Copilot in Excel + Python for Procurement — Spend Analysis, Forecasting & More | Procurement Tactics

Procurement Tactics — Playbook

Copilot in Excel + Python
for Procurement

Turn your procurement spreadsheets into automated analysis engines. Spend analysis, supplier scoring, forecasting, and anomaly detection — all from natural language prompts inside Excel.

Spend Analysis Supplier Scoring Forecasting Anomaly Detection No Python Skills Needed

Your Spend Data Is Sitting in Excel. Let It Work Harder.

Every procurement team has spreadsheets. Spend extracts from SAP. Supplier scorecards in Excel. Contract trackers with thousands of rows. Price comparison sheets going back years.

The data is there. The analysis usually isn't — because turning raw procurement data into actionable insights requires time, Excel expertise, and often a data analyst you don't have. So the spend analysis gets done once a quarter instead of weekly. The price anomaly that should have been caught goes unnoticed. The supplier risk that shows up in the data only gets flagged when it becomes a crisis.

Copilot in Excel changes the equation. Describe what you want in plain language — "show me the Pareto of my spend by supplier" or "flag any invoices with prices more than 15% above the 12-month average" — and Copilot does it. With Python in Excel, it goes further: clustering, forecasting, statistical analysis, and visualisations that would normally require a data science team.

Without Copilot + Python

Manual pivot tables and VLOOKUP chains
Spend analysis takes a full day
No forecasting — just last year + a guess
Price anomalies found after the invoice is paid
Supplier scoring done manually in a static template
You need a data analyst for anything advanced

With Copilot + Python

Natural language prompts replace complex formulas
Spend analysis in 10 minutes with visualisations
Statistical forecasting with confidence intervals
Automated anomaly detection flags outliers instantly
Dynamic supplier scoring with weighted metrics
Advanced analytics without writing a line of code

Two Tools, One Workflow Copilot and Python in Excel work together — but they do different things. Here's how they split the work.

🤖

Copilot in Excel

Your everyday assistant. Ask questions about your data, create formulas, build pivot tables, sort and filter, summarise columns, and generate standard charts — all in plain language.

Think of it as a very fast Excel expert sitting next to you.

Included with Microsoft 365 Copilot

🐍

Python in Excel (via Copilot)

Your advanced analytics engine. Copilot writes and runs Python code directly in your spreadsheet — forecasting, clustering, regression, anomaly detection, heatmaps, and statistical tests. No Python installation or skills needed.

Think of it as a data scientist who works inside your Excel file.

Available in Microsoft 365 Copilot

When to use which

Copilot: "Summarise this spend data" / "Create a pivot table by category" / "Add a formula for YoY change."
Python via Copilot: "Forecast next quarter's spend with confidence intervals" / "Cluster my suppliers into risk segments" / "Run a Pareto analysis with a cumulative % line chart."

8 Procurement Use Cases Real prompts you can paste into Copilot in Excel today. Each one tagged by tool.

Spend Pareto Analysis

Python

The analysis every procurement director does at least quarterly: which suppliers and categories make up 80% of spend? Copilot with Python gives you the Pareto chart with cumulative percentages in seconds.

Prompt — paste into Copilot in Excel Use Python to run a Pareto analysis on my spend data. Group total spend by supplier (column B). Sort descending. Calculate cumulative % of total spend. Create a combination chart: bar chart for individual supplier spend, line chart for cumulative percentage. Draw a horizontal line at 80%. Highlight suppliers above the 80% threshold in a different colour. Add a summary: how many suppliers make up 80% of spend, and how many make up the remaining 20%.

What you get

Pareto chart with bars + cumulative line + 80/20 threshold
Supplier count split: "12 suppliers = 80% of spend, 168 suppliers = 20%"
Instant visibility into tail spend concentration

Supplier Performance Scoring

Python

Turn your raw supplier KPIs into a weighted composite score with automatic RAG classification. No more subjective assessments — data-driven scoring that's consistent and auditable.

Prompt — paste into Copilot in Excel Use Python to create a weighted supplier scorecard. Metrics and weights: - On-Time Delivery % (column D): weight 30% - Quality / Defect Rate % (column E): weight 25% - Price Competitiveness score (column F): weight 20% - Invoice Accuracy % (column G): weight 15% - Responsiveness score (column H): weight 10% Normalise all metrics to a 0-100 scale. Calculate a weighted composite score for each supplier. Classify: Green (≥80), Amber (60-79), Red (<60). Create a new sheet with ranked results and a horizontal bar chart showing each supplier's composite score colour-coded by RAG status. Add a column showing the biggest weakness per supplier.

