Introducing nnamu:

How BT Sourced is turning procurement bottlenecks into savings breakthroughs with autonomous negotiations

Amid rising complexity, shifting supplier dynamics, and increasing pressure to do more with less, procurement is evolving from cost-centric execution to value-centric decision-making. Technology has been key to this shift, and yet the negotiation process, one of the most labor-intensive and time-consuming elements, remains stubbornly manual.

In recent years, the term “autonomous negotiations” has emerged as a potential game-changer. But what does it really mean, how does it work, and what can procurement professionals expect from the technology behind it?

These questions took center stage in the latest In the Know: Product Showcase webinar, “Introducing nnamu: Changing the Game for Negotiations with AI and Game Theory”. Hosted by Beroe’s Chief Product Officer, Prerna Dhawan, the session featured Christian Paul, Founder and CEO of nnamu, and Diarmuid O’Donoghue, Head of Digital Procurement Garage at BT Sourced, a nnamu customer. Together, they explored how nnamu’s pioneering negotiation technology is reshaping procurement, and what its acquisition by Beroe in March 2025 means for the future.

Why procurement needs a new approach

To set the stage attendees were polled about the biggest challenge in their negotiation processes, with almost 50% saying that too much back-and-forth slows negotiations down. Others cited inconsistent outcomes, a lack of skilled negotiators, and difficulty learning from past deals.

These responses reflect a broader industry reality that traditional negotiation methods are time-consuming, inconsistent, and too often dependent on individual expertise. As Prerna Dhawan noted, the problem for procurement is no longer a lack of data, but too much, leading to cognitive overload. Procurement teams are being overwhelmed by too many tools and too much information, which can make it harder to act decisively.

Enter nnamu: Autonomous Negotiation, powered by Game Theory

Beroe’s acquisition of nnamu – the world’s first AI negotiation agent built to use advanced game theory – was driven by a shared vision to bridge the gap between data, insight, and action. With AI already embedded across Beroe’s Live.ai platform, Beroe saw natural synergies with nnamu’s autonomous negotiation capabilities that could better inform and drastically accelerate negotiations for procurement teams.

Christian Paul Co-Founder of nnamu, noted that game theory can either be used to play the game – or to change it. Unlike traditional auction tools, nnamu blends negotiation formats and auction techniques to deliver optimal outcomes for both buyers and suppliers. Built on a unique dataset of over 2,000 negotiations valued at more than €400 billion, nnamu has been designed to be intuitive and accessible even for users with no prior negotiation experience.

Industry readiness – Curious, cautious, but moving forward

A second poll during the webinar canvassed attendees on where they stand on the adoption of technologies like autonomous negotiations. The responses showed a mix of curiosity and caution, with 29% saying they were curious but with reservations, 31% researching or building a business case, 18% already piloting or using AI in procurement, and 22% still using more ‘traditional’ approaches.

Webinar attendees were also asked what limits their use of auction-style tools, with 40% saying they needed more guidance on formats and use, while others cited experience of clunky tools (23%) and lack of team readiness (26%). This snapshot reveals a market that is open to innovation, but still navigating the path to adoption – precisely the barriers nnamu and Beroe aim to overcome.

A customer’s perspective – BT Sourced

BT Sourced is a standalone procurement company within the British Telecom Group established to transform traditional procurement practices not just for BT, but for its wider ecosystem of partners, colleagues, and customers. Breaking with convention from the outset, BT Sourced establish an in-house Digital Procurement Garage aiming to move beyond rigid ERP systems in favor of collaborating directly with more flexible, best-of-breed digital solutions in its drive to digitize and simplify procurement.

nnamu serves as an example of this strategy in action, delivering measurable business outcomes including savings in key sourcing projects, faster negotiations, and strong endorsements from both procurement teams and suppliers alike. Unlike many platforms that promise transformation but fall short, nnamu has proven easy to use, purpose-built for procurement, and instrumental in helping BT Sourced make smarter decisions under pressure.

Diarmuid O’Donoghue shared how BT Sourced has seen double-digit savings with nnamu, with average savings of 15% and many events exceeding 20%, delivered in a fraction of the timeframe of traditional manual negotiations.

BT Sourced has deployed nnamu across categories and regions, helping procurement shift from being viewed as a cost center to a source of competitive advantage. Procurement teams are challenged to “become a hero in 20 minutes” by taking advantage of the savings that nnamu can offer in negotiations.

Key to this success has been a focus on people and change management. As O’Donoghue noted, “a problem well defined is a problem halved”. By clearly identifying use cases, tracking metrics, and maintaining open communication, BT Sourced has ensured smooth adoption and strong supplier engagement.

With nnamu, we were delighted to see double-digit percentage savings on negotiations, not over weeks or months, but in minutes. We now have a phrase in BT Sourced encouraging our category managers to ‘Use nnamu to become a hero in 20 minutes.’ – Diarmuid O’Donoghue, Head of Digital Procurement Garage at BT Sourced

Looking ahead

Across strategic, technical, and tail spend, nnamu has already proven itself on deal sizes ranging from €20,000 to €27 million for globally recognized brands including JLR, Deutsche Bahn, and BT Sourced.

Currently available as a standalone solution, nnamu’s integration into Beroe Live.ai is underway. This will allow customers to combine Beroe’s market intelligence with nnamu’s negotiation engine to unlock even greater value and deliver competitive advantage and significant savings in quickly executed negotiations.

To view a recording of the webinar “Introducing nnamu: Changing the Game for Negotiations with AI and Game Theory”, including a live demonstration of nnamu, click here.

To arrange a demo of nnamu and see what autonomous negotiations can do for your team, please get in touch.