to build credibility, move fast, and set the right foundations
A clear, actionable guide to your first 90 days as a CPO, structured around:
- What to focus on in your first 30, 60, and 90 days
- How to shift procurement from gatekeeper to enabler
- Where AI can accelerate work, and where humans still matter
- How to avoid shadow procurement while increasing speed
If you’re stepping into a new role or trying to modernize an old one, start here.
The CPO Readiness Scorecard
Benchmark Where You Stand Today
Take this assessment at the start of your 90-Day plan and then afterwards to check your pace for growth and change.
A Self-Assessment Tool That Helps Procurement Leaders Evaluate:
- Speed and adoption across procurement workflows
- AI readiness vs. AI anxiety
- Visibility into spend, suppliers, and commitments
- Whether governance enables the business — or blocks it
If the score is uncomfortable, that’s the point. If not, you are rocking it!
The 90-Day CPO Playbook
A Tactical Guide You Can Actually Use
- Surface hidden friction and shadow buying
- Cut cycle times without cutting corners
- Pilot AI where it actually matters
- Build momentum your stakeholders will notice
No buzzwords. Just the work that moves the needle.
Who This Is For (and Who It’s Not)
This is for you if:
- You’re a new CPO stepping into 2026
- You feel procurement is at risk of being bypassed
- You know AI is inevitable, but governance still matters
- You want procurement to accelerate growth, not slow it
This is not for you if:
- You believe six-week RFPs are still acceptable
- You think AI is just another feature
- You define procurement success only by cost savings
Why We built This
Procurement leaders are being asked to do more, faster, with less tolerance for friction. Most content tells CPOs what is changing. Very little helps them decide what to do next. This toolkit exists to close that gap.
These resources are grounded in real conversations with procurement, finance, and technology leaders navigating change right now. They’re designed to help you lead with clarity, not chase trends.