What you get

Normalised, weighted scorecard for every supplier
RAG classification with automatic colour coding
Ranked bar chart — instant view of your best and worst performers
"Biggest weakness" column for targeted improvement conversations

Spend Forecasting

Python

Move beyond "last year + 3%" guesses. Use statistical forecasting to predict future spend by category with confidence intervals — so your budget conversations are backed by data, not assumptions.

Prompt — paste into Copilot in Excel Use Python to forecast spend for the next 6 months. My data has monthly spend by category from Jan 2023 to April 2026 (column A = month, column B = category, column C = spend amount). For each category: - Fit a time series model (use exponential smoothing or similar) - Forecast May-October 2026 - Calculate 80% confidence intervals - Plot historical actuals + forecast + confidence band Create a summary table: Category, Avg Monthly Spend, Forecasted Total (6 months), YoY Growth Rate, Confidence Range. Flag any category where forecasted growth exceeds 10% YoY.

What you get

Statistical forecast per category with confidence intervals
Visual chart showing historical trend + projected spend
Automatic flagging of categories trending above budget
Summary table ready for your budget review meeting

Price Anomaly Detection

Python

Catch price increases, duplicate invoices, and outlier transactions before they slip through. Copilot with Python runs statistical anomaly detection across your invoice or PO data — flagging anything that deviates from the pattern.

Prompt — paste into Copilot in Excel Use Python to detect price anomalies in my purchase order data. Columns: Date (A), Supplier (B), Item Description (C), Unit Price (D), Quantity (E), Total (F). For each item-supplier combination: - Calculate the rolling 12-month average unit price - Flag any transaction where the unit price is >15% above the rolling average - Flag any exact duplicate amounts on the same day (potential duplicate invoice) - Calculate the total spend impact of flagged anomalies Create a new "Anomalies" sheet with: - All flagged transactions with the reason for flagging - A scatter plot of unit prices over time, with anomalies highlighted in red - Summary: total number of anomalies, total € at risk, top 5 by impact

What you get

Every price outlier flagged with reason and € impact
Duplicate invoice detection based on pattern matching
Scatter plot making anomalies visually obvious
Executive summary: "€47K in anomalies detected across 23 transactions"

Contract Compliance Check

Copilot

Compare your actual spend against contracted rates and terms. Copilot scans your PO data against your contract table and highlights every transaction that's off-contract — wrong price, wrong supplier, or exceeding volume thresholds.

Prompt — paste into Copilot in Excel Compare my PO data (Sheet 1) against contracted rates (Sheet 2). Sheet 1 columns: PO Number, Date, Supplier, Item, Unit Price, Quantity Sheet 2 columns: Supplier, Item, Contracted Price, Max Quantity, Contract End Date For each PO line: - Check if the supplier-item combination has a contract - Flag "Off-Contract" if no matching contract exists - Flag "Price Breach" if unit price exceeds contracted price - Flag "Volume Breach" if cumulative quantity exceeds max - Flag "Expired Contract" if PO date is after contract end date Create a summary: total POs checked, % compliant, % off-contract, total spend at risk by breach type. Add conditional formatting to the flags.

What you get

Every PO checked against contract terms automatically
Four breach types flagged with conditional formatting
Compliance % dashboard: "78% compliant, €1.2M off-contract"
Actionable list for contract management follow-up

Tail Spend Segmentation

Python

Identify consolidation opportunities in your tail spend. Copilot with Python clusters your low-value suppliers by category, flags overlaps, and quantifies the savings potential from consolidation.

Prompt — paste into Copilot in Excel Use Python to analyse my tail spend (suppliers under €50K annual spend). Data columns: Supplier (A), Category (B), Annual Spend (C), Number of POs (D), Avg PO Value (E). Analysis: - Total tail spend as % of total spend - Number of tail suppliers vs. total supplier count - Group tail suppliers by category — show count and total spend per category - Flag categories where >5 tail suppliers exist (consolidation opportunity) - Estimate consolidation savings at 10% of flagged category spend - Create a treemap visualisation: category size = tail spend, colour = number of suppliers Summary: "X suppliers represent Y% of total spend. Consolidation opportunity estimated at €Z across N categories."

