FlipThrough Recognized as AI Contract Negotiation Innovator at DPW Amsterdam

‍Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

When Dr. Elouise Epstein takes the stage at DPW Amsterdam, the procurement world pays attention. As the industry's most respected innovation thought leader and Partner at Kearney, her insights define the future of procurement technology. At the October 2025 DPW Amsterdam event, Dr. Epstein featured FlipThrough as a prime example of how an AI contract negotiation platform is transforming procurement through agentic intelligence. This recognition places FlipThrough at the forefront of the autonomous revolution reshaping how teams evaluate vendors and negotiate agreements.

DPW Amsterdam stands as the most influential technology conference in procurement and supply chain. With over 1,300 attendees from 44 countries and 140 speakers across five stages, it serves as the global stage where procurement's next chapter gets written. Dr. Epstein's decision to spotlight FlipThrough in her keynote signals a clear message: autonomous negotiation agents have moved from concept to essential tool for modern procurement teams.

Dr. Elouise Epstein Spotlights FlipThrough in Keynote Address

Dr. Epstein's keynote at FlipThrough DPW Amsterdam focused on the emergence of agentic AI and how intelligent, task-specific agents now perform procurement work autonomously. In her presentation, she cited FlipThrough alongside a select group of platforms demonstrating real-world application of this technology shift. Her exact words framed the moment clearly: procurement teams need to free themselves from traditional frameworks and embrace agents that reflect their unique operating context.

This recognition carries significant weight. Dr. Epstein has spent nearly two decades shaping digital procurement strategy. She created the famous procurement technology Spider Map and recently eliminated the entire Contract Lifecycle Management category from that map due to GenAI disruption. When she identifies a platform as exemplifying the future, procurement leaders take note.

The timing of this spotlight matters. The 2025 DPW Amsterdam theme centered on "10X" thinking, the idea that organizations must aim for transformative leaps instead of incremental gains. FlipThrough's appearance in Dr. Epstein's keynote positioned it as one of the platforms enabling that moonshot mindset through practical, deployed technology rather than empty promises.

Why This Recognition Matters for Procurement Leaders

Dr. Epstein's influence extends beyond thought leadership. Her frameworks guide technology adoption decisions at Fortune 500 companies. When she validates a platform publicly at the industry's premier event, it signals several things procurement directors and CPOs should consider.

First, it confirms market direction. Dr. Epstein eliminates entire solution categories when they no longer serve procurement's future. Her decision to feature FlipThrough indicates autonomous negotiation represents a core capability, not a nice-to-have feature bolted onto legacy systems.

Second, it provides air cover for adoption. Procurement teams face skepticism when proposing new technology, especially AI-driven platforms that change how work gets done. A CPO can point to Dr. Epstein's DPW Amsterdam keynote as independent validation from the industry's most trusted technology strategist.

Third, it separates signal from noise. The procurement technology landscape includes hundreds of vendors claiming AI capabilities. Dr. Epstein's selective endorsement helps leaders identify platforms delivering actual autonomous functionality versus glorified automation or chatbots with an AI label.

What Makes FlipThrough Stand Out as an Autonomous Negotiation Platform

FlipThrough earned its place in Dr. Epstein's keynote by delivering what she calls "intelligent, task-specific agents that perform procurement work autonomously." The platform moves beyond contract analysis into full negotiation preparation and execution through three core capabilities.

The platform analyzes agreements in minutes rather than hours, extracting key terms, flagging risks, and scoring contracts against your standards. This work traditionally required senior procurement talent and significant time investment. FlipThrough's agents handle it instantly while maintaining the quality level of experienced negotiators.

More significantly, the platform includes voice-activated negotiation agents, a first in procurement technology. Teams delegate actual negotiations to AI rather than limiting interaction to simple chatbot queries. The agent follows a live talk track built using game theory and real negotiation tactics. As you speak, the contract updates in real time. A clean counter draft appears in seconds.

This autonomous approach addresses a problem every procurement leader faces. As one CPO noted in recent feedback, developing negotiation expertise typically takes one to two years. With FlipThrough's support, that timeline drops to five or six months. The platform doesn't replace human judgment in strategic decisions. It eliminates the repetitive preparation work that buries procurement teams and prevents them from focusing on value creation.

