Supplier price increases are a common occurrence in procurement. However, amidst geopolitical crises, volatile raw material markets, and growing uncertainty due to US tariffs, these demands are increasing, and there's often no time for a thorough review. How can one distinguish which price increase is justified and which is not?

In the webinar, Andreas Kleber (Head of Procurement and Logistics/CPO at Wölfle) and Nellie Gestring (Customer Value Manager at Tacto) demonstrate how Wölfle, a supplier in the commercial vehicle sector, uses the Defender Agent to automatically review price increases and counter them with data-driven arguments.

What Hormuz, Ukraine, and US Tariffs Mean for Procurement

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Procurement is currently under multiple pressures: The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz since late February 2026 is driving up raw material and freight costs. In Ukraine, ceasefire negotiations have been ongoing since May, while the conflict's impact on energy prices and supply chains persists. Simultaneously, US tariffs and ongoing negotiations for an EU trade deal are burdening the European industry's most important export market. The result: Suppliers are leveraging this complex situation to justify price increases. However, not every demand withstands a data-driven review. Rising raw material prices justify increases for material-intensive parts, but for items without a direct raw material connection, the factual basis is often lacking.

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How the Defender Agent Automatically Reviews and Counters Price Increases

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Tacto's Defender Agent automates the review of incoming price increases in three steps. First, the buyer forwards the supplier's price increase email to a dedicated address. Second, the agent automatically analyzes the demand: It compares it with internal data from the ERP and existing contracts, and links this with external market data such as raw material indices, exchange rates, and producer price indices. Third, the agent generates a ready-made draft response with actual index figures from the relevant reference period, references to contractual clauses, and a data-driven counter-position. The buyer can review, adjust, and send the draft directly.

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How Wölfle Uses the Defender Agent in Daily Procurement Operations

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Using the practical example of a specific supplier, Andreas Kleber demonstrates the process: Forwarding the price increase email takes about 30 seconds. Analysis and drafting are automated. Reviewing and sending the response take approximately five minutes. What previously required hours of research is now completed in just a few minutes.

Beyond mere time savings, Kleber highlights further advantages: The entire spend portfolio is systematically reviewed, not just the most conspicuous demands. The counter-argumentation is documented and traceable. New colleagues or buyers taking over a material group immediately receive well-founded answers based on the same knowledge. And procurement can inform adjacent departments promptly about the current market situation and incoming demands, which strengthens the department's strategic value within the organization.

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Conclusion

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Wölfle's practical example illustrates that AI agents in procurement are not intended to reject price increases across the board. The real added value lies in systematically and data-drivenly reviewing every demand, accepting justified adjustments, and countering unjustified demands with concrete facts.

Andreas Kleber, Head of Procurement and Logistics at Wölfle, and Nellie Gestring from Tacto demonstrate how the Defender Agent automatically reviews incoming price increases and generates data-driven counter-arguments. Using the practical example of a commercial vehicle supplier, it becomes clear how the combination of internal ERP data, contract information, and external market data enables procurement to respond to price demands in a well-founded and timely manner.