What you get

Full tail spend breakdown by category and supplier count
Consolidation opportunities flagged automatically
Savings estimate based on your spend data
Treemap visualisation for stakeholder presentations

Savings Tracker Dashboard

Copilot

Turn your raw savings log into a dashboard with progress bars, category breakdowns, and run-rate projections. Copilot builds it from your existing data — no reformatting needed.

Prompt — paste into Copilot in Excel Create a savings dashboard from my savings tracker data. Columns: Initiative Name, Category, Owner, Status (Pipeline/Approved/Realised), Target Savings, Realised Savings, Start Date, Expected Completion. Build: - Summary row: Total Target, Total Realised, Total Pipeline, Gap to Target - Progress bar formula: Realised / Target as percentage - Pivot table: savings by category (Target vs Realised vs Pipeline) - Pivot table: savings by status - Chart: waterfall showing Target → Realised → Pipeline → Gap - Conditional formatting: green if ≥90% of target, amber 70-89%, red <70% - Add a "Run Rate" column: projected full-year savings based on current pace

What you get

Full savings dashboard with progress tracking
Waterfall chart for executive presentations
Run-rate projection showing whether you'll hit target
RAG-coded conditional formatting at a glance

Supplier Risk Clustering

Python

Let machine learning segment your suppliers into risk profiles based on multiple variables. No data science background needed — Copilot writes the clustering algorithm and visualises the result.

Prompt — paste into Copilot in Excel Use Python to cluster my suppliers into risk segments. Columns: Supplier (A), Annual Spend (B), OTD % (C), Defect Rate % (D), Financial Risk Score (E), Geographic Risk Score (F), Number of Alternative Suppliers (G). Cluster analysis: - Normalise all numeric columns - Use K-means clustering with 4 clusters - Label clusters based on their characteristics (e.g., "High Spend / High Risk", "Low Spend / Low Risk") - Create a scatter plot: x = spend, y = composite risk, colour-coded by cluster - List the suppliers in each cluster - For each cluster, recommend an action (e.g., "Develop alternatives", "Monitor closely", "Business as usual") Add a summary: cluster sizes, average spend per cluster, highest-risk suppliers across all clusters.

What you get

Machine learning segmentation of your entire supply base
Visual scatter plot with colour-coded risk clusters
Actionable recommendations per segment
Data-backed risk prioritisation for your supply chain team

What Python in Excel Unlocks Analytics that used to require a data scientist — now available in your spreadsheet.

Capability	Procurement Application	Without Python
Statistical Forecasting	Predict spend, demand, and price trends by category	Manual extrapolation or guesswork
Clustering (K-means)	Segment suppliers by risk, performance, or strategic value	Subjective categorisation
Anomaly Detection	Flag price outliers, duplicate invoices, unusual patterns	Spot-checking or conditional formatting rules
Regression Analysis	Identify cost drivers, model should-cost estimates	External tools or consultants
Correlation Analysis	Find relationships between KPIs (e.g., OTD vs. quality)	Manual comparison
Advanced Visualisations	Heatmaps, treemaps, Sankey diagrams, scatter matrices	Limited to standard Excel charts
Text / Category Matching	Clean and classify messy spend descriptions	Manual mapping or expensive tools
Monte Carlo Simulation	Model savings scenarios with probability distributions	Single-point estimates only

Power Tips Get better results from Copilot in Excel with these approaches.

Clean Headers First

Copilot works best when your column headers are clear and descriptive. Rename "Col_F" to "Unit Price EUR" and "Ven_Name" to "Supplier Name" before you start prompting. It takes 2 minutes and makes every subsequent prompt more accurate.

Say "Use Python" for Advanced Analysis

When you want forecasting, clustering, or statistical analysis, start your prompt with "Use Python to..." — this tells Copilot to engage the Python engine instead of trying to solve it with standard Excel formulas. It unlocks the full analytics toolkit.

Reference Columns by Name

Instead of "analyse column C", say "analyse the Annual Spend column." Copilot understands your headers and maps them correctly — especially important when your spreadsheet has 20+ columns and a letter reference is ambiguous.

Ask for the Output Format You Need

Be explicit: "Create a new sheet with the results," "Add a chart below the data," "Format as a table with conditional formatting." Copilot will deliver exactly the output structure you specify, saving you from reformatting after the fact.

