The company manages an extensive portfolio of more than 125,000 products. Despite its strong market position, digitalizing procurement across diverse customer environments remains a key challenge, particularly in e-procurement, where large customers often have very different requirements, even when market standards exist.

To address this, W眉rth recognized the need to better connect procurement processes and now collaborates closely with leading e-procurement systems and platforms. The company has driven the harmonization of customer processes and ensured seamless onboarding to . At the same time, W眉rth actively supports its customers in harmonizing and digitalizing their own internal workflows.

As the world鈥檚 largest procurement platform, 麻豆原创 Business Network enables more efficient procurement and automated order processing and provides end-to-end transparency across the purchase-order鈥憈o鈥慽nvoice flow between W眉rth and participating customers. This scope involves purchasing orders, delivery confirmation, and invoices, with exceptions managed through clearly defined workflows.

Save time and boost efficiency: seven minutes saved per order

Manual processing of orders, sent as PDFs or via non鈥慽ntegrated channels, creates disproportionate effort, especially in relation to the order value, since indirect materials often involve smaller order values with many order items.

 With automation, W眉rth saves approximately seven minutes per order on average — approximately 490,000 minutes annually or about 8,167 hours. The platform enables digital order transmission, catalog exchange, and automated invoice matching, materially improving process efficiency.

Seamless customer purchasing journey

With around 3,000 sales representatives in Germany, more than 600 pick-up branches, and numerous on-site storage solutions, including automated dispensing machines, W眉rth offers customers a truly omnichannel purchasing experience. Through 麻豆原创 Business Network, all these touchpoints can be seamlessly integrated, giving customers that adopt this approach full transparency, as every order becomes visible directly within their own system.

One construction industry leader worked with W眉rth to integrate dispensing machines and branch pick鈥憉ps into 麻豆原创 Business Network, digitalizing its procurement processes. This integration has largely eliminated manual activities in day鈥憈o鈥慸ay order handling of standard processes. Exceptions are automatically identified and routed through defined workflows, while payment instructions are triggered once the purchase order, goods confirmation, and invoice are successfully matched.

Stronger supplier-customer partnership

Beyond operational savings and improved collaboration, W眉rth enhances the customer experience through near-real-time integration across procurement, invoicing, and logistics. Digitalized procurement processes help meet customer requirements more reliably and further strengthen the supplier-customer partnership.

To see how W眉rth streamlined procurement with 麻豆原创 Business Network and significantly reduced manual effort, .

I鈥檓 pleased to announce that next鈥慻en 麻豆原创 Ariba is now available, marking the next phase in 厂础笔鈥檚 journey to reimagine source鈥憈o鈥憄ay for the age of AI. This milestone represents the transition from announcement to execution, bringing a fundamentally rebuilt platform into customers鈥� hands.

This milestone comes alongside strong industry recognition. 麻豆原创 has been named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner庐 Magic Quadrant™ for Source鈥憈o鈥慞ay Suites, an acknowledgment that aligns with the delivery of next-gen 麻豆原创 Ariba and our continued focus on platform modernization and AI鈥慸riven innovation at enterprise scale.

Why rebuilding the foundation matters

As procurement leaders know, AI鈥檚 potential is widely recognized, but its impact has often been uneven. Confidence is high, yet results depend on more than algorithms alone. AI only delivers value when it is supported by the right data, processes, and platform architecture. That belief shaped our decision to rebuild 麻豆原创 Ariba from the ground up.

Independent analyst firm as 鈥渁 complete reengineering of the largest and most entrenched source鈥憈o鈥憄ay platform in the world,鈥� emphasizing that this move goes far beyond adding AI features to legacy systems. Instead, it establishes the architectural foundation required for AI to operate reliably and at scale.

This aligns with what we consistently hear from customers that sustainable impact requires modernization at the core.

An AI鈥憂ative source-to-pay platform built on 麻豆原创 Business Technology Platform

Next鈥慻en 麻豆原创 Ariba is built on (麻豆原创 BTP), providing a unified, real鈥憈ime data foundation across the source鈥憈o鈥憄ay lifecycle. This shift enables tighter integration with , improved extensibility, and faster innovation delivery.

By moving to 麻豆原创 BTP, 麻豆原创 Ariba can support open APIs, cross鈥憇uite data consistency, and the responsiveness required for intelligent, AI鈥慸riven procurement operations鈥攃apabilities that are increasingly expected of leading source鈥憈o鈥憄ay platforms but are difficult to achieve on legacy architectures.

Current next鈥慻en capabilities will continue to be delivered incrementally throughout 2026 and into 2027, giving customers flexibility to adopt innovation at a pace that aligns with their business priorities.

Embedded intelligence with Joule: moving from insight to action

A defining element of next鈥慻en 麻豆原创 Ariba is the deep integration of directly into procurement workflows. Rather than treating AI as an optional add鈥憃n, next鈥慻en 麻豆原创 Ariba can embed intelligence where work happens鈥攕upporting faster, more informed decisions while reducing friction across everyday processes.

Early capabilities include:

• A Bid Analysis Agent, which can automatically evaluate complex bid scenarios, including total cost considerations
• AI-assisted contract support to help automate routine inquiries, generate summaries, and provide instant access to contract details

These capabilities reflect a broader shift from systems that require constant manual input to platforms that actively support outcomes.

A more unified, intuitive procurement experience

Next鈥慻en 麻豆原创 Ariba also addresses long鈥憇tanding fragmentation across the source鈥憈o鈥憄ay lifecycle.

Key improvements include:

• 麻豆原创 Ariba Intake Management, now globally available, providing a single entry point for procurement requests
• A simplified 麻豆原创 Fiori鈥慴ased user experience, delivered through a central launchpad
• A modernized contract lifecycle, supported through integration with Icertis Contract Intelligence

Together, these improvements are designed to make procurement easier to engage with while working to ensure processes remain connected, compliant, and intelligent behind the scenes.

What this means for customers

For existing 麻豆原创 Ariba customers, next鈥慻en 麻豆原创 Ariba provides choice and continuity. Customers can:

• Transition to next鈥慻en 麻豆原创 Ariba on a voluntary basis.
• Access next鈥慻en capabilities without commercial implications.
• Run current and next鈥慻en environments in parallel during an active transition, reducing risk and disruption.

麻豆原创 is providing tools, services, and advance timelines to support a managed transition, allowing organizations to move forward with confidence rather than urgency.

The foundation for what comes next

Next鈥慻en 麻豆原创 Ariba is not an endpoint, it is the foundation for the future of procurement.

With an AI鈥憂ative architecture, embedded agentic intelligence, and a unified user experience, this new generation of 麻豆原创 Ariba helps organizations move beyond transactional efficiency toward smarter decisions, greater resilience, and measurable business outcomes.

As Ardent Partners observed, this rebuild has the potential to act as a catalyst鈥攏ot just for 麻豆原创 Ariba customers, but for the broader procurement technology landscape. By combining scale, data, and AI in a fundamentally new way, next鈥慻en 麻豆原创 Ariba is helping define what modern source鈥憈o鈥憄ay platforms can deliver.

With the solution now available, we look forward to partnering with customers as they move from vision to value. Together, we can shape the future of intelligent procurement.

Baber Farooq is senior vice president of Product Marketing for 麻豆原创 Ariba and 麻豆原创 Fieldglass.

At , I moderated a roundtable with supply chain and transformation leaders from Toyota, L鈥橭r茅al, Owens Corning, Ecolab, American Airlines, and Bayer. Across industries, one theme was clear: transformation succeeds when it is grounded in clarity, centered on people, and focused on customer impact.

If you can鈥檛 name the problem, don鈥檛 buy the technology

The most effective transformations begin with a clear articulation of the problem to be solved, the value at stake, and the outcomes expected. Too often, organizations chase new technology simply because it is available or gaining attention, not because it is tied to a specific business need. However, technologies like AI only deliver value when applied to well-defined business challenges.

Tying initiatives to measurable outcomes helps secure leadership alignment and supports change management. Clarity creates focus and helps teams understand why transformation matters. At its foundation, successful transformation rests on three pillars: people, process, and technology, all powered by high-quality data.

AI is only as smart as the network behind it

As supply chains become more complex, multi-tier visibility has moved from a nice-to-have to a requirement. Many of the biggest risks today, including regulatory exposure, disruptions, and cost volatility, originate deep in the supply chain, often beyond direct supplier relationships.

AI has emerged as a powerful enabler, but only when supported by trusted, shared data. More than half of the data needed to drive intelligent supply chains sits outside an organization鈥檚 four walls. Without visibility across trading partners, AI鈥檚 impact is limited.

Standardization also surfaced as a recurring theme during our roundtable conversation. While one-size-fits-all approaches rarely work, excessive customization slows progress and undermines scale. Leading organizations are finding a balance by standardizing where it drives speed and consistency, while allowing flexibility where it creates meaningful value.

Transformation doesn鈥檛 fail on technology, it fails on trust

Technology may enable transformation, but people determine whether it succeeds. Change management remains a critical factor, and even well-designed initiatives can stall if employees do not understand the purpose or feel threatened by the change.

Clear communication, local champions, and ongoing engagement help build trust and momentum. Leaders emphasized the importance of reinforcing that technology is designed to elevate roles by removing manual work and enabling employees to focus on higher-value activities, instead of replacing them. Being honest about what is working, what isn鈥檛, and when to pivot builds credibility and keeps teams engaged over the long term.

Customer-centric supply chains don鈥檛 happen by accident

A significant shift underway is the move from inward-facing efficiency to explicit customer-centricity. Many supply chain organizations historically assumed their work benefited customers without clearly articulating how.

Today, customer impact is a unifying principle. Whether serving consumers, passengers, farmers, or B2B customers, supply chains are increasingly recognized as drivers of experience, reliability, and brand trust.

Customer collaboration is also playing a larger role in transformation. Sharing data and aligning processes across networks creates shared value and unlocks differentiated services. Progress must be communicated in terms customers care about鈥攏ot internal metrics, but outcomes that improve service, speed, and transparency.

What the best transformation leaders do differently

Coming out of our conversation, the strongest transformation leaders shared a few defining traits:

• They pivot quickly when something isn鈥檛 working. Rather than protecting sunk costs or rigid plans, they recognize when assumptions change and adjust course. Speed and adaptability often matter more than perfection.
• They invest in people as intentionally as they invest in platforms. Adoption requires time, training, and leadership attention. Workforce readiness is treated as a core deliverable, not a side effort.
• They celebrate progress. Visible milestones help sustain momentum and reinforce positive behavior throughout a long transformation journey.
• They hold themselves accountable for real value creation. Success metrics are defined early and tracked consistently, whether financial, operational, or customer driven.

Turning ambition into measurable impact

What stood out most from my conversation at NASCES25 was the shared recognition that transformation is no longer optional. Supply chain leaders are embracing bold ambitions, people-centered change, and customer-focused innovation to turn intent into measurable impact.

plays a critical role in this journey by helping organizations connect processes, partners, and data across the value chain to improve visibility, resilience, and decision-making at scale. And beyond the network, helps orchestrate people, processes, and technology end-to-end鈥攅nabling leaders to move from intent to impact with integrated planning, execution, and insights that can drive real operational transformation.

To hear more directly from the leaders shaping this future, I encourage you to watch the and continue the conversation on how supply chains can lead meaningful transformation.

Keith Baranowski is global head of Sales for 麻豆原创 Business Network.

Building resilience and control across every category of spend

Organizations are under increasing pressure to manage costs, improve agility, and drive measurable outcomes. 厂础笔鈥檚 connected and intelligence-driven source-to-pay suite is designed to help customers meet these challenges head on.

麻豆原创 Ariba solutions can deliver broad and deep functionality across the full source-to-pay lifecycle, spanning sourcing, contracting, procurement, invoicing, and supplier management. With the industry鈥檚 largest supplier network, 麻豆原创 enables buyers and suppliers to collaborate with confidence, consistency, and scale.

厂础笔鈥檚 investment priorities: platform modernization and agentic AI innovation

Rather than reflecting external judgments, 厂础笔鈥檚 strategic focus is centered on advancing its platform foundation, AI capabilities, and user experience to help customers operate with greater intelligence and agility. Our long鈥憈erm investments concentrate on three core areas:

Modernizing the platform for the future

A platform update arriving in 2026 will complete the modernization of 厂础笔鈥檚 technical architecture. This modernized foundation can deliver greater extensibility, improved performance, and faster delivery of innovation, particularly in agentic and generative AI.

Built as an AI-native architecture, the next-generation platform can embed intelligence directly into workflows to help anticipate needs, guide decision-making, and automate actions across the entire source-to-pay process. This positions 麻豆原创 to deliver the first truly AI-native source-to-pay suite built for the future of procurement.

Expanding intelligence with Joule

plays a central role in bringing intelligence and insight to every stage of the source-to-pay process. Joule鈥檚 advanced AI agents can help automate tasks, support decision-making, enhance compliance, and unlock new productivity across sourcing, procurement, and supplier collaboration.

