ETCH Sourcing, a Canadian procurement services company, has taken a hands-on approach to artificial intelligence by giving team members direct access to the tools needed to build their own AI solutions. Rather than deploying a single pre-built system, the company created a secure internal “AI playground” where employees can develop and experiment with custom bots to support their daily work.
As a managed services provider in the supply chain and procurement space, ETCH is always looking for ways to improve client delivery. The AI playground was designed to enhance — not replace — the work done by procurement professionals. Employees use the environment to create bots that assist with tasks such as data analysis, research, and knowledge sharing. Every AI output is reviewed by a procurement expert, ensuring human in the loop design and use, and guaranteeing expertise.
The platform was launched alongside a series of internal workshops, where team members were trained on how to build bots and identify use cases relevant to their roles. Team members were encouraged to create solutions that addressed specific pain points in their day-to-day tasks, rather than relying on generic tools. The result is a growing collection of purpose-built AI companion bots that are integrated into existing workflows.
According to ETCH, one of the biggest insights from the project was how quickly employees became more comfortable with AI when given the freedom to create. By removing the mystery around AI and making it something the team could build and control, adoption came naturally. The initiative has also helped strengthen ETCH’s culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
The bots are now being used across the organization to improve efficiency, support training, and enhance service quality. Depending on the task, efficiency gains range from 10% to 40%. Some bots help analysts complete assessments more quickly, while others are used to train junior team members or support knowledge sharing among staff. Most recently, ETCH created a tariff analysis bot that is capable of updating and tracking tariff trends in the changing environment.
The company emphasized that not all tasks are a fit for AI, and part of the value of the playground is learning what works and what doesn’t. By testing ideas in a low-risk environment, teams can better understand where automation adds value — and where human input remains essential.
As AI continues to shape how businesses operate, ETCH Sourcing’s approach offers a practical model: give people the tools, training, and autonomy to experiment, and let innovation grow from the ground up.
This article is part of Innovation+ in the Plus 15, a special editorial series from the Calgary Innovation Peer Forum and Digital Journal that explores how Calgary-based companies are innovating.