Chain Prompts for Multi-Step Analysis

Start broad, then drill down. First: "Summarise total spend by category." Then: "For the IT Services category, show me the month-over-month trend." Then: "Forecast the next 6 months for IT Services." Each prompt builds on the context of the previous one.

Combine with the AI Briefing Document

Already using our AI Briefing Document? Paste your KPI targets and thresholds into your Copilot prompts. Instead of "flag anomalies," say "flag anything below our 95% OTD target" or "highlight suppliers where spend exceeds contracted volume." Your analysis becomes specific to your organisation.

Get Started in 3 Steps From your existing spreadsheets to advanced procurement analytics in minutes.

Check Your Licence

You need Microsoft 365 Copilot (included in many enterprise plans). Python in Excel is available in Microsoft 365 — no separate installation needed. Check with your IT team if you're not sure. Ask them to enable Copilot and Python in Excel if it's not already active.

Open Your Procurement Data

Open your spend extract, supplier scorecard, or contract tracker in Excel. Make sure your headers are clear and your data starts in row 1 (or a formatted Table). Copilot reads your structure to understand the data.

Copy a Prompt and Go

Pick one of the 8 use cases above, copy the prompt, paste it into the Copilot pane in Excel, and adjust the column names to match your spreadsheet. Hit enter and watch it work. Refine with follow-up prompts as needed.

AI Fundamentals for procurement

Get Your Procurement Team AI-Ready

Some of your team members already use AI. Others barely started. This program trains AI skills for everyone within 21 days. Many procurement teams are seeing massive results. Are you?

✓ Team-wide AI adoption in 21 days
✓ Built for real procurement tasks

Procurement Tactics IFPSM Accredited Program

Talk to a procurement AI specialist

Procurement’s AI Opportunity is Now

Procurement leaders, you have a clear responsibility: you have to lead the AI transformation. AI is not a hype. It is no longer optional. It is a must-have skill for excelling procurement teams. Equip your team with the skills they need to extract the maximum from AI.

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“If you’re not using this technology, you’re not going to be relevant compared to your peer groups and your competitors… Adopt it, and adopt it fast.”

Eric Schmidt, Former CEO Google

of executives say AI adoption is essential to stay competitive

expected productivity gains from leveraging AI

For Procurement Teams & Procurement Leaders

Short, intensive programs designed to set procurement teams and leaders up for success in the AI era. Developed and delivered by procurement experts who are leading the adoption of AI; built for procurement, by procurement.

AI Fundamentals For Your Team

Build the mindset, culture, and capabilities to start unlocking real AI impact, fast!

📚 Immersive Learning
Live expert sessions + self-paced modules for procurement teams.

📅 21-Day Program
Flexible, high-impact AI training tailored to your goals.

🌍 Real Examples
Apply AI to sourcing, contracts, and supplier management.

📈 AI Progress Tracker
Benchmark and measure ROI with clear and accurate metrics.

🤝 Hands-On Projects
Encourage practical use and secure ongoing advancement.

💬 Expert Access
Monthly Q&A with AI and procurement experts to solve your problems.

Program Details

AI Fundamentals For Procurement Leaders

Align your team on an AI vision and build a strategic roadmap for procurement transformation.

📅 21-Day Program
Focused, high-impact training to accelerate AI usage in your team.

🌍 Real Examples
Learn from real examples of procurement leaders leading the AI-way

💬 Expert Access
Monthly Q&A with AI and procurement experts to solve your problems.

🎯 Leaders Aligned
Unify your team with a shared understanding of AI’s role in procurement.

📚 Immersive Learning
Live expert sessions + self-paced modules for procurement leaders.

📍 Actionable Roadmap
Leave with a clear plan to implement AI in your procurement process

Program Details

Succeeding in AI through Talent

Mastering AI isn’t about using the newest tool

Winning with AI requires investing in people, not just tools.

We see many people caring too much about using the newest tool, but they are utilizing only 10% of what is possible.

Using the newest tools is great, but actually knowing how to use them is key.

Leading procurement teams adopt a structured approach to change, integrating talent and technology to transform their function into an AI-driven powerhouse.