Reimagining the user experience

麻豆原创 is delivering an updated, consistent UI/UX across 麻豆原创 applications. For procurement teams, this means smoother navigation, modernized interfaces, and enriched contextual intelligence, including enhanced supplier 360 profiles and strengthened collaboration capabilities.

Strengthening global scale and operational flexibility

麻豆原创 continues to demonstrate industry-leading global scale, supporting high-volume transactions and diverse compliance requirements across regions and industries. With multiple cloud deployment options across major hyperscalers and a robust portfolio of security and regulatory certifications, including FedRAMP, customers can operate confidently wherever they do business.

Connected solutions across 麻豆原创 Business Network and the intelligent suite

麻豆原创 Business Network remains the largest supplier network in the source-to-pay market, spanning more than 190 countries. 厂础笔鈥檚 broader spend ecosystem鈥攊ncluding innovations such as , , and 鈥攅nables organizations to unify data, intelligence, and processes across sourcing, procurement, invoicing, and spend management.

Importantly, 厂础笔鈥檚 capabilities extend well beyond traditional source-to-pay. Through connected solutions covering travel and expense, contingent workforce management, external labor, and additional spend categories, 麻豆原创 provides a truly comprehensive spend management platform that can deliver visibility and control across the full spectrum of enterprise spend.

As organizations increasingly operate in heterogeneous application landscapes, 麻豆原创 helps deliver openness, security, and extensibility so customers can maintain cohesive and connected processes throughout 麻豆原创 and non-麻豆原创 environments.

Customer impact: outcomes that scale

Customers across industries and regions continue to demonstrate what鈥檚 possible with 厂础笔鈥檚 source-to-pay solutions. Organizations report meaningful improvements in areas such as compliance, cost optimization, supplier collaboration, operational efficiency, and workforce productivity鈥攆rom managing millions of invoices to running global sourcing initiatives to scaling AI-powered automation across distributed operations.

麻豆原创 remains deeply committed to helping procurement and finance organizations navigate complexity with confidence. Our investments in platform modernization, agentic AI, user experience, and cross-suite integration are all grounded in a single mission: to help customers achieve sustainable, long-lasting impact.

We’re grateful for this recognition and energized by the opportunity to deliver even greater value in the years ahead.

. Read the full Gartner Magic Quadrant for Source-to-Pay Suites report .

Fang Chang is EVP and chief product officer for 麻豆原创 Procurement and External Workforce Solutions.
Baber Farooq is senior vice president and head of Market Strategy for 麻豆原创 Procurement and External Workforce solutions.

*Gartner Magic Quadrant for Source-to-Pay Suites, January 21, 2026 – ID G00833291, by Micky Keck, Kaitlynn Sommers, Lynne Phelan, Magnus Bergfors, Alex Brady

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
Gartner and Magic Quadrant are a trademark of Gartner, Inc., and/or its affiliates.

External talent already represents a significant share of the labor: about 20% in the UK and 40% in the U.S., with projections reaching 50% globally by 2050. This surge reflects the growing demand for specialized skills and flexible cost structures.

A and conducted by Economist Impact captures this shift. Drawing on insights from more than 2,000 C-suite executives across industries, the report, 鈥淔rom Cost to Capability: Redefining External Workforce Strategy in 2025,鈥� reveals how the external workforce is evolving from a transactional resource into a core capability that drives adaptability and resilience in the AI era.

The findings underscore a critical imperative: organizations must rethink how they engage talent, integrate technology, and foster collaboration across procurement, HR, and finance to unlock the full potential of external workers.

From cost to capability: a strategic pivot

In 2023, nearly one-third of organizations cited risk reduction as their primary reason for using contingent labor and service providers. By 2025, that number dropped to just 6%. Today, cost efficiency (74%) and access to specialized skills (62%) dominate the list.

Cost efficiency is no longer about short-term savings. It鈥檚 about managing broader business risks, from financial exposure to talent scarcity. As Professor David Ulrich of the University of Michigan notes in the report, 鈥淭o mitigate risk, businesses need to reduce fixed costs, and labor is often a high fixed cost that needs to be seen as a source of growth.鈥�

Leaders increasingly view external talent as a long-term solution for project-based and technology-driven work, especially in fast-moving fields like AI, automation, and data science. Looking ahead, 64% of executives plan to expand their talent networks within three to five years, up from 54% last year鈥攃lear evidence that external workforce strategies are becoming integral to workforce planning.

Building a holistic talent ecosystem

Economist Impact鈥檚 research points to the rise of holistic talent supply chain management鈥攁 model that unites HR, finance, and procurement to forecast talent needs, close skills gaps, and treat the workforce as a dynamic ecosystem rather than a fixed headcount.

This evolution builds on the themes from previous Economist Impact reports, where procurement shifted from cost controller to strategic orchestrator of risk, sustainability, and innovation. Forward-looking organizations now embrace 鈥渢otal talent management鈥� models that integrate people, platforms, and partners while aligning culture and communication across internal and external teams.

Breaking down silos and embedding digital tools for real-time visibility will be essential to managing an integrated, skills-based workforce that adapts quickly to business needs鈥攚hile ensuring external workers feel valued and connected to enterprise goals.

Procurement at the center of workforce transformation

Procurement leaders are moving beyond sourcing and compliance to orchestrate entire talent ecosystems built on governance and collaboration. Yet the function faces challenges: confidence in procurement鈥檚 workforce management skills fell from 51% in 2024 to 43% in 2025, reflecting the complexity of its expanded scope.

CFOs and COOs are also taking a more active role, linking external workforce oversight to financial, compliance, and ESG performance. This trend echoes Economist Impact鈥檚 鈥溾�� report, which showed procurement鈥檚 remit expanding as risk management becomes central to business strategy.

To succeed, procurement must double down on visibility, digital integration, and strategic alignment. Platforms that unify workforce data鈥攆rom contingent contracts to skills mapping鈥攚ill enable teams to balance cost optimization with agility and governance.

AI: driving agility and accountability

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how organizations manage external talent. According to the report, 68% of procurement leaders cite AI proficiency and ethics as their top development priority over the next 18 months. AI can predict workforce needs, automate sourcing, and fill gaps in emerging fields like agentic AI and automation. The payoff: higher productivity and faster decision-making.

But AI also raises a critical questions: who benefits from efficiency gains? How should productivity improvements be measured? Answering these will require new cost models and shared accountability across the enterprise.

As seen in earlier Economist Impact research, AI is once again a catalyst for transformation, redefining how organizations manage, measure, and mobilize external talent.

The external workforce of the future

The evolution of the external workforce underscores a broader truth: agility, capability, and collaboration now define competitive advantage.

Organizations that treat external talent as a strategic asset鈥攊ntegrating governance, data, and culture across internal and external teams鈥攚ill be best positioned to respond to technological change and seize new opportunities.

To meet these demands, companies are turning to solutions like and , which help connect procurement and external workforce management. These solutions can deliver the visibility, intelligence, and agility needed to manage today鈥檚 dynamic workforce ecosystem.

Gordon Donovan is global vice president of Research, Procurement, and External Workforce at 麻豆原创.

Yet a curious trend has emerged: many companies are pursuing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals more discreetly, a phenomenon known as 鈥済reen-hushing.鈥� In fact, found that while some companies have pulled back, about 84% are either maintaining or strengthening their climate commitments, even as they become less vocal about them. This demonstrates that despite shifting political winds, businesses recognize that sustainability initiatives remain fundamentally good for business.

A comprehensive and conducted by Economist Impact confirms this shifting landscape, revealing growing confidence in procurement鈥檚 capacity to deliver on ESG performance indicators. While risk factors are rising, so is readiness鈥攁 shift that is especially encouraging for procurement executives overseeing ESG performance. The data shows approximately 90% of respondents report strong internal collaboration between procurement and other departments, up from 75% last year.

The external picture is equally promising: over 90% of executives report that deeper supplier partnerships are yielding benefits, particularly in driving innovation and sustainability outcomes. For procurement leaders, the data tells a clear story: collaboration may be the new currency of success.

Collaboration: The silent engine of progress

Procurement鈥檚 strategic influence is expanding through tighter integration with internal stakeholders. As teams become more embedded across business functions, they鈥檙e unlocking new value through improved orchestration and proactive planning. Specialized business partner groups that bridge strategy and execution are helping meet cross-functional needs.

This enhanced collaboration has yielded key benefits, including cost savings (74%) and improved digital adoption (61%). However, a gap remains between these immediate gains and longer-term value drivers like innovation and agility. As procurement operations continue to digitize, talent development must adapt. AI proficiency and ethical technology have emerged as the top skill priorities for procurement hires over the next 12-18 months (68%), followed by sustainability expertise (55%).

Enabled by digital tools that deliver 鈥�360-degree visibility,鈥� procurement executives are seeing alignment between category strategies and broader enterprise objectives, helping them spot risks, understand market shifts, and manage supplier performance more effectively.

Supplier partnerships: Accelerating ESG progress and innovation

Forward-thinking procurement organizations are now partnering with suppliers to introduce solutions like recyclable packaging, greener materials, and low-emission logistics. These collaborations are accelerating decarbonization efforts while helping future-proof supply chains.

Despite decreased governmental prioritization of sustainability in some regions, smart companies continue pursuing ESG goals when they align with business objectives. Nearly half (48%) of executives report improved sustainability performance from closer supplier ties, and 38% cite more supplier-driven innovation.

Many procurement teams are navigating uncertainty around their ESG approach, questioning whether to lead sustainability initiatives boldly or keep their efforts under the radar amid regulatory shifts. Regardless of this strategic tension, the value of supplier collaboration remains undeniable, particularly as these efforts often improve operational efficiency and reduce costs.

Procurement can strengthen this momentum by investing in platforms that track emissions, monitor regulatory developments, and support compliance. Many organizations are expanding efforts to address Scope 3 emissions鈥攖ypically the most challenging to measure鈥攚ith increasing sophistication around supplier data collection and performance expectations. This shift reflects increased accountability across the value chain and reinforces procurement鈥檚 pivotal role in advancing ESG objectives.    

While public sentiment and political consensus may fluctuate, regulators continue to advance mandatory disclosure requirements and climate accountability measures. Preparation is especially urgent as new policies鈥攆rom the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive to Germany鈥檚 Supply Chain Due Diligence Act鈥攊mpose stricter requirements on businesses.

Even if some regulations face delays or deprioritization, they are not disappearing. Organizations that act now will be best positioned to lead when enforcement inevitably intensifies.

Meeting elevated standards through supplier collaboration

The evolution of procurement鈥檚 influence rests on one fundamental capability: collaboration.

Internally, effective collaboration drives digital adoption, reduces costs, and breaks down organizational silos. Externally, it powers sustainability initiatives and fosters innovation. Without it, even the most sophisticated ESG strategies risk faltering. Poorly structured collaboration leads to critical data gaps, duplicated effort, and supplier fatigue. Today鈥檚 procurement executives must ensure their ESG and risk management approaches don鈥檛 overburden suppliers, or they risk disengagement precisely when long-term innovation is needed most.

Increased collaboration is consistently cited as the primary driver of accelerated ESG progress. Maintaining this momentum requires balance: bold action tempered by operational pragmatism, and clear expectations paired with tools that support supplier compliance and success.

Procurement鈥檚 moment of opportunity

Procurement is uniquely positioned to translate sustainability ambitions into measurable, scalable outcomes. By fostering collaboration across business units and with suppliers, it can shape the future of responsible business.

Even when ESG ambitions are pursued discreetly, the business case for action remains compelling鈥攂oth for organizational performance and broader societal benefit. Companies that maintain sustainability initiatives despite changing political priorities position themselves advantageously for the future while capturing immediate operational benefits. Procurement鈥檚 ability to embed sustainability considerations into core decisions consistently and collaboratively will define its impact in the years ahead.

solutions can integrate seamlessly with and to help businesses better track, manage, and reduce their environmental impact across the supply chain. These solutions can enable organizations to incorporate sustainability metrics into procurement decisions, improve transparency with trading partners, and help ensure compliance with evolving environmental regulations.

Many of the insights above were explored during the following Economist Impact webinar, 鈥淢easuring up: Balancing risks and goals for strategic procurement.鈥� To delve further into these topics and hear expert perspectives, . For those eager to continue the conversation and engage directly with leaders in the field, the upcoming 麻豆原创 Connect event鈥擮ctober 6-8 in Las Vegas, Nevada鈥攐ffers an excellent opportunity to join on-site and gain deeper insights into strategic procurement, ESG initiatives, and innovation. .

Baber Farooq is senior vice president and head of Market Strategy for 麻豆原创 Ariba.

In a , Economist Impact highlights this continuing shift in perception and performance, revealing a rising confidence in procurement鈥檚 ability to make business impact. This is the fourth consecutive year that 麻豆原创 and Economist Impact have partnered on a study, and the survey includes responses from more than 2,000 C-suite leaders globally.

