New material supports AI Sweden's partners in the procurement process
In collaboration with our partners, AI Sweden has compiled material to support procurement processes, Kunskapslyft för upphandling av AI-system.
“This is a document that reflects the opportunities and challenges our partners see regarding the procurement of AI systems. The ambition is that it will increase the conditions for successful procurements,” says project manager Henric Wirfelt.
Download and read the introduction to the report (in Swedish).
The work is based on two starting points: That the procurement of AI systems differs from traditional procurement, and that there is much to gain from conducting high-quality procurements.
“We see in the responses that even higher demands are placed on close collaboration between suppliers and clients regarding AI systems compared to traditional IT solutions. Many projects are exploratory with an idea of the goal, but the path there needs to be relatively incremental and iterative. This places high demands on both technical and domain-specific expertise. Both parties need to be very transparent about needs, prerequisites, and opportunities to be successful,” says Henric Wirfelt.
Kunskapslyft för upphandling av AI-system is based on an interactive survey done with the AI tool Listen Labs. 15 organizations in AI Sweden's partner network participated, with representatives from both the private and public sectors, and both suppliers and customers.
We have the privilege of working with partners who are very experienced and competent in the field. The document reflects their thoughts and reflections on the procurement of AI systems.
Henric Wirfelt
Ecosystem & Partner manager at AI Sweden
The work resulted in seven central challenges that AI Sweden's partners highlight as particularly important to consider. Furthermore, the document contains six principles that lay the foundation for a successful procurement and a number of checklists that can facilitate the requirement specification. The report is published in two versions: A longer, partner-exclusive version, and a shorter one that is available to everyone.
“We hope that the material is used as inspiration for learning for both customers and suppliers and provides valuable input into the organizations' own processes.”
Partners about the material
The design and implementation of the procurement process is crucial for the development of practical AI solutions. It is very positive that AI Sweden has initiated work to gather and disseminate knowledge about this important aspect.
Peter Wahlgren
Professor, The Swedish Law and Informatics Research Institute
We are at the beginning of a growing market for AI systems where, as a public actor, we need to make prudent choices. As a long-standing partner of AI Sweden, it was an obvious opportunity for Region Gävleborg to participate in the effort to develop much needed procurement support for AI systems. The result provides excellent support for leveraging the available opportunities.
Mårten Lindqvist
Region Gävleborg
We chose to contribute to the knowledge boost because the procurement of AI is crucial for Sweden to be able to develop and implement technologies that bring real benefit to society, in both the public and private sectors. By sharing our experience, we want to contribute to increased competence and decisions that drive innovation and quality.
Pierre Renhult
Industry Partner - Nexer Group
We chose to contribute because AI procurements often rely on old templates and perspectives that are rarely suitable when AI is a central part of the delivery, regardless of whether it concerns solutions, consulting services, or management. This initiative is needed. It provides both buyers and suppliers with a common language and practical support for succeeding with AI in reality.
Anders Bjurström
CEO Tenfifty
Explore more about procurement of AI-systems on My AI.
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