Schedule Demo →

Mastering AI isn’t about using the newest tool

Program Overview For Your Team

Stage 1

Module 1: 10 Things To Know Before Using AI

Team Kickoff

LIVE

Stage 2

Module 2: How AI Works & Why It Matters

Module 3: Prompt Engineering Essentials

Live Q&A

LIVE

Stage 3

Module 4: Applying AI in Procurement

Module 5: Streamlining Procurement Ops

Stage 4

Module 6: Future of AI in Procurement

Procurement Automation With AI Agents

Live Q&A

LIVE

AI Assessment (optional)

Ongoing

Self-paced (mini) Courses

Downloadable Templates

Monthly Expert Q&A

Program Overview

Program Overview for Procurement Leaders

Stage 1

Module 1: Your Role in AI Adoption—Where to Start

Leadership Kickoff

LIVE

Stage 2

Module 2: Creating an AI Policy—Rules for Safe & Effective Use

Module 3: Implementing AI—How to Enable Your Team

Live Q&A

LIVE

Stage 3

Module 4: AI Tools & Building Your Own Solutions

Module 5: Risks & Common Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)

Stage 4

Module 6: AI Roadmap—Long-Term Strategy for Procurement Teams

AI Agents for Leaders

Live Q&A

LIVE

AI Assessment (optional)

Ongoing

Self-paced (mini) Courses

Downloadable Templates

Monthly Expert Q&A

Meet your instructors

Marijn Overvest

Procurement Thought Leader & AI Expert

Ralph De Groot

Senior Learning Consultant & AI Expert

SUPPORT

FAQs

Have more questions? Get in touch with one of our sales consultants. Book a demo for further questions.

How do I enroll my team?

Schedule a demo call with our team. You can book a consultation directly on their calendar or reach out to us at team@procurementtactics.com. We’ll discuss timelines and get your team on board!

How much time does this require?

The leadership program can be finished within 5-6 hours.

The program for your team can also be finished within 5-6 hours.

If you decide to also participate in the optional modules that cover AI agent building, this will take another 5-6 hours.

Need help choosing the right pace? Discuss your team’s goals and timeline with one of our Procurement Learning Specialists in a free discovery call.

Is there a fixed schedule?

No. Your dedicated Procurement Learning Consultant will work with you during onboarding to:

Agree on a tailored timeline
Lock in dates for the kick-off, live sessions, and graduation/demo day
Define progress checkpoints to keep learners on track

Before each live session, participants should complete a set portion of the self-paced modules, ensuring productive, focused discussions.

This structured yet flexible approach keeps teams aligned while accommodating procurement professionals’ busy schedules.

Is there a live learning component?

Yes!

This program comes with a kickoff and a 2 live Q&A sessions to solve your AI problems in procurement.

What type of support can we expect?

During the pre-enrollment process, our procurement specialists will guide your decision-making and address all your questions. You can reach them by email or schedule a quick consultation call whenever needed.

Once enrolled, you’ll be assigned a dedicated Procurement Learning Consultant who will:

Serve as your single point of contact throughout the program
Coordinate all logistics including kickoff, scheduling, and live sessions
Onboard your procurement team and handle any program-related needs
Work closely with you to maximize the impact on your team’s procurement capabilities

Client Success Stories

Program Overview + Price Quote

Ready to upskill your procurement team with critical AI skills?

Request a price quote and the program overview using the form, or reach out to us directly if you’d like to discuss what’s right for your team.

Click here to grab a slot in my calendar. Talk soon!

Pim Herremans

Copilot in Excel + Pythonfor Procurement

Copilot in Excel

Python in Excel (via Copilot)

Spend Pareto Analysis

Supplier Performance Scoring

Spend Forecasting

Price Anomaly Detection

Contract Compliance Check

Tail Spend Segmentation

Savings Tracker Dashboard

Supplier Risk Clustering

Clean Headers First

Say "Use Python" for Advanced Analysis

Reference Columns by Name

Ask for the Output Format You Need

Chain Prompts for Multi-Step Analysis

Check Your Licence

Open Your Procurement Data

Copy a Prompt and Go

Get Your Procurement Team AI-Ready

Procurement’s AI Opportunity is Now

of executives say AI adoption is essential to stay competitive

expected productivity gains from leveraging AI

For Procurement Teams & Procurement Leaders

AI Fundamentals For Your Team

AI Fundamentals For Procurement Leaders

Mastering AI isn’t about using the newest tool

Program Overview For Your Team

Program Overview for Procurement Leaders

Meet your instructors

Marijn Overvest

Ralph De Groot

FAQs

How do I enroll my team?

How much time does this require?

Is there a fixed schedule?

Is there a live learning component?

What type of support can we expect?

Client Success Stories

Program Overview + Price Quote

Copilot in Excel + Python
for Procurement