Procurement Pro has opened registration for its upcoming webinar, Maximising Your Supply Chain During the AI Boom, sponsored by Smith, taking place on Tuesday 22nd September at 3pm BST.
The session comes as the AI boom continues to reshape the electronic components supply chain, pushing procurement teams at data centres and hyperscale operators towards markets they have historically had little need to navigate. As original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) struggle to keep pace with unprecedented demand, more organisations are being forced to look beyond direct manufacturer relationships and into the open market to secure the parts they need.
The webinar is aimed primarily at data centre procurement professionals – from hyperscalers such as AWS and Google through to the medium-sized and neo-Cloud operators who must adopt more innovative sourcing strategies to compete with much larger rivals. It will also offer valuable insight for procurement professionals outside the data centre space who are increasingly competing for the same constrained pool of components and want a clearer view of how the market is shifting around them.
In this webinar, attendees will get a broad view of the overall market from experts who see and work with the entire field. They will gain additional perspectives and insights from beyond their own companies’ viewpoints, allowing them to better understand what’s happening across the semiconductor industry and why they may be struggling to secure critical parts through their traditional channels.
They will also learn how to navigate the open market in tumultuous times, giving them a competitive advantage over those who are trying to learn about this sector on their own. The open market is a unique and often difficult part of the supply chain to manage for those coming over from working almost exclusively with direct buys – by learning about the advantages, risks, and strategies that work in this space from industry experts, viewers will be able to reinforce their supply chains and be better equipped to acquire the critical parts they need.
From there, discussion will turn to the realities data centre and component buyers alike have faced over the past 8-10 months, as the AI boom has driven fresh shortages and tightened bottlenecks across the supply chain. Attendees will hear how teams are responding – from strategic stockpiling and pre-qualification of alternate parts to supplier diversification and a broader shift from just-in-time to just-in-case procurement models.
The webinar will then move from analysis into action with a focus on practical strategies procurement teams can apply immediately, covering early supplier engagement, building visibility across complex multi-tier supply chains, measuring procurement performance beyond unit cost, and developing stronger, more resilient relationships with open market partners that extend beyond a single transaction. The session will close with a forward look at what the next 18 months or so may hold for the open market, including how long current shortage conditions are likely to persist and what practical steps procurement teams can take now to prepare for whatever comes next.
The webinar reflects Procurement Pro and Smith’s ongoing commitment to equipping procurement and supply chain professionals with practical, expert-led insight into the challenges shaping their industry. As supply chains continue to be tested by surging AI-driven demand, sessions like this aim to give procurement teams the tools and market intelligence they need to stay competitive.
Registration for Maximising Your Supply Chain During the AI Boom is open now.
Speakers include:
Todd Burke, Chief Commercial Officer at Smith
Todd Burke, Chief Commercial Officer at Smith, oversees the company’s Business Development team, helping build up Smith’s service offerings and supply chain solutions for its customers. He joined Smith in 1996, serving in a variety of leadership roles across the company’s trading force. With his dedication to building strong and genuine relationships, Todd’s insightful expertise allows Smith to understand the critical needs of its customers and develop unique solutions to optimise their operational processes.
Todd Banker, Manager of Market Intelligence at Smith
Todd Banker, Manager of Market Intelligence at Smith, runs the company’s Market Intelligence team, providing the open-market data and trends Smith’s traders and customers rely on to make informed decisions. One of the company’s longest-tenured employees, he joined Smith in 1992 and has held a wide variety of roles across sales, purchasing, and management. Todd’s diverse wealth of knowledge and experience helps keep Smith’s customers fully informed of the everchanging market conditions to guide their purchasing strategies.