The report, titled 鈥淭he Resilient Edge: Procurement in an Era of Polycrisis,鈥� also underscores procurement鈥檚 growing influence in advancing AI adoption and sustainability performance. However, the field still faces obstacles in assuming this larger role, including readiness for technology and building a future-proof workforce.

Still, the overall trend is clear: procurement鈥檚 fundamental transformation is putting it in a position to play an important role in business strategy.

Growing confidence in procurement to drive strategic value

Businesses today face a convergence of crises鈥攁 鈥減olycrisis鈥濃�攚hich includes environmental shocks, shipping delays, and growing regulatory restrictions. Tariffs are the latest disruption, prompting businesses across sectors to seek quick solutions to avoid price hikes.  

Weathering this storm requires procurement leaders to take on higher risk as they navigate this uncertainty. The Economist Impact report finds that geopolitical risk has emerged as the top concern for procurement leaders, with 64% listing it as their top focus over the next 12 to 18 months, up from just 30% in 2024. This surge reflects both the growing complexity of global operations and procurement鈥檚 expanding influence.

As risk becomes more multifaceted and severe, procurement professionals have a role beyond sourcing supplies at the lowest cost. Instead, they are developing robust strategies to identify, assess, and mitigate risk. This strategic pivot is also reflected in growing cross-departmental trust. In fact, 78% of respondents expressed confidence in procurement鈥檚 ability to manage external risk鈥攁 37% increase from last year鈥攕ignaling procurement鈥檚 growing value as a strategic partner.

AI has a central role in procurement

From detecting demand signals and enabling scenario planning to automating routine workflows, AI is dramatically expanding procurement鈥檚 capabilities.

The Economist Impact report notes that organizations are prioritizing AI proficiency more than any other skill over the next 12 to 18 months, including predictive analytics, demand forecasting, and managing data bias and privacy concerns. These skills are essential for procurement teams that need to pivot quickly in response to unexpected disruptions.

Most importantly, AI will be at the center of procurement鈥檚 continued transformation. An overwhelming 89% of respondents in the study said they are confident in their ability to adopt and apply AI to improve efficiency and productivity. This confidence is grounded in tangible benefits that AI can provide, including identifying early demand signals, optimizing supplier performance, and simulating risk scenarios to support better decision-making

Simply put, AI is no longer optional鈥攊t is essential to procurement success and relevance.

Improved environmental results

Sustainability has climbed to the top of corporate agendas, and procurement is now on the front lines of this effort, managing supplier emissions and ensuring ethical labor practices. Over half (53%) of survey respondents named sustainability as their top strategic priority for the next 12 to 18 months.

Cross-departmental collaboration is central to these efforts and has enabled procurement to align with key financial and environmental goals. Tools like ESG scorecards and supplier decarbonization plans are now standard practice for measuring environmental impact. These innovations are helping companies meet rising expectations from customers, regulators, and shareholders alike, while also reducing long-term operational risks.

These developments show that procurement isn鈥檛 just supporting sustainability鈥攊t鈥檚 driving it.

Procurement鈥檚 inflection point between strategy and cost-cutting

While cost control remains a key part of procurement鈥檚 mandate, the balance for today鈥檚 procurement teams is shifting鈥攆rom tactical cost-saving measures to strategic contributions that enhance agility, foster innovation, and safeguard reputation.

To manage these dual demands, companies are turning to procurement technology, like , to address key priorities and reduce siloes across the organization.

The insights above were explored in depth during an Economist Impact webinar titled,鈥淢easuring up: Balancing risks and goals for Strategic Procurement.鈥� To delve further into these topics and hear expert perspectives, .

Gordon Donovan is global vice president of Research, Procurement, and External Workforce at 麻豆原创.

In a previous article, I explored how 麻豆原创 Business Network can deliver measurable value for buyer organizations by accelerating order cycles, improving efficiency, and generating significant ROI. Now, I’m turning my attention to the other side of the equation: the suppliers.

A recent IDC white paper sponsored by 麻豆原创, , sheds light on how business networks can help organizations meet key goals by improving efficiency, reducing costs, and driving innovation. Let鈥檚 delve into the findings and explore how 麻豆原创 Business Network can transform the supplier experience.

Cutting costs through visibility and information sharing

Technology plays a critical role in the buyer-supplier relationship. Traditional collaboration tools, designed to bring buyers and sellers together, are increasingly limited in today鈥檚 rapidly evolving technological landscape. To meet new demands, organizations are turning to modern business networks that enable more efficient ways to collaborate with partners.

These networks offer greater convenience, speed, and a broad selection of products and services, transforming how businesses sell products and manage their end-to-end supply chain. To succeed, teams need meaningful visibility into supply chain activity. Discovering opportunities to improve operational efficiencies and deliver business value requires access to real insights across key metrics. Business networks make this possible by enabling end-to-end tracking of orders, shipments, and inventory. This transparency also contributes to stronger collaboration with customers, allowing teams to respond quickly to changes in demand, optimize inventory levels, and maintain more reliable and accurate forecasts.

These benefits can be realized through automation capabilities contained within the platform, bringing further cost savings. For one customer using 麻豆原创 Business Network, automated order processing eliminated manual checks and data entry, significantly reducing costs. While manually processed orders cost around $30 each, automated orders cost them less than a dollar.

Beyond order processing, automation and data visibility also improved demand forecasting. Users reported a 19% increase in forecast accuracy, which helped reduce stockouts, overproduction, and production waste. These improvements not only delivered operational efficiencies but also contributed to higher renewal rates and new business opportunities.

Driving value while staying efficient

Automation through 麻豆原创 Business Network helps companies reduce manual tasks, saving employees鈥� time and resources while improving accuracy, efficiency, and compliance. These process improvements can also enhance employee performance, allowing them to focus on higher-value tasks that drive better business outcomes.

Tasks like customer support see major benefits from efficiency gains through business network automation. Structured data ensures deeper integration with other systems, allowing employees to quickly access complete storefront and portfolio data to respond to customer inquiries faster. Business networks can also provide better visibility and near-real-time data, leading to faster, more accurate responses to customer needs and boosting customer satisfaction by nearly 37%. These improvements help reduce product turn-times and allow companies to deliver products promptly, benefiting both employees and customers.

麻豆原创 Business Network customers also saw invoice approvals and shipping notices processed 50% and 48% faster with automation compared to manual methods. This also led to a 21% increase in on-time document delivery, reaching 91% overall, highlighting the significant impact of 麻豆原创 Business Network on operational efficiency.

With fewer errors, faster payments, and enhanced visibility into financial data, automation through 麻豆原创 Business Network helps procurement teams do more than streamline operations. It can empower them to deliver the added value that companies have been searching for.

Strengthening and streamlining business development efforts

Strong visibility helps teams understand customer needs and use a data-driven approach to identify new opportunities more quickly. Business networks can even help boost a supplier鈥檚 profile as well, with certification and trust ratings that help bring in more business. These metrics can help translate new opportunities into bigger picture products and solutions.

Process automation and accelerated payments inherently increase customer value by responding to their needs faster. At the same time, they give organizations additional time to reach and maintain more customers to drive growth through new agreements that could allow them to scale further. 麻豆原创 Business Network helped customers accelerate their go-to-market speed by 20%, reducing the time from product development to market launch.

Businesses using 麻豆原创 Business Network also report that the effects of speeding up and simplifying the selling processes were crucial to overall business success, showing a 36.8% increase in customer satisfaction and a 53.8% improvement in sales administration efficiency. The total annual revenue gain through these means added up to $2 million per organization.

Leveraging 麻豆原创 Business Network as a supplier

As companies search for solutions that enable them to build resilient, agile, and sustainable supply chains, business networks have emerged as a powerful tool to meet performance goals, improve efficiency, and comply with regulatory requirements.

麻豆原创 Business Network takes this a step further by integrating with both traditional and emerging supply chain management applications. By enabling suppliers to grow their customer base and build stronger relationships through increased visibility and trust, 麻豆原创 Business Network helps empower suppliers to operate more strategically and competitively in today鈥檚 digital economy.

The benefits highlighted in this research complement the buyer-side advantages explored in my previous article, underscoring the holistic value that 麻豆原创 Business Network can bring to the entire supply chain ecosystem. As we continue to navigate the complexities of modern procurement and supply chain management, platforms like 麻豆原创 Business Network will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in shaping the future of business collaboration and efficiency.

Tony Harris is SVP and chief marketing and solutions officer of 麻豆原创 Business Network.

Amid the ongoing stresses to global supply chains exerted by tariffs, geopolitical tensions and the proliferation of mandates in many countries regarding electronic invoicing and materials traceability, how can organizations best deploy cloud-based business networks and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to extend visibility, steady the flow of commerce, and mitigate third-party risk?

To instill resilience throughout mission-critical operations and those of their trading partners, businesses are turning increasingly to AI-powered cloud solutions to orchestrate complex, often volatile, supply chains. But the sheer volume of transactions and rigor of processing across vast troves of underlying data require that digital commerce be anchored within an infrastructure durable enough to withstand today鈥檚 pace of change yet supple enough to sustain tomorrow鈥檚 scope of innovation.

That is why some of the most significant innovation underway for , the world鈥檚 largest business-to-business platform, involves its ongoing move to (麻豆原创 BTP), a shift with profound implications for 麻豆原创 customers and their ability to counter disruption.

The cloud-native architecture of 麻豆原创 BTP optimizes collaboration and innovation capabilities for organizations large and small, and the platform offers the scalability that 麻豆原创 Business Network customers and their trading partners require to perform at their peak as business needs evolve. With its high-performing infrastructure, 麻豆原创 BTP ensures seamless connectivity not only between 麻豆原创 Business Network and other 麻豆原创 solutions but across third-party systems as well.

Meanwhile, as differing regulatory regimes for electronic invoicing and materials traceability take effect in various countries, the built-in security and compliance features of 麻豆原创 BTP ensure that businesses can manage multi-tier supply chains while adhering strictly to regional requirements. In addition, ongoing innovation to 麻豆原创 Business Network takes full advantage of extensive AI capabilities in 麻豆原创 BTP to automate complex workflows and securely augment applications with agentic capabilities.

Facilitating carries the obligation that a business network continually earn anew the trust of the enterprises that rely on it for operational continuity, data security, decision-support quality, and regulatory compliance.

For 麻豆原创 Business Network, this means reinvesting on a regular basis in the architecture and infrastructure necessary to accelerate the speed of transactions, responsiveness to up-to-the-minute fluctuations in supply and demand, scalability to support business growth, streamlined integration across 麻豆原创 and non-麻豆原创 systems, greater extensibility and deeper functionality, an intuitive user interface that reduces complexity and friction, and the most advanced, AI-augmented analytics capabilities available anywhere.

The ongoing transition for 麻豆原创 Business Network to 麻豆原创 BTP accomplishes all of the above. Over the long run, however, the change that customers are likely to appreciate most is the ease with which they can innovate alongside their trading partners and shape new business models through the insights harnessed by AI applications drawing upon sprawling repositories of accumulated day-to-day operational data.

While 麻豆原创 Business Network upgrades its platform, it continues to innovate with several new capabilities announced at 麻豆原创 Sapphire. To provide additional support for product compliance and quality control, is introducing these features:

• Mass upload of certificate documents: Suppliers can now bulk upload quality and compliance certificates directly within the advance shipping notification (ASN) upload template at the line-item level, significantly reducing manual effort and improving data accuracy
• Buyer-controlled document mandates: Buyers can specify which type of certifications are required for each purchase order, automatically enforcing compliance and quality standards while streamlining the process

These capabilities simplify the tracking of critical certifications, including sustainability credentials, carbon footprint documentation, and industry-specific certifications. Benefits include improved compliance, reduced delays, enhanced process adoption, and improved traceability, thus supporting regulatory compliance and sustainability goals throughout the supply chain.

To enhance supply chain efficiency and sustainability, is introducing these features:

• Enhanced greenhouse gas emissions tracking: Integration of actual emissions data from carriers and logistics service providers into , enabling planned versus actual analysis, marks a crucial step toward capturing and analyzing data from external sources
• Extended ocean freight support: New ocean tendering and dispute handling functionalities within 麻豆原创 Transportation Management are essential as the global container shipping market is to around US$15.87 billion in 2028

To strengthen the ability of operators, manufacturers, and service providers to manage equipment and other physical assets via a digital network for resiliency and transparency, is introducing these features:

• Cloud-based ERP integration: Users can now initiate and manage ERP integration directly from the cloud, offering greater control over data synchronization
• Enhanced material and model integration: Bi-directional integration of materials and models between 麻豆原创 Business Network Asset Collaboration and ERP systems
• Inbound integration for shared functional locations: Synchronizing shared functional locations to improve collaboration between operators and service providers
• Asset administration shell (AAS) file upload for equipment creation: Automate equipment creation and associated document management through AAS file uploads, reducing manual data entry
• Quality inspection checklists: By the integration of checklists into 麻豆原创 Business Network Asset Collaboration, operators can share their inspection checklists and characteristics with service providers, who can in turn record the results for the operator

All of these enhancements are scheduled to be available by the end of 2025, offering businesses across industries the opportunity to transform their supply chain operations, drive sustainability initiatives, and attain new heights in efficiency, visibility, and competitive advantage.

