Opportunity missed? From promise to pressure: 15 years of missed integration and the urgent call for trade enablement

Fifteen years later, the promise remains—but so does the gap. In a recent conversation, Dalip reflected on what has changed, what hasn’t, and what must now happen to ensure contract, commercial, and procurement professionals stay relevant in an AI-enabled, outcome-driven environment. His message, echoed by recent WorldCC findings, is clear: the shift from compliance to enablement is no longer optional. It’s imperative.

Contracts are no longer the core, relationships are

Dalip now views traditional contracting work as largely obsolete. “We’ve treated contracts like prenuptial agreements—focused on failure instead of success,” he said. Core tasks such as redlining, clause analysis, and basic negotiation—once seen as high-value—are increasingly automated.

This shift aligns closely with WorldCC’s recent findings: AI is fundamentally repositioning contract managers from task executors to strategic partners. With AI handling document automation and predictive analysis, professionals can now step in earlier in the contract lifecycle, contributing to strategic planning, stakeholder alignment, and growth initiatives.

“The real differentiator is no longer in the paperwork,” Dalip emphasized. “It’s in how we manage the relationship and enable the business.”

The integration gap persists

Despite years of discussion around convergence, most organizations still operate in functional silos. Dalip pointed to a critical example: procurement holds the most accurate cost data, yet sales teams often develop pricing models in isolation, resulting in flawed bids and lost credibility.

This lack of integration represents more than just operational inefficiency. According to WorldCC, the fragmentation of roles and systems has long limited the value that contracting functions can deliver. But AI is now helping to close this gap, centralizing contract data and surfacing real-time insights across functions. When paired with human judgment, this intelligence supports unified strategies that drive shared value.

Yet, as Dalip noted, the mindset hasn’t caught up: “We have the data. We have the tools. But we haven’t seized the opportunity to lead with it.”

Dalip calls this a major missed opportunity. “The competency needed to establish a relationship on the sales side is no different than the competency needed to establish a relationship on the supplier side”, yet the two functions still operate in disconnection. He believes procurement should be “stepping into the sales function” and “leading the sales effort by demonstrating to our customers… we have a very robust risk management supply chain operation in place” so they see us as the supplier of choice. This alignment, he argues, would strengthen bids, avoid costly missteps, and position the organization as a trusted, lower-risk partner. As he puts it, “relationship management is relationship management… there should be very little difference.” Closing the gap between procurement and sales is not optional, it is critical to driving growth and building resilience.

From a WorldCC perspective, the notion that procurement should "serve sales" reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of modern CCM principles, where both functions must collaborate as equal partners in creating and capturing value rather than operating in a hierarchical relationship. True organizational agility emerges when procurement and sales work together to optimize the entire contracting lifecycle, with procurement bringing critical market insights, risk management expertise, and supplier relationship capabilities that enhance rather than subordinate the sales process.

AI-proofing the profession

Perhaps the most urgent part of Dalip’s message was his warning: “If we don’t AI-proof our function, we risk becoming irrelevant.” While other areas like finance and legal are already adopting AI at scale, commercial functions lag behind.

WorldCC reinforces this point. The analysis shows that contract managers equipped with AI tools are shifting from a reactive, compliance-focused role to one that delivers strategic value. By leveraging predictive analytics and portfolio-level insights, risks are identified earlier, enabling faster decisions, and creating space to focus on high-value relationships.

For Dalip, the human differentiator is still clear: “AI won’t replace the ability to build trust, navigate ambiguity, and drive alignment across business objectives—but it will replace everything else.”

New metrics must reflect real value

When asked about metrics, Dalip was direct: “Carbon tracking, supplier risk—those are good steps. But the real question is: Are we enabling growth? Are we contributing to the top line?”

WorldCC agrees. Recent insights highlight the importance of using AI to assess performance incentives, pricing models, and contract resilience, not just for reporting, but as a foundation for value-based decision-making.

Dalip also pointed to a positive shift: outdated metrics like JIT and inventory optimization are losing influence. “Those KPIs created more fragility than resilience. It’s time we measured what really matters: collaboration, adaptability, and commercial contribution.”

Boeing vs. Airbus: a real-world example

To illustrate the cost of ignoring these shifts, Dalip pointed to the case of one prominent aerospace company which has faced significant contract losses due to delayed deliveries, driven by weakened supplier relationships and cost-cutting measures. In contrast, a major competitor has taken the opposite approach, investing in supply chain resilience and using it as a key differentiator in customer conversations. This is a clear example of trade enablement: turning operational strength into commercial value.

Implications for the profession

For sales teams, this is a call to move beyond transactional selling. Success now depends on working cross-functionally to deliver a unified, value-driven proposition that includes operational reliability and trust.

For procurement, it’s a push to evolve from spend control to strategic enablement, playing a key role in driving business agility, innovation, and resilience.

For contract and commercial professionals, the message is perhaps the most urgent: traditional roles are changing fast. The value now lies in managing outcomes, orchestrating relationships, and enabling growth, all supported by AI, but powered by human leadership.

From potential to action

Dalip’s message, reinforced by the data, is simple: we’ve talked about transformation long enough. It’s time to deliver it. Trade enablement is no longer an aspiration, it’s a business imperative. The future of the profession will belong to those who move beyond control and compliance and step into roles that lead, integrate, and enable business at scale.

The promise is still there. But the pressure is real. And the time to act is now.

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