Turning procurement data into savings, automation & intelligence.
I'm William Hau — a procurement transformation leader with 12+ years evolving teams from reporting functions into advanced analytics and AI engines that drive measurable enterprise value.
Where the analytics function is headed
The role of procurement analytics is being redefined. AI can already run most analyses and build dashboards faster and better than a person can — so the durable value of these teams is moving upstream and outward, toward three things that compound over time.
Data quality as the multiplier
AI feeds on data, and the returns are exponential rather than linear. Modest gains in data quality compound into outsized gains in AI performance — 2x better data can mean 10x or 100x better AI. The highest-leverage work a team can do is relentlessly raising data quality.
Rigorous AI testing & validation
As AI takes on more of the decisioning, disciplined and intelligent testing becomes a core function. The value is in validation — ensuring AI outputs are accurate, explainable, and trustworthy before the business acts on them.
Tech leadership beyond analytics
These teams become the technical leads for the wider organization — leveraging AI-assisted coding to build custom applications, web tools, and digital solutions that reach well beyond reporting and dashboards.
The future isn't reporting and dashboards — it's data quality, AI validation, and AI-assisted coding. The procurement analytics teams that evolve into a procurement intelligence and automation office will be the ones that succeed.
Three ways data creates impact
My team turns procurement data and AI into outcomes the business can measure — across the P&L, day-to-day operations, and the boardroom.
Savings Identification
Surfacing and quantifying cost-savings opportunities across categories, suppliers, and spend cubes — translating analytics directly into P&L and operating-margin impact.
Efficiency & Automation
Streamlining procurement workflows and automating manual processes with AI and Copilot, so a global organization scales output and speed without scaling cost.
Procurement Intelligence
Delivering executive-grade insight and AI-driven decision support — the metrics, models, and narratives that guide strategy across Finance, Procurement, and BU partners.
From reporting to AI.
Over four-plus years at Applied Materials, I've led the evolution of a procurement analytics team through three distinct chapters — first a reporting function, then an advanced analytics group, and today an AI team applying agentic AI and Microsoft Copilot to reshape how a global indirect procurement organization makes decisions.
My career spans category management and strategic sourcing across both Indirect and Direct, private equity advisory, and analytics leadership — at Applied Materials, Advent International Private Equity, HERE Technologies, Northern Trust, and Ecolab. The throughline is consistent: use data, analytics, and technology to surface actionable insight, build high-performing teams, and earn lasting executive support.
I hold an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and am a Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM). I also serve on the ISM Data Analytics & Technology Committee, contributing thought leadership on how procurement organizations mature their analytics capabilities.
What my team builds
Hands-on solutions that turn procurement data into savings, scale, and smarter decisions — built and delivered with my team. AI is woven through every one of these, from the models and algorithms themselves to how we design, build, and ship them.
Advanced Analytics Platforms
End-to-end analytics platforms that put self-serve insight, executive metrics, and AI-driven decision support in the hands of Finance, Procurement, and BU partners.
Digital Solutions & Custom Apps
Bespoke digital tools and custom applications built with AI-assisted coding — rapidly prototyping and shipping solutions that fit procurement's exact workflows instead of forcing off-the-shelf compromises.
Spend Forecasting Models
Predictive models that forecast spend across categories and suppliers, giving Finance and Procurement a forward view for planning and savings capture.
Data Classification Algorithms
Algorithms that automatically classify and harmonize spend and transaction data — replacing manual tagging with consistent, analytics-ready categorization.
Procurement Automations
Automations that streamline manual workflows and scale procurement operations — so the organization grows output and speed without growing cost.
Custom Spend Cubes
Multiple custom spend cubes built for strategic sourcing — surfacing supplier, category, and cross-portfolio savings opportunities that translate directly to results.
Building the future of procurement intelligence.
Whether it's analytics transformation, AI strategy, or procurement leadership — I'd love to connect and compare notes.