J枚rn Keller is executive vice president and chief product officer for 麻豆原创 Business Network.

This is true for each function within an enterprise. Teams within HR, Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Spend are positioned to drive impact in every aspect of business — from revenue growth to cost management to overall business agility and resilience.

The innovations shared at 麻豆原创 Sapphire in 2025 reflect our commitment to bringing out your best, providing a clear path to guide organizations toward certainty in a time where that is rare. These innovations will empower organizations to navigate the complexities of the current landscape and emerge stronger, more adaptable, and better equipped to face the future. 

Here are a few innovations that we announced that support Finance and Spend teams in delivering increased value.

Introducing embedded virtual cards in 麻豆原创 Ariba

Many organizations work to be nimble as it relates to finding the right supplier at the right time, which can mean introducing one-time vendors into the supplier landscape. While this helps with business agility, it often comes with a cost: time-intensive supplier onboarding processes that involve manual effort that is better used elsewhere. Traditional payment methods, like checks and physical credit cards, not only require more work, they can introduce fraud risk and security vulnerabilities.

That is why 麻豆原创 is embedding virtual card payments into 麻豆原创 Ariba Buying and . We are supporting the flexibility and agility needed to help businesses run at their best. At no additional cost, our customers can now use virtual credit cards for pay on purchase order transactions. With virtual cards, customers can:

• Prevent overcharges and fraud
• Enjoy payment flexibility
• Better manage spend security
• Reduce manual effort of supplier setup processes
• Enhance vendor payment efficiency
• Maintain control of payments made outside of procure-to-pay ERP processes

Using virtual cards requires minimal change management efforts, giving buyers the ability to adjust card parameters based on enterprise-wide objectives without disruption.

麻豆原创 integrates WalkMe Premium with 麻豆原创 Ariba and 麻豆原创 Concur

In a time when digitalization is imperative, minimizing obstacles and reducing change management efforts is key to a smooth business transformation. Time and time again, I hear leaders report that one of the biggest challenges of implementing new software is employee change management.

Introducing WalkMe Premium for 麻豆原创 Ariba solutions, a platform that provides real-time, in-app guidance for users to reduce the time and effort associated with adopting new technology in the workplace, empowering employees to maximize business value with 麻豆原创 Ariba. Customers can also take advantage of , which offers users valuable, easy-to-follow training content, all within the 麻豆原创 Concur user interface.

The WalkMe solution is a digital learning platform that helps users apply process knowledge in real time to navigate complex software tasks. With WalkMe Premium integrated directly into 麻豆原创 solutions, employees can access in-app prompts for standard tasks, like creating purchase orders or managing approvals, with pre-configured industry templates that eliminate the need to learn overly technical processes.

The in-app workflow guidance can be adjusted as needed to keep processes up-to-date, allowing for little to no change management effort to ramp employees up faster than ever — all while preserving process compliance. At 麻豆原创, we know that clear, concise user guidance is key to accelerating technology adoption. I expect that the integration of the WalkMe solution into 麻豆原创 solutions will be a gamechanger for organizations experiencing technology updates and changes.

New Joule Agents enhance finance and spend functionality

New agentic AI capabilities are coming to finance and spend solutions with Joule agents that will be integrated across 麻豆原创 Business Suite. These new agents include:

• Expense Report Validation Agent: Uses alerts and guided experiences to help employees fix issues based on past data, company policy, and patterns before submitting reports
• Sourcing Agent: Uses past event data and supplier information to autonomously create sourcing events tailored to specific needs and users can easily modify these events to efficiently manage supply chain disruptions.
• Dispute Resolution Agent: Analyzes dispute details and relevant business records to validate cases and propose solutions
• Accounts Receivables Agent: Uses data related to overdue receivables to perform appropriate follow-up tasks with customers

Additionally, 麻豆原创 Ariba Procurement customers will soon be able use Joule to enhance daily tasks such as retrieving supplier bids, displaying past purchases and approvers, and providing easy access to supplier information. Joule innovations will also be available soon in 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions, enabling users to accelerate existing workflows and processes.

麻豆原创 Taulia Receivables directly integrated into 麻豆原创 finance solutions

Embedded finance capabilities have been expanded with the integration of Receivables Finance, powered by , in 麻豆原创 finance solutions. Finance teams now have a fast, scalable way to unlock capital from outstanding receivables in a time when businesses are battling inflationary pressures, tariffs, and supply chain volatility. This capability can be activated immediately in .

Once activated, 麻豆原创 Taulia Receivables enables users to:

• Dynamically manage working capital
• Accelerate receivables through true sale
• Use Joule-powered insights to make informed liquidity decisions

New 麻豆原创 Ariba Procurement and expense management offerings in 麻豆原创 Business Suite

In keeping with our promise to deliver a connected, suite-first experience for our customers, 麻豆原创 Business Suite includes extended 麻豆原创 Ariba and 麻豆原创 Concur functionality.

The newly announced 麻豆原创 Business Suite application packages align with the strategic business needs of our customers with line of business-specific bundles, delivering an improved buying experience. With strategic sourcing package, our procurement customers can manage the source-to-contract process from start to finish. Within the 麻豆原创 Finance Premium package, customers have access to operational procurement capabilities, including requisitioning, invoice management, and B2B collaboration, along with expense management capabilities from 麻豆原创 Concur.

Achieving success in a new era of procurement

Amid the unpredictable nature of today鈥檚 finance and spend landscape, agility is the secret to long-lasting success. 厂础笔鈥檚 advanced AI capabilities, powered by harmonized data and paired with an integrated suite of applications, ensure productivity, accuracy, and an optimized employee experience.

With 麻豆原创, you can handle anything that comes your way.

If you did not get a chance to attend 麻豆原创 Sapphire, access .

Etosha Thurman is chief marketing officer for Finance and Spend Management at 麻豆原创.

This is where the rubber meets the road, where well-crafted plans deliver tangible results. Enter , the powerhouse solution that can turn procurement strategies into reality.

The power of precision execution

In the world of procurement, even the most brilliant strategy is only as good as its execution. 麻豆原创 Ariba Sourcing is designed to help quickly bridge the gap between planning and results, empowering your team to act with precision, speed, and intelligence.

Let鈥檚 dive into how 麻豆原创 Ariba Sourcing can bring your procurement strategies to life.

Seamless integration with category management

One of the most powerful features of 麻豆原创 Ariba Sourcing is its tight integration with . This connection helps ensure that the objectives and strategies developed in the planning phase are seamlessly carried forward into the execution phase.

Imagine your category managers have identified a need to diversify suppliers in a critical component category to reduce risk. With 麻豆原创 Ariba Sourcing, this strategy can be immediately visible to the sourcing team, helping to guide their actions as they create and manage sourcing events.

AI-powered supplier selection

麻豆原创 Ariba Sourcing can leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to help select the right suppliers for each sourcing event. The system can analyze your existing supply base, market data, and your specific requirements to suggest suppliers that best fit your needs.

For instance, if your strategy calls for reducing carbon emissions in your supply chain, AI can highlight suppliers with strong sustainability credentials. Or if you鈥檙e looking to mitigate geopolitical risks, it can suggest suppliers from diverse geographical regions.

Real-time market intelligence

In today鈥檚 volatile market, having access to real-time market intelligence is crucial. 麻豆原创 Ariba Sourcing can provide up-to-date information on market trends, pricing, and supplier performance, allowing your team to make informed decisions during negotiations.

For example, if there鈥檚 a sudden spike in raw material prices, your sourcing team can immediately adjust their negotiation strategy, potentially saving millions in costs.

Collaborative sourcing events

麻豆原创 Ariba Sourcing can enable truly collaborative sourcing events. Multiple stakeholders can participate in the process, from defining requirements to evaluating bids. This helps ensure that all relevant perspectives are considered, leading to better outcomes.

Picture a scenario where you鈥檙e sourcing a new IT system. With 麻豆原创 Ariba Sourcing, your IT team can provide technical specifications, your finance team can set budget parameters, and your legal team can ensure compliance requirements are met鈥攁ll within the same platform.

Advanced analytics and reporting

The solution can provide powerful analytics and reporting capabilities, allowing you to track the progress and success of your sourcing events in real-time. You can easily measure how well your execution aligns with your strategic objectives and make data-driven decisions to course-correct if needed.

For instance, you can track savings against targets, monitor supplier diversity metrics, or assess the impact of your sourcing decisions on risk profiles鈥攁ll with the click of a button.

Continuous improvement loop

Perhaps most importantly, 麻豆原创 Ariba Sourcing helps close the loop in the triple crown strategy. The results and insights gathered from sourcing events can feed back into , providing fresh data for analysis and informing future strategy development in 麻豆原创 Ariba Category Management.

This can create a virtuous cycle of continuous improvement, where each iteration of the process becomes more refined and effective.

The human element in action

While 麻豆原创 Ariba Sourcing can bring powerful technological capabilities to the table, it鈥檚 crucial to remember that it鈥檚 designed to augment, not replace, human expertise. The solution can empower your sourcing professionals to focus on high-value activities like relationship building, complex negotiations, and strategic decision-making.

For example, while AI might suggest a list of potential suppliers, it鈥檚 your sourcing team鈥檚 expertise that will determine which suppliers are the best fit for your company鈥檚 culture and long-term goals.

Looking ahead: The future of strategic sourcing

As we conclude our exploration of the triple crown of strategic procurement, it鈥檚 clear that we鈥檙e at the cusp of a new era in procurement. With solutions like 麻豆原创 Ariba Sourcing, we鈥檙e not just improving our execution鈥攚e鈥檙e reimagining it.

We鈥檙e moving from siloed decision-making to collaborative action, from gut-feel negotiations to data-driven engagements, from reactive purchasing to proactive value creation. We鈥檙e creating a future where procurement is a true strategic partner, driving innovation, sustainability, and competitive advantage for the entire organization.

The triple crown of strategic procurement鈥攊nsights, planning, and action鈥攔epresents a holistic approach to procurement excellence. By leveraging 麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower for insights, 麻豆原创 Ariba Category Management for planning, and 麻豆原创 Ariba Sourcing for action, organizations can create a powerful, continuous cycle of improvement.

As we face an increasingly complex and volatile business environment, this approach provides the agility, intelligence, and precision needed to not just survive, but thrive. The race is on, and with the right tools and strategies you can be poised to win the triple crown of strategic procurement.

Are you ready to take action and transform your procurement function? The finish line awaits, and with 麻豆原创 Ariba Sourcing, you鈥檙e equipped to cross it in style.

To learn more, check out this infographic outlining .

Sudy Bharadwaj is global vice president of Strategic Engagements for 麻豆原创 Finance and Spend.
Cindy McKendry is director of Corporate Communications for Finance, Spend, and Supply Chain at 麻豆原创.

厂础笔鈥檚 game-changing solution, , is now available globally to help suppliers overcome these hurdles.

This innovative commercial offering is designed to amplify a supplier鈥檚 discoverability and provide a comprehensive suite of value-added features. The promote subscription empowers suppliers to differentiate themselves on 麻豆原创 Business Network, attract new customers, and ultimately grow their business in ways previously unimaginable.

Building trust, streamlining procurement

At the heart of this new offering is the understanding that trust is paramount in any new business relationship. Suppliers that opt for the promote subscription can verify their company details, establishing a solid foundation of trust for buyers seeking new sources of supply. This verification process not only enhances credibility, but also sets the stage for more meaningful and productive business interactions.

The promote subscription goes beyond traditional supplier discovery methods by seamlessly integrating with buyers鈥� 麻豆原创 procurement applications. This integration enhances and simplifies the entire procurement process, creating a more streamlined and efficient experience for all parties involved. Moreover, the subscription leverages leading technology, including two generative AI features, to take supplier visibility and effectiveness to new heights.

Key features

Let鈥檚 delve into some of the features that make the promote subscription standout in the world of B2B commerce.

