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Playbook · Utilities & Power

How to run autonomous inventory and procurement operations in Utilities & Power (2026)

Last updated July 2026

The short answer

Autonomous operations means AI agents handle the routine inventory and procurement decisions continuously, escalating only the exceptions and value calls to a human. Maintained runs the day-to-day and asks for approval on what matters, so your team scales without adding headcount.

The context in utilities & power. Utilities carrying critical spares and long-tail inventory where availability matters but carrying cost compounds. Too many decisions live in one veteran's head, and legacy systems record data but never actually decide anything — so nothing scales.

  • Critical spares over-held 'just in case'
  • Long-tail inventory compounding carrying cost
  • Little visibility into what's truly redundant

The steps

  1. 1

    Automate routine replenishment, sourcing, and disposition decisions

  2. 2

    Escalate only exceptions and value calls to a person

  3. 3

    Codify tribal knowledge into always-on decisioning

  4. 4

    Scale operations without adding headcount

Why it pays off

83%
83% of distribution executives have implemented AI in at least one function, up from 35% in 2023.
Epicor
20–30%
AI-driven optimization can cut inventory 20–30% while holding service levels, and reduce forecasting error up to 50%.
Epicor / MDM
3.2×
Procurement 'Digital Masters' see 3.2× GenAI ROI versus 1.5× for followers, and allocate up to 24% of budget to procurement technology.
Deloitte 2025 Global CPO Survey

Frequently asked questions

How do utilities & power operations run autonomous inventory and procurement operations?

Autonomous operations means AI agents handle the routine inventory and procurement decisions continuously, escalating only the exceptions and value calls to a human. Maintained runs the day-to-day and asks for approval on what matters, so your team scales without adding headcount.

Why is this harder in utilities & power?

Utilities carrying critical spares and long-tail inventory where availability matters but carrying cost compounds. Too many decisions live in one veteran's head, and legacy systems record data but never actually decide anything — so nothing scales.

See what your inventory is really costing you.

Tell us where the cash is trapped — excess stock, idle surplus, slow RFQs — and we'll show you the outcome Maintained can unlock.

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