Renowned Scholar Seminar Professor Yinliang (Ricky) Tan

This study examines the impact of Industrial AI agents on Business-to-Business (B2B) procurement, with a focus on the Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) sector. MRO procurement, characterized by product complexity and specification challenges, remains a critical yet inefficient area of B2B operations. Using large language models, ZKH—a leading digital platform for industrial supplies—has developed an AI-powered agent that acts as an intelligent assistant. By analyzing a database of over 17 million SKUs and billions of product parameters, the agent provides smart recommendations, real-time specification support, and streamlined navigation through complex product catalogs. We conduct a field experiment to evaluate the effects of the Industrial AI agent on early-stage buyer engagement, final-stage purchase decisions, procurement duration, and new product adoption. Using data of 254 purchasing companies over a three-month period from a trial experiment, we provide preliminary evidence of the impact of the Industrial AI agent adoption on B2B procurement.

With

Dr. Yinliang (Ricky) Tan is a Full Professor of Decision Sciences and Management Information Systems at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS). Professor Tan has also served as a visiting scholar at Stanford University's Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Institute and Digital Economy Lab. Prior to joining CEIBS, Professor Tan was a tenured faculty of Decision and Information Sciences at the C.T. Bauer College of Business, University of Houston (on leave 24-25).

Dr. Tan graduated from the Warrington College of Business at the University of Florida, specializing in Operations Management and Information Systems. His research primarily focuses on artificial intelligence and the digital economy.

Professor Tan has published more than 20 papers in top-ranked management and business journals recognized by the Financial Times, including Management Science, MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, Production and Operations Management, Manufacturing & Operations Management, and Human Relations. Currently, he serves as a Senior Editor for Production and Operations Management(FT 50), Department Editor for the Decision Sciences Journal, Associate Editor for Information & Management, and Editorial Board Member for Information Systems Research, Journal of Operations Management, and Journal of Management Information Systems.