• Verified status and profile badge: Subscribers gain a competitive edge by showcasing a verified badge on their company profile within 麻豆原创 Business Network. This badge appears in search results and 麻豆原创 procurement applications, such as 麻豆原创 Ariba Sourcing and 麻豆原创 Ariba Supplier Management, instantly boosting credibility and attractiveness to potential buyers.
• Dedicated insights and analytics: The subscription provides suppliers with powerful tools to enhance their catalog performance. Through contextual calls to action, suppliers can leverage keyword recommendations, track profile traffic, and gain insights into the types of buyers viewing their company. This data-driven approach allows suppliers to increase their visibility in search results by taking actions, such as verifying their profile with targeted keywords and sustainability ratings.
• Enhanced network catalog tools: Promote subscribers can effortlessly respond to inquiries, receive new orders, and upload their full suite of products and services onto the 麻豆原创 Business Network catalog. This comprehensive catalog becomes searchable by 麻豆原创 buyers, dramatically increasing exposure. Additionally, subscribers gain access to generative AI for enhancing product descriptions and summaries, as well as open APIs for automatic loading and maintenance of network catalogs.
• Match and respond to qualified leads: The subscription enables suppliers to match with leads from 麻豆原创 Business Network Discovery, 厂础笔鈥檚 intelligent matchmaking solution. Suppliers can swiftly respond to requests for information by using generative AI to create their responses. They can also track performance with new discovery insights and take advantage of contextual calls to action, such as updating recommended keywords for better matching.

Revolutionizing supplier-buyer connections

The global availability of the promote subscription represents a significant leap forward in 厂础笔鈥檚 commitment to fostering meaningful connections between suppliers and buyers. With this offering, 麻豆原创 is improving the procurement process by leveraging generative AI to enhance supplier responses, leads, and product descriptions. This provides valuable insights and analytics while creating a trusted environment where verified suppliers can showcase their offerings to potential buyers.

With millions of companies conducting more than $6.3 trillion in commerce annually on 麻豆原创 Business Network, the promote subscription presents a substantial opportunity for suppliers worldwide to accelerate growth and expand their reach. As of now, all suppliers can easily access the new network storefront and add the promote subscription to their account with the simple click of a button. This annual subscription empowers suppliers with enhanced visibility and tools to boost their presence on 麻豆原创 Business Network, regardless of their geographical location.

By simplifying complex processes, leveraging AI technology, and providing crucial insights, we鈥檙e not just facilitating transactions — we鈥檙e fostering lasting business relationships on a global scale. As we continue to fuel the largest B2B network in the world, we invite suppliers to join us in this exciting new chapter of digital commerce, where opportunities are boundless and success is within reach for businesses of all sizes.

Val Blatt is chief revenue officer for 麻豆原创 Supply Chain Management.

New research from IDC shows how 麻豆原创 Business Network can speed up product and order delivery, accelerate go-to-market speed, and deliver significant ROI to drive procurement success.

In today鈥檚 interconnected business landscape, procurement and supply chain management have evolved from back-office functions to strategic drivers of success. As organizations seek to build resilient, efficient, customer-centric supply chains, the adoption of innovative technologies becomes crucial. Enter 麻豆原创 Business Network鈥攁 game-changing platform that鈥檚 revolutionizing how companies procure products and services and manage their end-to-end supply chains.

A recent IDC white paper, sponsored by 麻豆原创, titled 鈥�,鈥� reveals the remarkable impact of 麻豆原创 Business Network on buyer organizations. The findings, based on in-depth interviews with existing customers across various industries, showcase the impressive improvements in efficiency, cost savings, and revenue growth. Let鈥檚 delve into the transformative power of this technology and how it鈥檚 reshaping the procurement landscape.

Accelerating revenue growth through agility and transparency

When organizations can better monitor and share global trend data across teams, they can respond to market demands quicker and accelerate their go-to-market strategy. According to the research, 麻豆原创 Business Network empowered these organizations to:

• Launch products and services 30% faster than before
• Monitor global trends and redirect stock to high-demand areas with agility
• Share real-time data and analytics across teams for quicker market responses

The result? An average annual revenue gain of $66 million, or $1.2 million per 100 trading partners. This impressive growth contributes to an average three-year ROI of 404% for organizations using 麻豆原创 Business Network, with a payback period of just 14 months.

Maximizing efficiency from partner onboarding to order processing

Global supply chain success relies on making repetitive, but essential, tasks as efficient as possible. The respondents indicated that 麻豆原创 Business Network delivered substantial improvements in this area:

• Partner onboarding time reduced by 70% (from 54 days to 16 days)
• Invoice processing time cut by 59% (from 16.3 days to 6.7 days)
• Percentage of invoices processed without exception increased from 64% to 89%
• 60% reduction in full-time equivalents (FTEs) responsible for invoice-related processes

These efficiency gains were particularly significant given that procurement team sizes have remained steady despite increased focus on business strategy and execution. By automating repetitive tasks and providing real-time data for informed decision-making, 麻豆原创 Business Network freed up team members to focus on strategic initiatives.

Similar effects were felt in procurement and supply chain planning, where respondents reported the number of FTEs necessary for these activities decreased by 19% and 47%, respectively.

Realizing millions in total cost savings

麻豆原创 Business Network provides capabilities to help streamline operations, reduce manual interventions, and optimize resource allocation across various functions. The result, as found through the research, was significant cost savings across departments for interviewed companies.

• IT maintenance: Average annual savings of $6.59 million
• Warehouse and logistics: Cost reductions totaling approximately $6.5 million annually
• Inventory management: Optimized stock levels, with one pharmaceutical respondent reducing on-hand safety stock by 50%

In total, respondents experienced average annual cost savings of $13.58 million through reduced operational costs and improved efficiency.

Streamlining operations for enhanced performance

The impact of 麻豆原创 Business Network on operational efficiency was truly impressive:

• Unified IT infrastructure: Elimination of multiple systems, leading to streamlined operations
• Enhanced supplier collaboration: Freeing up team members for strategic tasks
• Improved order tracking and shipment utilization
• Better demand forecasting and stock management

Real-world success

The transformative power of 麻豆原创 Business Network is best illustrated through the experiences of its users. One pharmaceutical company reduced its on-hand safety stock by half, while others reported significant improvements in transportation processes and demand forecasting.

These success stories underscore the network鈥檚 ability to deliver tangible benefits across various industries and business functions. Real-time data and analytics helped companies respond to shifting market demands and capitalize on new opportunities, allowing organizations to launch products and services and get to market on average 30% faster than they did previously.

The findings from the IDC white paper paint a compelling picture of the potential of 麻豆原创 Business Network to revolutionize procurement and supply chain management. By enabling faster go-to-market strategies, improving operational efficiency, and delivering substantial cost savings, the network is helping organizations thrive in an increasingly complex business environment.

As we look to the future, it鈥檚 clear that platforms like 麻豆原创 Business Network will play a crucial role in shaping the next generation of procurement and supply chain excellence. Organizations that embrace this technology stand to gain a significant competitive advantage, driving growth and innovation in ways previously unimaginable.

Next steps

Ready to explore the potential impact of 麻豆原创 Business Network on your organization? Here are some resources to help you get started:

• for an in-depth look at the findings.
• featuring representatives from 麻豆原创 and IDC discussing key findings from the business value study. 
• Try out developed by IDC for a personalized organizational assessment of the ROI 麻豆原创 Business Network could deliver for your company.

Stay tuned for upcoming insights that will highlight the benefits of 麻豆原创 Business Network specifically for suppliers, complementing the buyer-focused insights presented here. The future of procurement is bright, and 麻豆原创 Business Network is leading the way in unlocking procurement and supply chain management potential and driving business success.

Tony Harris is SVP and head of Marketing & Solutions for 麻豆原创 Business Network.

This recognition, we believe, is a testament to our unwavering commitment to delivering innovative, comprehensive solutions that empower businesses to optimize procurement processes and enhance bottom-line results.

We feel it serves as validation for the strength of , and our continued focus on delivering experiences premised on data, intelligence, and suite.  We believe that in a dynamic and unpredictable world, a partner with the breadth and depth of 麻豆原创 is uniquely positioned to unleash success on these principles across your business, and we are humbled by this recognition.

厂础笔鈥檚 source-to-pay offerings and investment focus areas

麻豆原创 Ariba has been a leader in the development of cloud-based technologies that help buyers and suppliers collaborate to unleash the power of procurement. As the first product to offer these services in a multitenant cloud framework, 麻豆原创 Ariba has developed deep functionality to handle complexity, while its focus on user experience has enabled simplicity.  This has allowed an offering that can span all industries, all geographies, and all spend types. Our global customer base is proof of this achievement.

Our future focus is on ongoing innovation and improvement across our portfolio. Building use cases for intelligence is at the heart of our product strategy and defines the next generation of user experience for our products. Unparalleled applications in spend management have enabled our globally diverse customers to bring all spend under management: direct, indirect, MRO, and services.  This provides the world鈥檚 largest, unmatched dataset for procurement and is the fuel for the delivery of an unrivaled AI roadmap.

simplifies complex tasks across the source-to-pay process. Each use case has been built to enhance productivity, allowing procurement organizations to achieve more with less. Joule鈥檚 agentic AI framework will be directly applicable and available for spend applications from 麻豆原创, allowing customers to build agents that can operate on data from across their business landscape.

While companies today are sometimes told to mind their business, 麻豆原创 realizes that no business does business alone. Our product road map is predicated on collaborative trading partner experiences through 麻豆原创 Business Network, the largest supplier network in the industry, operational in 190 countries. This is exemplified by , a new product built with an AI-first mindset. Its category agents have value because they are business network-aware and process-aware; the product is integrated across the network and source-to-pay suite, as it helps develop a category strategy and then monitors execution.

offers comprehensive visibility across all spend systems, with zero integration effort for data originating from 麻豆原创 cloud ERP solutions, 麻豆原创 Ariba solutions, 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions, or 麻豆原创 Concur solutions. Broadly speaking, this is fundamental to the overall strategy for 麻豆原创 Business Data Cloud, ensuring all business applications speak the same language and enabling an unrivaled AI roadmap for the 麻豆原创 Business Suite.

At the same time, 麻豆原创 recognizes that the world of software applications is heterogenous. Our own application partner network is continuously expanding. And while 麻豆原创 won鈥檛 develop capabilities to solve every problem, our customers still want an orchestrated suite experience, even when non-麻豆原创 products are involved in the workflow. That is why we have invested in the development of . Businesses need to automate procurement requests with one common workflow, regardless of how many applications are involved. And where 麻豆原创 applications are involved, this suite experience is increasingly in-built, again with zero effort required for integration. Capabilities from 麻豆原创 Fieldglass and 麻豆原创 Taulia are being directly embedded into 麻豆原创 Ariba to provide a unified experience.

Real-world impact

The power of source-to-pay solutions from 麻豆原创 is best illustrated through the experiences of our customers. (AEO), a global specialty retailer, faced challenges in managing its high volume of suppliers and invoices. By implementing 麻豆原创 Business Network and 麻豆原创 Ariba solutions, AEO achieved 85 percent purchase order compliance (five percent above target), 75 percent invoice-count compliance for 48,000 annual invoices, and over $780 million in spend transacting on 麻豆原创 Business Network.

Nick Bonacci, senior manager of Procure-to-Pay Services at AEO, noted, 鈥溌槎乖� Ariba solutions and 麻豆原创 Business Network help AEO simplify our procure-to-pay processes in several key ways. Through the use of 厂础笔鈥檚 intuitive applications, compliant purchasing protocols are now embedded into our broader organization, helping us maximize cost savings, optimize working capital, and strengthen vendor relationships.鈥�

Similarly, , implemented 麻豆原创 Business Network and 麻豆原创 Ariba solutions, achieving 94 percent first-time-right invoices in digital channels, 4,000 hours saved in one year in processing invoices, and over 8.5 million pieces of paper saved in one year with supplier digitalization.

Mukesh Ralhan, group head of Business Excellence and Strategic Initiatives at Adani, commented, 鈥淲e process close to 100,000 purchase orders every year, with more than US$20 billion of spend. That鈥檚 huge for a company. Without 麻豆原创 software such as 麻豆原创 Ariba solutions supporting a single platform, that would not be possible.鈥�

Looking ahead

麻豆原创 remains dedicated to delivering solutions that help businesses navigate the complexities of modern procurement. Our focus on customer success, coupled with our deep industry expertise and innovative technology, positions us to continue leading the way in source-to-pay solutions.

Learn more about source-to-pay solutions from 麻豆原创 .

.

Manoj Swaminathan is president and chief product officer for 麻豆原创 Intelligent Spend Management and Application Foundation Services at 麻豆原创.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner鈥檚 research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, and MAGIC QUADRANT is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.
This graphic was published by Gartner, Inc. as part of a larger research document and should be evaluated in the context of the entire document.
.

How do we incorporate your business objectives, your organization鈥檚 knowledge and skill sets, and transform those valuable insights into a robust strategy that drives real business value? Enter , a powerful solution that can elevate procurement planning from a mundane task to a strategic imperative.

The evolution of procurement planning

Gone are the days when procurement planning meant endless spreadsheets and protracted meetings. In today鈥檚 dynamic business environment, we need a more agile, intelligent, and collaborative approach. 麻豆原创 Ariba Category Management can offer just that鈥攁 sophisticated solution that can harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and human expertise to help craft procurement strategies that align with your organization鈥檚 objectives.

