How Automation Saved My… Job

I still remember that morning with uncomfortable clarity..

I opened my laptop with a knot in my stomach, trying to convince myself it was nothing. “It’s just a meeting, we have been discussing my promotion so that must be it” I repeated silently. A meeting with my boss’s boss and HR, scheduled out of nowhere. A meeting I naïvely hoped might mean a promotion, or at least a new project.

It didn’t cross my mind – not even for a second – that I was walking straight towards a termination notice. I thought things like this happen in the movies, or at least to others, but it will never become part of my story..

When the words finally came, I felt them physically, like someone had knocked the air out of my lungs. I nodded politely, trying to stay composed, but in my head everything was falling apart at once. Losing a job isn’t just losing a job. It’s losing a routine, a sense of direction, a future you thought you had mapped out. Let alone a source of income..

But what happened next still surprises me today.

The Little Thing I Never Thought Mattered

In my role as a tester, I owned one tiny, almost invisible responsibility – something nobody else in the company touched: a small slice of eProcurement process automation. It wasn’t big. It wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t even formally recognised as a skill. Just a niche corner of the job that ended up on my plate as I had some basic understanding of the concept.

Most days, it felt like a footnote in my workload, yet I sometimes imagined it could become my lifeline if I grew it so it gets noticed by the Seniors. Some days it was my main task, especially when new projects started coming in. But it was still too minor, to become my full time job.

A few days after the meeting, while I was still processing everything, I got another call. Management was searching for people who could support growing automation initiatives, particularly in eProcurement – exactly the area I had been quietly supporting in the background.

“Would you be interested in transitioning into a new role?”
That question changed everything.

That tiny niche fragment of my job – the part I had always treated as secondary – suddenly became the reason not only for keeping me in the company, but for opening a completely new career path. Instead of walking out with a cardboard box of my things, I walked into a new chapter.

Automation didn’t replace me.
Automation saved me.

The Fear We All Carry

Ever since then, I’ve been thinking about how we talk about automation and AI. Usually with dread. Headlines screaming about job destruction. Colleagues whispering about who might be “next.” Skilled professionals lying awake at night, wondering whether the future has any place for them.

But here’s the thing no one tells you:

Not all automation steals jobs.
Some automation needs people.
Some automation creates opportunities.
And sometimes, automation is the thing that keeps you standing when everything else feels like it’s collapsing.

For me, embracing that tiny niche skill made me more valuable – not less.

The Lesson I Wish I Knew Earlier

If there’s one message I want to share from this experience, it’s this:

Don’t be afraid of automation.
Be curious about it.
Sometimes the smallest, most overlooked skill can become the one that saves your job – or leads you somewhere even better. My company is actively investing in developing this area, and the purchasing market has gone crazy about it.

You can also become a Head of Automation or eProcurement Lead one day.

You just need to start learning how to make sure it keeps you in the job instead of taking your job.

If you want to know what parts of automation are worth exploring, especially in tech roles that feel uncertain right now, let me know. I’m happy to tell you what helped me, and maybe it’ll help you too.

More details about the purchasing process automation you can find here. Have a go and see, if that resonates with you – I will be forever grateful, if you decide to leave me a comment or a thumbs up meaning, you would like to start learning more about cxml, EDIFACT and so on, and how these abbreviations can change your life soon too!

FAQ – Why eProcurement and Process Automation Are Worth Your Time

What is eProcurement in simple terms?

eProcurement is the digital management of purchasing processes inside a company – from requesting items, through approvals, to creating purchase orders and managing suppliers. Instead of doing everything manually in spreadsheets and emails, eProcurement platforms automate and streamline the workflow.

Why is eProcurement becoming so popular?

Because companies are under pressure to be faster, more efficient, and more compliant. eProcurement helps organizations:

• reduce costs,
• avoid mistakes,
• gain transparency in spending,
• shorten approval times,
• ensure compliance with internal policies.

It’s one of the easiest ways for businesses to modernize without massive system overhauls.

Why can eProcurement skills be a smart career choice?

Because they sit at the crossroads of business and technology. That means:

• high demand,
• relatively low entry barrier,
• lots of room for growth.

Many companies want automation but don’t have enough talent to implement or maintain it – especially in procurement.

Do you need programming experience to work in eProcurement?

Usually not. Most platforms rely on:

• configuration rather than coding,
• workflow design,
• business logic,
• data understanding.

People with backgrounds in operations, finance, logistics, testing, business analysis, or project management often transition into eProcurement smoothly.

What roles exist in eProcurement and procurement automation?

Common roles include:

• eProcurement Specialist / Analyst,
• Process Automation Analyst,
• Procurement Operations Specialist,
• Source-to-Pay (S2P) Consultant,
• System Administrator (for tools like SAP Ariba, Coupa, Jaggaer, etc.).

These positions exist in both corporations and consulting companies.

Why do companies value eProcurement specialists so highly?

Because procurement affects the entire organization. Good eProcurement improves:

• budgeting,
• supplier management,
• contract visibility,
• audit readiness,
• financial forecasting.

A single well-designed process can save a company millions — so specialists who understand these workflows are in demand.

Is eProcurement future-proof?

Very much so. Trends clearly show:

• more automation of back-office processes,
• more digital procurement,
• more focus on data-driven decision-making.

As long as companies buy things (and they always will), procurement will remain essential – and it is rapidly becoming more digital every year.

What tools are most widely used in eProcurement?

Some of the biggest platforms include:

• SAP Ariba,
• Coupa,
• Jaggaer,
• Ivalua,
• Oracle Procurement Cloud.

They differ in complexity, but the core principles – workflow, approvals, compliance, supplier management – are similar across tools, which makes switching between them easier.

How difficult is it to get started?

Beginner-friendly. You can start by learning:

• how procurement works in general (P2P/S2P basics),
• how digital approval workflows function,
• how to map and optimize processes,
• how to test or configure simple automation steps.

Many people begin in support or testing roles and grow into analysts or consultants.

What makes eProcurement a stable, long-term choice?

Three things:

1. Universality – every large organization needs procurement.
2. Scalability – once digital, processes need continuous maintenance and improvement.
3. Talent gap – demand for eProcurement specialists is growing faster than supply.

This creates a rare combination: stability + growth + opportunity to develop technically without heavy programming.