The Breakdown:
The Problem: Until now, connecting an AI agent to your tech stack (SAP, Coupa, Slack, Snowflake) required custom, brittle integrations for every single tool. The "N×M" problem was suffocating innovation.
The Fix: MCP provides a standardized way for AI models to read and write data across disparate systems.
The Result: "Agentic" workflows are moving from pilot to production. We are no longer talking about chatbots; we are talking about autonomous actors that can pull spend data from an ERP, cross-reference it with market rates, and draft an email—all without breaking the API limit.
The Procurement Takeaway: This is the death knell for the "Walled Garden" strategy used by legacy suites. If an AI agent can fluidly move between Zip (for intake) and specialized negotiation agents without friction, the "All-in-One" suite loses its primary moat: integration pain.
CPOs must now audit their tech stack not for "features," but for agent-readiness. If your supplier data is locked in a system that blocks these open protocols, your AI strategy is dead on arrival.