麻豆原创 Ariba Category Management: Your strategic planning ally

Think of 麻豆原创 Ariba Category Management as a highly intelligent assistant, versed in procurement best practices, capable of processing vast amounts of data, and available 24/7. Here鈥檚 how it can transform the planning process:

1. Digitalize and streamline strategy development

麻豆原创 Ariba Category Management can provide a centralized platform for collaborative strategy development. It鈥檚 akin to a virtual command center where your entire team can ideate, plan, and execute strategies seamlessly.

The solution can guide users through the process, offering frameworks and recommendations based on industry best practices. It鈥檚 like having a procurement expert at your side, helping you navigate complexities and uncover hidden opportunities.

2. AI-powered analysis for enhanced decision-making

The solution can leverage AI to generate sophisticated analyses like Kraljic matrices and Porter鈥檚 Five Forces with remarkable speed and accuracy. However, it鈥檚 crucial to understand that this technology doesn鈥檛 aim to replace human expertise鈥攔ather, it enhances it.

Procurement professionals can refine these AI-generated analyses with their own insights and experience, creating a powerful synergy between machine intelligence and human wisdom.

3. Seamless collaboration for category managers

麻豆原创 Ariba Category Management can transform the often-challenging task of aligning multiple category managers into a streamlined, collaborative process. The solution can enable real-time cooperation, allowing team members to share insights, discuss strategies, and align on objectives efficiently.

Real-world impact: From insights to action

Let鈥檚 illustrate how this works in practice. After analyzing your spend data in 麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower, you鈥檝e identified that IT hardware costs are escalating. You initiate a new strategy project in 麻豆原创 Ariba Category Management.

The system automatically imports relevant data and generates a Kraljic matrix for your IT hardware category. You observe that most of your spend falls in the 鈥淪trategic鈥� quadrant鈥攈igh value, high risk. The AI suggests considering a multi-sourcing strategy to mitigate risk.

You share this insight with your global team through the platform. Your APAC colleague identifies a promising new supplier, while your European counterpart shares successful experiments with leasing options to reduce upfront costs.

Collaboratively, you develop a comprehensive strategy that includes:

• Diversifying the supplier base to reduce risk
• Exploring leasing options for non-critical hardware
• Negotiating volume discounts with top suppliers
• Implementing a standardization program to reduce variability

This entire process, which might have taken weeks traditionally, is now completed in hours. Moreover, the system maintains a clear audit trail, facilitating easy tracking of strategy execution.

The human touch in a digital world

While 麻豆原创 Ariba Category Management can bring powerful digital capabilities to procurement planning, it鈥檚 essential to remember that it鈥檚 designed to augment, not replace, human expertise. The solution helps free procurement professionals from routine tasks, allowing them to focus on high-value activities like relationship building, strategic negotiations, and driving innovation.

Think of it as your procurement superpower. It can give you the insights to make better decisions, faster.

Looking ahead: The future of procurement planning

As we wrap up, we want you to imagine the possibilities. With solutions like 麻豆原创 Ariba Category Management, we鈥檙e not just improving our planning process鈥攚e鈥檙e reinventing it. We鈥檙e moving from reactive to proactive, from guesswork to data-driven decisions, from siloed thinking to collaborative strategy.

This evolution positions procurement not just as a support function, but as a true strategic partner to the business. It enables procurement teams to respond swiftly to market changes, align more closely with organizational goals, and drive sustainable value creation.

In our next article, we鈥檒l explore how to execute these well-crafted plans using . After all, in procurement, as in any strategic endeavor, effective execution is the key to turning plans into tangible results. Stay tuned as we complete our journey towards the triple crown of strategic procurement.

Sudy Bharadwaj is global vice president of Strategic Engagements for 麻豆原创 Finance and Spend.
Cindy McKendry is director of Corporate Communications for Intelligent Spend and Supply Chain at 麻豆原创.

Top image courtesy of 麻豆原创 employee Karsten Hohage.

This challenge reflects broader trends in the 麻豆原创-sponsored Economist Impact report titled 鈥�,鈥� which dives into how companies like Capgemini are leveraging external workers to meet skill deficits and productivity demands. The report highlights how organizations are turning to innovative technologies and strategies to seamlessly integrate external talent, ensuring they stay competitive in a rapidly changing workforce landscape.

In Capgemini鈥檚 case, it used to help manage its contingent workforce program across more than 30 countries. The cloud-based solutions can integrate with other 麻豆原创 solutions and leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to help optimize external workforce management, helping companies stay resilient in an evolving talent landscape. With the addition of 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions, Capgemini has managed contractors and temporary workers across its entire supply chain. The company has successfully leveraged data from over 50 countries, seeing a 26% increase in unitary cost savings with a 50% increase in productivity from the internal procurement services team.

鈥淭he increased visibility into all external workforce-related outcome and process steps has enabled sharpened insights, along with smaller fulfillment time frames, higher fill rates, and improved compliance,鈥� says Andreas Hettwer, group procurement category director at Capgemini. 鈥淲e have truly optimized functions around the external workforce.鈥�

Smart and efficient talent acquisition

In today鈥檚 dynamic business environment, the external workforce鈥攃omprising freelancers, contractors, consultants, and gig workers鈥攈as become a critical component of many organizations. However, efficiently hiring and managing this diverse talent pool while staying adaptable to future workforce needs can be daunting.

This is because talent acquisition for an external workforce requires finding the right people at the right time, often under tight deadlines. The Economist Impact report also shared that internal skills and talent gaps have increased the demand for proper recruitment of the external workforce.

Capgemini serves as a prime example of how this approach works in practice. When it experiences a surge in demand, its preferred suppliers are notified and 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions pull recommendations from distribution lists of candidates who have the necessary skill sets. This helps accelerate the hiring process and can ensure Capgemini is choosing from the best possible pool of potential candidates. The data is developed in 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions and extracted into Capgemini鈥檚 various dashboards, instantly providing a comprehensive snapshot of each supplier鈥檚 performance.

Robust data maximizes ROI

Managing an external workforce is a delicate balancing act that involves countless variables. Beyond sourcing talent, it requires tracking budgets, ensuring compliance, and measuring performance. AI-powered automation can help streamline these processes, making it easy to capture, compare, and collaborate on critical information about non-payroll labor. This empowers companies to make informed decisions that maximize their return on investment (ROI).

When inflation surged in 2023, Capgemini fielded a large volume of rate increase requests. Through constructive and fact-based discussions with its supply base, the company managed a cost-rate evolution and shared inflation impact KPIs with its board. This increased executive trust in the global contingent workforce鈥檚 ability to deliver productivity. At the end of the implementation, Capgemini fulfilled 80% of its eligible contingent worker demand.

鈥淲e have full visibility,鈥� Hettwer says. 鈥淲e know the number of contractors, we know our demand per geography, per business line, and we know the cost rates we pay for certain roles, and we measure how the cost rates evolve over time.鈥�

Capgemini is also exploring new ways to use the large amount of data coming from the global deployment of 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions, including AI. Economist Impact data reinforces Capgemini鈥檚 perspective, as executives cited integrating traditional systems with AI and machine learning as a top priority over the next three to five years.

鈥淎I will certainly be an important factor in our business,鈥� Hettwer says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e being patient and methodical in order to make sure that we introduce it safely and effectively.鈥�

Driving workforce excellence through innovation and insights

Capgemini’s journey with the 麻豆原创 Fieldglass portfolio demonstrates the transformative power of leveraging advanced technology to manage and optimize an external workforce. By enhancing visibility, streamlining processes, and utilizing AI-powered insights, Capgemini has achieved significant improvements in talent acquisition, supplier performance, and cost efficiency. This resulted in the firm capturing 98% of its global contingent workforce spend with a 60% quicker fulfillment time compared to the start of the program.

As the workforce landscape continues to evolve, 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions can equip organizations with tools that enable them to manage the complete lifecycle of their external employees, from requisition and engagement to offboarding and evaluation. These capabilities are vital to remaining resilient, agile, and data-driven while transforming external labor into a versatile, value-driving resource.

Capgemini鈥檚 strategic focus on innovation and compliance sets a benchmark for businesses aiming to unlock the full potential of their contingent workforce in today鈥檚 competitive global environment.

Amber Roth is vice president of Global Presales & Strategy for 麻豆原创 Fieldglass.

The triple crown strategy is a three-step approach that combines insights, planning, and action to revolutionize procurement processes. At the heart of this strategy lies the solution, a powerful tool that helps bring together data from various sources to provide a comprehensive view of your spending.

Step 1: Insights鈥擴nderstanding Your True Business Objectives

Before diving into any initiative, it鈥檚 crucial to understand your true business objectives. These might include cost reduction, improved sustainability, increased profitability, improved customer service, or a combination of factors. The key is to identify and measure metrics that not only reflect these objectives but also help improve them.

This is where analysis and insights come into play. 麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower is the engine that can drive these insights, offering a bird鈥檚-eye view of your entire procurement landscape.

Let鈥檚 break down some of the key areas where 麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower can provide valuable insights:

AI-Enabled Enrichment

This is a leading indicator of value. Without understanding duplicate supplier names and components, achieving objectives will be much more challenging. The supplier enrichment analysis is a quick way to understand that value will be achieved by showing the true number of suppliers where spend occurs.

For example, your organization may not perceive risk if materials are coming from five companies, but the situation changes if it鈥檚 really one company with many names or misspellings. From a cost-savings perspective, we may not realize this is actually one supplier, and our spend is five times more to a single supplier instead of one times to five different suppliers. This insight can significantly impact risk assessment and cost management strategies.

Spend Trends

By aggregating data from multiple systems and sources, the solution can reveal spending patterns over time. Are certain categories of spend increasing? Are there seasonal fluctuations you need to account for? Understanding these trends can help you make more informed decisions about budget allocation and negotiation strategies.

Supply Risk

In today鈥檚 volatile market, understanding and mitigating supply risk is more critical than ever. 麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower can help identify potential risks in your supply chain, such as overreliance on a single supplier or geopolitical risks in certain regions. As tariffs are a hot discussion in 2025, understanding the potential of tax fluctuations can be a strategic weapon for your business.

Supplier Fragmentation

Are you spreading your spend too thin across too many suppliers? The solution can highlight areas where consolidating suppliers might lead to better pricing or terms.

Consolidation Opportunities

On the flip side, are there areas where you鈥檙e too reliant on a single supplier? 麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower can help identify opportunities to diversify your supplier base for increased resilience.

Diversity and Sustainability Targets

Many organizations have goals related to supplier diversity or sustainability. The solution can track progress towards these goals and identify areas for improvement.

Payment Terms Consolidation

Inconsistent payment terms across suppliers can lead to cash flow issues and missed opportunities for early payment discounts. 麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower can help identify opportunities to standardize and optimize payment terms.

But here鈥檚 the thing: having all this data at your fingertips is just the beginning. The real magic happens when you start to connect the dots and uncover insights that weren鈥檛 visible before.

For instance, you might discover that while you鈥檙e meeting your overall spend targets, you鈥檙e falling short on your sustainability goals. Or you might find that your cheapest supplier for a critical component is also the one with the highest risk profile. These are the kinds of insights that can drive real change in your procurement strategy.

The Power of Real-Time Insights

One of the most powerful features of 麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower is its ability to provide real-time insights. In today鈥檚 fast-paced business environment, waiting for monthly or quarterly reports just doesn鈥檛 cut it anymore. You need to be able to react quickly to changes in the market, shifts in supplier performance, or emerging risks.

Imagine being able to spot a sudden price increase from a key supplier the moment it happens, rather than discovering it weeks later when reviewing invoices. Or picture being able to track the impact of a natural disaster on your supply chain in real time, allowing you to quickly implement contingency plans.

This real-time capability isn鈥檛 just about reacting to problems; it鈥檚 also about seizing opportunities. Maybe you spot a dip in commodity prices that you can take advantage of, or you notice a trend in your spending that suggests an opportunity for bulk purchasing discounts.

The Human Element

While we鈥檙e talking about AI and advanced analytics, it鈥檚 important to remember that these tools are meant to augment human intelligence, not replace it. The insights provided by 麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower can be invaluable, but they still need to be interpreted and acted upon by skilled procurement professionals.

This is where the art of procurement meets the science of data analysis. The solution might tell you that you have an opportunity to consolidate suppliers in a certain category, but it鈥檚 up to you to weigh that against other factors like supplier relationships, quality considerations, and long-term strategic goals.

The Road Ahead

As we wrap up this introduction to the triple crown of strategic procurement and 麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower, it鈥檚 clear that we鈥檙e just scratching the surface of what鈥檚 possible. The next article will dive deeper into the planning phase, exploring how can help you turn these insights into actionable strategies.

Remember, the journey to procurement excellence is ongoing. It鈥檚 not about reaching a destination, but about continuously improving and adapting to an ever-changing business landscape. With solutions like 麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower, you鈥檙e equipped to not just keep up with these changes, but to stay ahead of the curve and drive real value for your organization.

