Listening differently: Nishal and the future of research
Most research still asks people to write down what they think. For busy professionals, that’s often the reason a survey goes unanswered. Nishal, the interactive avatar we built with CIPS and THINK for The Great Conversation, asks a different question: what happens when people can simply talk instead?
What Nishal does
Nishal is an AI-enabled avatar developed to support The Great Conversation, CIPS’s research into the future of procurement and supply. Rather than working through a written questionnaire, participants have a short, spoken conversation, exploring the issues shaping their profession, from AI and supply chain innovation to sustainability, in their own words.
The build draws on our work in human performance and behavioural insight, paired with AI-enabled analytics, to make it possible to capture that kind of open, conversational data at scale and turn it into something CIPS can use in its research, content and qualifications.
Nishal is one application of a wider capability we’ve developed in AI-enabled avatars. The same approach also underpins AI Coaching Experts, our platform for extending coaching capability to more people across an organization. Depending on the need, these avatars can be built as a coaching sparring partner, a research agent like Nishal, a website tool, a feedback avatar or a training guide. If you have a specific use case in mind, get in touch and we’ll talk it through.
Early signals
Since launch, Nishal has spoken with procurement professionals in several countries, across sectors including aviation, banking, government and consultancy, on topics ranging from supplier sustainability agreements to how AI might reshape a procurement leader’s day-to-day role. One participant summed up the appeal simply: it’s a much easier way to contribute than filling in a written survey.
It’s still early, and we’re continuing to gather and review the data properly before drawing conclusions. What we’re seeing so far suggests this kind of conversational approach can surface a different depth of insight than a form ever could, and that’s worth watching closely.
Add your voice
The Great Conversation is still gathering views, and the more procurement professionals who take part, the stronger the evidence base becomes. If you’d like to share your thinking on the future of the profession, you can speak to Nishal directly.
We’ll be reviewing engagement over the coming months and will publish a full case study once there’s a robust body of evidence to share, covering what this approach reveals about procurement, and about research itself.
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