System and method of setting a configuration to achieve an outcome

One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing sequences of instructions which when executed using one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform:

• using a procurement control system computer that is communicatively connected to a plurality of client computers, detecting a triggering event associated with accessing the procurement control system computer by a client computer via executing web browser instructions;
• in response to detecting the triggering event, retrieving attribute values of one or more entities by the procurement control system computer, forming a set of matching entity records, and determining peer group data of a peer group from each set of matching entity records corresponding to the one or more entities and associated with two or more entities that are similar to a target entity;
• using the procurement control system computer, from each set of matching entity records corresponding to the peer group, extracting configuration data for the one or more entities and identifying one or more commonalities in the configuration data corresponding to the peer group, wherein the one or more commonalities in the configuration data are values specified by the configuration data that at least a threshold number of entities in the peer group individually select for use within a procurement application, and wherein the values of the configuration data affect procurement operations within the procurement application;
• using the procurement control system computer, extracting configuration data associated with procurement operations within the procurement application for the target entity;
• using the procurement control system computer, comparing the configuration data of the target entity with the one or more commonalities in the configuration data corresponding to the peer group;
• using the procurement control system computer, identifying one or more values of the configuration data of the target entity that differ from the one or more commonalities in the configuration data corresponding to the peer group;
• using the procurement control system computer, providing a plurality of Key Performance Indicator (KPI) values of the two or more entities in the peer group as input to a machine learning algorithm and predicting, automatically and without human intervention, by the machine learning algorithm and based in part on KPI values of the target entity, a particular KPI value as an effect of changing the one or more values of the configuration data of the target entity on a relative performance of the target entity for the procurement operation;
• using the procurement control system computer, providing, via a graphical user interface of the client computer, a recommendation of changing more than one value of the configuration data of the target entity such that a synergistic effect on the particular KPI value is achieved, the recommendation providing descriptions of the predicted effect of changing the more than one value of the configuration data of the target entity on the relative performance of the target entity for the procurement operations within the procurement application, wherein the graphical user interface comprises an interface element for initiating changing the configuration data of the target entity adjacent to the recommendation;
• and
• in response to a selection of the interface element, automatically changing the more than one value of the configuration data of the target entity without human intervention on behalf of the target entity.