So, are you ready to start your journey towards the triple crown of strategic procurement? The race is on, and with the right tools and strategies, you鈥檙e primed for success.

To learn more, check out this infographic outlining .

Sudy Bharadwaj is global vice president of Strategic Engagements for 麻豆原创 Finance and Spend.
Cindy McKendry is director of Corporate Communications for Intelligent Spend and Supply Chain at 麻豆原创.

As we dive into 2025, 麻豆原创 is already making waves in the spend management arena. Building on last year’s momentum, we are constantly innovating our market-leading solutions so you can reduce costs, mitigate risks, improve collaboration, and make sure every spend decision is aligned with your business strategy to help drive your business forward.

Q4 Breakthroughs: Highlighting Our Latest Innovations

It was an honor to collaborate with so many of you last year. When your business is at its best, so is ours, and this mutual partnership is what fuels our commitment to innovation. In Q4, our solutions鈥斅槎乖� Ariba, 麻豆原创 Business Network, 麻豆原创 Concur, and 麻豆原创 Fieldglass鈥攎ade significant strides, particularly in 麻豆原创 Business AI. Here are just a few highlights:

• : Now generally available, this solution can provide a single source of truth for all payment and supplier data, enhanced with AI-enabled spend classifications and supplier insights. It helps streamline spend processes, cut procurement costs, manage supplier risks, and track sustainability goals.
• Generative AI in 麻豆原创 Business Network Discovery: We鈥檝e introduced generative AI capabilities to help accelerate supplier search and improve network catalog product descriptions and summaries with .
• AI flight recommendations in Concur Travel: This new feature can suggest policy-compliant flight options based on user preferences, loyalty programs, available inventory, and other factors.
• Joule, 厂础笔鈥檚 AI copilot, got cozy in 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions this past quarter with the introduction of , including:
  • Interactive guidance for creating and scheduling new reports through natural conversation, helping to navigate report creation, searches, and data insights
  • Quick answers to issues or questions with concise and easy-to-digest summaries of relevant information and helpful links to learn more
  • AI-assisted job posting and statement of work template selection, recommending the most relevant one and pre-filling data fields to save you time

These innovations align perfectly with the findings. The study highlights data and analytics reporting as the top priority for procurement transformation, a need we鈥檙e addressing head-on with our AI-enhanced solutions.

New Customer Stories and Honors

We built our solutions to elevate spend management from the most mundane part of your day to the most strategic. But don鈥檛 just take my word for it. Discover how companies like , , , and leverage 麻豆原创 solutions for better control and business resilience.

Click the button below to load the content from YouTube.

Always allow YouTube

And if customer stories aren鈥檛 enough, how about customer reviews?

Every quarter, G2 publishes Grid^庐 and Index Reports that rate products based on feedback collected from the user community, along with data compiled from various online platforms and social media networks. In December, G2 announced its Winter 2025 Reports, with 麻豆原创 spend management solutions topping the leaderboards:

• : Leader in Procure to Pay, Strategic Sourcing, and Supplier Relationship Management
• : Supply Chain Business Networks
• : Leader in Expense, Travel & Expense, and Invoicing
• : Leader in Vendor Management

In the , 麻豆原创 moved up to sixth place on G2鈥檚 top 10 companies list. In the Winter 2025 G2 Reports alone, 麻豆原创 Ariba, 麻豆原创 Business Network, 麻豆原创 Concur, and 麻豆原创 Fieldglass won 107 awards across multiple categories. Only 4% of software and services on G2 receive a Leader badge, making this recognition truly special!

Media and Analyst Accolades

Our innovations continue to garner industry recognition. Here are a few key highlights:

• won the  in the Procurement/ERP Software category from Supply & Demand Chain Executive.
• 麻豆原创 Ariba was inducted into Spend Matters鈥� for being listed on its “50 Providers to Know” list for 10 years or more.
• Over the holidays, 麻豆原创 was named a Leader in the .* The report is based on IDC MarketScape鈥檚 comprehensive assessment of 麻豆原创 and feedback from our customers. Explore the findings and why 麻豆原创 was recognized in this article from my colleague Baber Farooq.
• 麻豆原创 Concur received the , which bases its Top Rated awards solely on customer feedback. Over 1,500 verified praised 麻豆原创 Concur for its positive user experience, clear budget visibility, mobile receipt capture, time-saving features during usage and reimbursement processes, seamless integration with productivity tools, and the convenience of its mobile app.

See you at 麻豆原创 Concur Fusion

We鈥檙e thrilled to announce that the 麻豆原创 Concur Fusion event is back in 2025 and will be held in beautiful Seattle, Washington. As the premier travel and expense event, 麻豆原创 Concur Fusion offers over 200 learning opportunities, access to experts and consultants, and hands-on training to help you unlock the full potential of your 麻豆原创 Concur solutions. It鈥檚 an experience you can鈥檛 miss.

Looking Ahead

As we move further into 2025, we remain committed to delivering innovation that addresses your most pressing business needs. We鈥檙e excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and look forward to partnering with you to drive your business forward. Whether it鈥檚 through our AI-enhanced solutions, our comprehensive spend management suite, or events like 麻豆原创 Concur Fusion, we鈥檙e here to support your success every step of the way.

Thank you for your continued trust and partnership. Here鈥檚 to a transformative and successful 2025!

*IDC MarketScape: Worldwide SaaS and Cloud-Enabled Direct Spend 2024 Vendor Assessment, #US52734424e, December 2024

Jeff Collier is chief revenue officer for 麻豆原创 Intelligent Spend and Business Network.

Advanced software solutions have become indispensable tools that facilitate the procurement of essential raw materials and components and help teams manage supplier relationships while managing costs.

As the recognized market-share leader in the overall procurement applications space*, 麻豆原创 consistently sets benchmarks within the industry. I鈥檓 excited to share that 麻豆原创 was recently named a Leader in the .** The report is based on IDC MarketScape鈥檚 comprehensive assessment of 麻豆原创 Ariba solutions and feedback from our customers.

What Makes 麻豆原创 a Leader?

The IDC MarketScape report noted, 鈥溌槎乖� Ariba solutions are strongly positioned to help companies administer spend that spans complex events, direct and indirect, services, and capex.鈥�

The report also identifies several key strengths that make 麻豆原创 a Leader:

• 麻豆原创 has gained an expansive and impressive roster of enterprise client wins across a variety of industries as a result of being a mature, established, and trusted provider of direct sourcing functionality, particularly in the automotive and industrial manufacturing sectors.
• An industry-first category management offering illustrates 麻豆原创’s innovation that is focused on value-added capabilities for its users.
• 麻豆原创 provides a platform that places an emphasis on collaboration via structured, workflow-driven tools that facilitate collaboration across procurement, quality management, logistics, and R&D and engineering.
• Strong industry-leading sourcing optimization and PO collaboration capabilities provide business value and significantly improve operating efficiency.

The report notes 麻豆原创 should be considered when, 鈥淐lients in need of a trusted, enterprise-ready direct sourcing solution that comes with expansive industry-specific expertise and the ability to administer the most complex direct sourcing challenges and offer broad optimization capabilities are well-served by 麻豆原创.鈥�

Vision for the Future of Procurement

The procurement landscape is continuously evolving, with trends like AI integration, automation, and sustainability reshaping how organizations approach direct spend management. With 厂础笔鈥檚 ongoing investments in innovation and a commitment to addressing customers鈥� most pressing needs, we are leading this transformation. Procurement is a strategic enabler of cost management, risk reduction, and compliance and 麻豆原创 solutions are designed to empower organizations to make strategic, data-driven decisions that optimize their spend and operations.

At  in October, we announced innovations and new capabilities that will  revolutionize the spend management landscape. These include:

• : Our newest solution, which is planned to be available in early 2025, is designed to offer an intuitive and simple user experience. It is planned to automate procurement request creation, routing, and support by orchestrating processes across multiple systems.
• : We鈥檝e begun integrating our generative AI copilot Joule across 麻豆原创 Ariba, 麻豆原创 Business Network, and 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions. This will enable organizations to complete complex workflows and manage important tasks quickly and accurately.
• : This innovation can help suppliers receive recommendations to improve discoverability and access to advanced search results, supplier profile verification, and network catalog APIs. The Promote subscription will be available in early 2025 to help suppliers identify sales opportunities based on regional search data, and generative AI tools deliver advanced insights that make it easy to track business growth on the network.

The Exciting New Era Ahead

The future of procurement and direct spend will be defined by groundbreaking technologies to help organizations adapt to an increasingly complex and dynamic global environment.

We believe recognition as a Leader in the 2024 IDC MarketScape Direct Spend Assessment underscores 厂础笔鈥檚 commitment to driving innovation and enabling businesses to thrive in today鈥檚 competitive environment. By delivering AI-powered innovation, fostering collaboration, and ensuring operational excellence, 麻豆原创 empowers organizations to achieve procurement success on a global scale.

Learn more about .

Baber Farooq is senior vice president of Market Strategy for Procurement Solutions at 麻豆原创.

*IDC Worldwide Procurement Applications Market Shares, 2023: A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats, doc #US52580824, September 2024
**IDC MarketScape: Worldwide SaaS and Cloud-Enabled Direct Spend 2024 Vendor Assessment, #US52734424e, December 2024

Looking ahead to 2025, several key trends are poised to reshape the landscape, promising both challenges and opportunities for forward-thinking organizations. To gain insight into what lies ahead, we鈥檝e reached out to Intelligent Spend and Business Network executives at 麻豆原创 for their predictions.

The AI-Powered Procurement Revolution

Etosha Thurman, chief marketing officer for Intelligent Spend and Business Network at 麻豆原创, envisions a future where artificial intelligence (AI) takes center stage in procurement:

鈥淚n 2025, AI and cloud-based solutions will position procurement at the heart of data-driven decision-making, enabling real-time insights and freeing teams to focus on high-impact initiatives. The future belongs to procurement professionals who blend strategic thinking with relationship management and a combination of functional and technological expertise. These skills will be crucial in fostering cross-functional collaboration and advancing corporate goals, from supply assurance to compliance to sustainability. In the digital age, spend management expertise extends to not just supporting, but also steering the business.鈥�

This prediction underscores the critical role that AI will play in transforming procurement from a support function to a strategic driver of business value.

Streamlining Processes Through Orchestration

Manoj Swaminathan, president and chief product officer for Intelligent Spend and Business Network at 麻豆原创, highlights the growing importance of process orchestration:

鈥淭he technology landscape is rapidly evolving, and organizations are grappling with a heterogeneous mix of solutions. Many companies now employ multiple systems to meet their end-to-end business needs, leading to siloed processes and confused employees. Procurement, in particular, often suffers from fragmented systems handling everything from purchase requests to supplier onboarding, creating inefficiencies and frustration.

To address this challenge, we鈥檙e seeing a shift toward process orchestration 鈥� a centralized approach that connects disparate systems, streamlining procurement inquiries and status updates. Our newest solution, 麻豆原创 Ariba Intake Management, can tackle this head-on by automating request creation and providing a single point of entry so that organizations can empower employees to adhere to policies and regulations without the burden of manual corrections. This approach can not only save valuable time and resources but also drive user adoption and increase compliance and efficiency, positioning companies to thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape.鈥�

The Rise of a New Generation of Procurement Leaders

Jeff Collier, chief revenue officer for Intelligent Spend and Business Network at 麻豆原创, predicts a significant shift in procurement leadership:

鈥淚n 2025, a shift will occur in the procurement landscape as a wave of fresh faces step into the chief procurement officer role. AI-driven procurement strategies, ever-evolving requirements, and changing demographics have created the perfect storm for new leaders to emerge. As the industry stands on the precipice of transformation, organizations must prioritize nurturing existing talent, upskilling their workforce, and attracting bright young professionals to the procurement function. The stage is set for junior procurement leaders, who have proven their mettle during the challenging COVID-19 years, to rise to the occasion, particularly those who can showcase tangible achievements in sustainability, AI integration, or risk management. Brace yourselves for a year marked by new names, fresh perspectives, and a reshaped procurement industry in 2025.鈥�

The Power of AI Across Business Networks

Val Blatt, chief revenue officer for 麻豆原创 Business Network, offers insights into how AI will transform business networks:

鈥淚n the near term, AI is already making waves by optimizing process efficiency and information sharing within and across companies in a supply chain. As we move into 2025 and beyond, we鈥檒l see AI do more to synthesize intelligence and efficiency across areas like risk, demand, and inventory planning, as well as manufacturing and delivery. This evolution becomes even more relevant because no business does business alone, and AI can synthesize and be predictive across company boundaries. We鈥檒l see AI decision support evolve into decision-making 鈥� and, ultimately, automated process execution. These advancements will occur as the need for AI to sense and predict situations with proposed planning recommendations grows, spanning across related functional areas and processes that involve trading partners in a supply chain.