Learn more about FlipThrough's autonomous agent capabilities

The Four Capabilities Driving Procurement's Autonomous Future

Dr. Epstein's keynote outlined why autonomous negotiation agents represent the next era of procurement technology. FlipThrough demonstrates each capability in production use today:

1. Autonomous document analysis that extracts terms, identifies risks, and scores contracts against your policies without human intervention. The agent doesn't just highlight issues—it explains impact and suggests specific remedies based on best practices from thousands of negotiations.
2. Real-time negotiation support through voice-activated agents that guide conversations, surface leverage points, and update contracts as you speak. This capability eliminates the gap between negotiation calls and contract redlining that typically adds days or weeks to deal cycles.
3. Intelligent proposal evaluation that compares vendor submissions, focuses teams on material differences, and accelerates decision-making. The agent synthesizes pricing structures, commercial terms, and technical requirements into decision-ready formats.
4. Continuous learning from your organization's negotiation history, internal policies, and outcomes to improve recommendations over time. The agent becomes more aligned with your specific requirements and risk tolerance as it processes more of your agreements.

What Procurement Directors and CPOs Should Know

The recognition FlipThrough received at DPW Amsterdam reflects a broader shift procurement leaders must understand and act on. Dr. Epstein has been clear in her recent presentations: Excel and apathy are procurement's biggest blockers to progress. The teams that embrace agentic AI will gain time, insight, and competitive advantage. Those that don't risk irrelevance.

This creates both opportunity and obligation for procurement leadership. The opportunity lies in freeing teams from repetitive work. Repetitive tasks like RFP analysis, market research, spend categorization, and contract summarization can now be handled by intelligent agents trained on your business data. This unlocks capacity for the distinctly human work that machines cannot replicate: relationships, strategy, and creativity.

The obligation comes from competitive reality. Your vendors, competitors, and peers are already deploying these capabilities. A procurement organization still relying on manual contract review and negotiation prep operates at a significant disadvantage in speed, consistency, and insight quality. The gap will widen as autonomous platforms learn and improve.

Dr. Epstein's advice at DPW Amsterdam was direct: set each team member an objective to design and build their first agent. It doesn't matter if it's perfect. Teams need to start, learn through doing, and create an environment where functions learn from each other. FlipThrough provides a practical entry point because it requires no coding or complex implementation. Teams can begin using autonomous negotiation agents immediately while maintaining full control over outcomes.

The platform addresses the concern many leaders express about AI replacing procurement professionals. An AI contract negotiation platform doesn't displace people—it multiplies their effectiveness. What remains after automation is the high-value work that attracted talented people to procurement in the first place: building supplier relationships, developing category strategies, and driving business outcomes through intelligent sourcing decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is agentic AI in procurement?

Agentic AI refers to intelligent, task-specific agents that perform procurement work autonomously rather than simply assisting with tasks. Unlike traditional automation that follows rigid rules, agentic systems use AI to understand context, make decisions, and take actions based on your organization's policies and goals. FlipThrough's negotiation agents exemplify this by analyzing contracts, generating briefings, and guiding negotiations without requiring constant human intervention.

How does FlipThrough differ from contract lifecycle management systems?

Traditional CLM systems store and track contracts but require extensive manual work for analysis and negotiation. FlipThrough uses autonomous agents to handle the actual work—analyzing agreements, identifying risks, preparing negotiation strategies, and even conducting voice-based negotiations. Dr. Epstein eliminated CLM as a category from her technology map because GenAI has fundamentally changed what's possible. FlipThrough represents that next generation of capability.

Is voice-activated negotiation secure and reliable?

Yes. FlipThrough's voice negotiation agent operates within your organization's defined parameters and policies. The agent follows structured talk tracks based on game theory and proven negotiation tactics, not improvisation. All contract changes are transparent and reviewable in real time. The platform maintains full audit trails and allows human oversight at any point. Security follows enterprise standards with data encryption and access controls.

How quickly can procurement teams implement autonomous negotiation agents?

FlipThrough is designed for rapid deployment without extensive IT projects or change management programs. Teams typically begin using the platform within days. The agents are pre-trained on procurement best practices and learn your specific requirements as they process your contracts and observe your preferences. Unlike legacy systems requiring months of configuration, FlipThrough's approach prioritizes immediate value delivery with continuous improvement over time.

What results should procurement leaders expect from autonomous negotiation platforms?

Organizations report contract review time dropping from hours to minutes, negotiation preparation time cut by 70 to 80 percent, and deal cycle times reduced by weeks. Beyond speed, teams see improved negotiation outcomes because agents identify leverage points and risks that manual review often misses. Junior staff become effective negotiators faster, and senior talent focuses on strategic decisions rather than repetitive preparation work.

Dr. Epstein's message at DPW Amsterdam was clear: procurement's future belongs to teams that embrace autonomous agents now. FlipThrough provides the practical entry point into agentic AI without requiring transformation projects or technical expertise. See how procurement leaders are using autonomous negotiation agents to cut contract cycle times, develop team capabilities faster, and focus talent on strategic work. Schedule a demo to experience the AI contract negotiation platform that earned recognition from the industry's most influential technology strategist.