In its Network Adoption Research Study* sponsored by 麻豆原创, IDC found that 鈥淒igital Champions鈥� who use modern, cloud-based tools like AI, analytics, and business networks have grown over 140% in revenue and profit performance indices from 2016 to 2021. As AI capabilities expand to sense, predict, and execute across organizational boundaries, businesses will gain next-level efficiency, visibility, and compliance. This will enable them to maintain a resilient supply chain that delivers on customer promises, especially in times of disruption, by leveraging the collective intelligence of their entire business network.鈥�

The Evolution of Travel and Expense Management

Christopher Juneau, SVP and head of 麻豆原创 Concur Product Marketing, Intelligent Spend and Business Network Marketing & Solutions, (T&E):

鈥淎s leaders strive to position their company for growth in 2025, they will still attempt to maintain employee spending at 2024 levels. Inflation drove higher spending beginning in 2023, resulting in fewer trips in 2024. As inflation slows, many leaders are likely to expect that their T&E budget 鈥� even if flat year over year 鈥� will go further in 2025.

Meanwhile, finance teams and travel managers will adjust their T&E policies to account for AI as more tasks and processes become automated. Will managers need to approve every expense report? Will they need to review them at all? How can policies and rules be modified so that travelers spend as little time in T&E tools as possible? These are some of the questions they will start to ask in 2025.

Investments in technology innovation and security infrastructure will be top priorities. The risks associated with security and privacy incidents will only continue to grow, which means companies are looking for technologies that deliver greater value to customers with lower risk. It is really a balancing act to move fast without disregarding the very important aspects of security and privacy when architecting solutions 鈥� internally and for customers.鈥�

Looking Ahead

As we look to 2025, it鈥檚 clear that the world of spend management and supply chain is on the brink of transformative change. The convergence of AI, sustainability imperatives, and interconnected business ecosystems will reshape how organizations operate and compete.

At 麻豆原创, we鈥檙e not just observing these trends 鈥� we鈥檙e actively shaping them, working to ensure our customers are well-equipped to navigate the complexities of tomorrow鈥檚 business landscape.

For a deeper dive into the future of procurement, be sure to check out . We will also be hosting a global webinar on these findings on February 4, 2025 titled 鈥�.鈥� This is an excellent opportunity to gain comprehensive insights and stay ahead of the curve. We encourage you to read the report and sign up for the webinar to learn more about the exciting developments shaping the industry.

The future may be uncertain, but one thing is clear: those who embrace these emerging trends and technologies will be best positioned to thrive in the dynamic world of 2025 and beyond. As we continue to design and deliver spend management and business network solutions that drive efficiency, leverage AI responsibly, and create greater visibility for businesses of all sizes, we look forward to partnering with our customers on this exciting journey of transformation and growth.

Cindy McKendry is a director for Intelligent Spend and Business Network Corporate Communications at 麻豆原创.

*Source: 鈥淚DC Network Adoption Research Study eBook: Driving Best-in-Class Supply Chain Collaboration with a Business Network,鈥� #US5084723, August 2023, page 18

With more change on the horizon, it is vital to keep these bets in mind to prepare for potential challenges head-on. Over the past year, we鈥檝e witnessed how spend management professionals who stay confident and bet big achieve remarkable results. In fact, according to the , C-suite confidence in the procurement function has increased by 14% in just one year, with 84% of executives now agreeing that procurement is essential for organizational strategy.

As we gear up for 2025 and beyond, let鈥檚 explore these five bets that will solidify spend management’s role as an indispensable part of an organization.

Bet #1: Strategic Collaboration

The first bet that spend management professionals should place is on strategic collaboration. As procurement becomes increasingly integrated with other critical business functions, it is up to procurement professionals to lead these collaborative efforts. Your colleagues are looking to you to take the initiative and ensure that procurement is involved in strategic initiatives that keep your organization agile in the face of uncertainty.

Whether you are partnering with HR to or implementing a in partnership with supply chain, 麻豆原创 is here to support you. Our solutions are designed with collaboration at the forefront, working to minimize miscommunication and simplify business processes so you can focus on what truly matters.

Bet #2: Effortless Compliance

The mere mention of compliance can evoke stress and worry in anyone who has ever worked in spend management. Ensuring every detail is accounted for can be nerve-racking, especially when considering local regulations and sustainability goals. At 麻豆原创, we believe that compliance should not just be simple; it should be truly effortless.

For example, can enable employees to select in-policy vendors from the start. with 麻豆原创 Business Network helps you understand and comply with evolving tax regulations. From complex tax requirements to travel policies, 麻豆原创 can help you eliminate these points of concern before they cause issues.

Bet #3: Seamless Integration

While intraorganizational strategic collaboration is key for an efficient operating model, your software must also be seamlessly integrated to make the most of our connected solutions. Fragmented processes and tools won鈥檛 get you where you need to go, which is why 麻豆原创 is committed to a suite-first strategy that aims to reduce the number of systems used to manage spend.

Whether you are an all-麻豆原创 customer or use third-party technology, we can offer a seamless experience regardless of where you are in your 麻豆原创 journey. From , your single source of truth for all spend data, to that can streamline all your procurement processes, our out-of-the-box solutions help deliver powerful business outcomes across the entire spend management process.

Bet #4: Increased Productivity

The next bet to place is on increased productivity. In recent years, we have seen firsthand how productivity gaps can be detrimental to an organization. Add in unexpected geopolitical and economic events, and you have a recipe for disaster. As the procurement landscape evolves, it is imperative to upskill your workforce to meet evolving demands.

厂础笔鈥檚 newest innovations, like , can help automate mundane tasks, freeing up bandwidth for making strategic decisions that really count. And increased productivity is not just reserved for key decision-makers 鈥� it benefits every employee at every level.

Bet #5: Informed Decision-Making

Finally, spend management professionals should bet big on informed decision-making. More than ever, it is essential to make choices quickly and confidently, knowing that your decisions are supported by data. That鈥檚 where 麻豆原创 comes in 鈥� solutions like and can deliver the best recommendations for you, helping to take the guesswork out of decisions amid timeline pressure.

With data-informed reports and suggestions, you can be confident that your choices are backed by best-in-class insights. 麻豆原创 helps reduce complexity and can deliver only the insights needed to make the best choices for your business.

New Ways to Streamline Critical Business Processes

To learn more about the innovations shared at 麻豆原创 Spend Connect Live in 2024, I encourage you to read this article by my colleague Manoj Swaminathan, president and chief product officer for Intelligent Spend and Business Network at 麻豆原创.

I say it every year, but there is something truly special about spending time with our incredible customers, hearing transformation stories and tales of success across so many organizations. The 麻豆原创 community鈥檚 resilience, drive, and commitment to excellence inspire me greatly.

When it comes to the right tools, best integrations, and data-driven insights, 麻豆原创 is your go-to partner. Our solutions, informed by your feedback, are here to help you win big. As you close out this year and head into a new one, remember that 麻豆原创 is here for you. When you rely on 麻豆原创, you secure the future success of not just your business function, but your entire organization.

Etosha Thurman is chief marketing officer for Intelligent Spend and Business Network at 麻豆原创. 

If you missed out on the action, we unveiled the following cutting-edge innovations in our market-leading solutions:

• is our newest solution that helps automate procurement request creation and orchestrate routing and support across diverse procurement landscapes and complex workflows. It can connect different systems into one central location for procurement inquiries and status updates, so employees can adhere to your organization鈥檚 policies and comply with necessary regulations.
• 厂础笔鈥檚 generative AI copilot  will be seamlessly integrated across 麻豆原创 Ariba solutions, 麻豆原创 Business Network, and 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions. Joule can enable users to manage their most important tasks quickly and accurately across all areas of 厂础笔鈥檚 spend management portfolio.  
• The can empower suppliers to find new business, improve match potential, and build relationships with buyers using the network catalog. Available early next year, it includes聽generative AI tools to help suppliers load their full suite of offerings into the network catalog faster and with enhanced product descriptions and summaries.聽
• New can deliver next-level insights into your external workforce for reporting, analytics, and market insights all within 麻豆原创 Fieldglass.

Read this article from my colleague Manoj Swaminathan to learn more about our latest spend management and business network enhancements.

Leading brands such as Goldman Sachs, Kraft-Heinz, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Uber, and Warner Music Group joined us at the event to share how they revolutionized their spend management processes with our solutions. Check out to hear these stories and view breakout sessions, strategy talks, and solution deep dives. This free, virtual event is your opportunity to learn from 麻豆原创 experts, customers, and partners.

Thank You, IDC

As a leader in spend management software, 麻豆原创 is dedicated to helping our customers increase control and business resilience by comprehensively managing all sources of spend. Hard work pays off, as 麻豆原创 has retained the No.1 position for market share with 49.6% of 2023 market share for Travel and Expense Management Software, according to the . This is growth from our 2022 market share of 49.4%. 

Also exciting, 麻豆原创 has retained the No.1 position for market share for Procurement Applications according to the . IDC estimates that 麻豆原创 holds a 27.3% market share for 2023, maintaining the top spot ahead of the next six vendors combined.

Additionally, we鈥檙e honored to win two IDC SaaS CSAT awards for Accounts Payable and Contract Lifecycle Management. These awards recognize the leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) vendors in each application market, across 23 markets, that receive the highest customer satisfaction scores based on IDC’s SaaSPath Survey.

Our Customer Awards Reach New Heights

Every quarter, G2 highlights the top-rated solutions in the industry, chosen by the source that matters most: our customers. Q3 was our most successful quarter yet regarding G2 honors, with 麻豆原创 Ariba, 麻豆原创 Business Network, 麻豆原创 Concur, and 麻豆原创 Fieldglass bringing in a whopping 93 awards across multiple categories at the Fall 2024 G2 awards!

麻豆原创 was named a Leader in the following categories:

• is a G2 Fall 2024 Leader in Procure to Pay, Strategic Sourcing, and Supplier Relationship Management.
• is a G2 Fall 2024 Leader in Supply Chain Business Networks.
• is a G2 Fall 2024 Leader in Expense, Travel & Expense, and Invoicing.
• is a G2 Fall 2024 Leader in Vendor Management.

What鈥檚 more, 麻豆原创 Ariba, 麻豆原创 Concur, and 麻豆原创 Fieldglass have also won Buyer鈥檚 Choice awards from TrustRadius. Winners of a Buyer鈥檚 Choice award are determined by 75% of reviewers selecting a solution for best capabilities, best value for price, and best customer relationship.

We couldn鈥檛 be more grateful to our customers for partnering with us on their spend management transformation journeys, and we鈥檙e honored that the feeling is mutual!

Winning awards from our customers is awesome, but winning with customers is extra special. Last month, customer and 麻豆原创 Spend Connect Live in 2024 speaker Daniel Chapman of Warner Music won a in the Innovation in Sourcing category: 鈥淐reating Harmony in Music Procurement: Warner Music Group and 麻豆原创.鈥� This award recognizes organizations and individuals that show innovation, leadership, and transformation in categories critical to the sourcing industry, and we couldn鈥檛 be happier about this win.

Last but definitely not least, I want to congratulate our customer Capgemini for winning a prestigious from  in the Future of Work: Human Capital Management category. The award recognizes Capgemini鈥檚 innovative use of 麻豆原创 Fieldglass Contingent Workforce Management to optimize its global external workforce, resulting in improved efficiency, cost savings, and quality standards.

New Developments on the Horizon

With 2025 just around the corner, I want to thank our customers for betting big on themselves by investing in our cutting-edge spend management and business network solutions. In a time marked by supply chain disruptions and ongoing economic uncertainty, it’s all too easy for businesses to stick with the status quo. However, 麻豆原创 customers are different. They tackle obstacles head-on, transforming them into opportunities. And their foresight to plan for the future is why they will continue to be successful.

Thank you for choosing 麻豆原创 to help solve your biggest challenges. I enjoyed seeing so many of you at 麻豆原创 Spend Connect Live and I can鈥檛 wait to catch up with the rest of you on the road.

Jeff Collier is chief revenue officer for 麻豆原创 Intelligent Spend and Business Network.

The announcements were made at , the industry鈥檚 premier spend management conference, held October 14-16 in Las Vegas.

麻豆原创 Embeds Generative AI Across Spend Management and Business Network Solutions

麻豆原创 is embedding its generative AI copilot Joule across the 麻豆原创 Ariba source-to-pay solution portfolio to make it easier for customers to manage routine inquiries, such as status updates, summarization and frequently asked questions. Generative AI will be further infused in 麻豆原创 Ariba solutions to recommend buying bundles and provide comprehensive supplier summaries.

Joule will help 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions customers perform time-consuming hiring tasks and service requests with speed and accuracy. Joule can recommend best-fit templates to generate job postings and statements of work (SOWs) with prefilled information such as start date and the number of skilled workers needed.

Joule embedded across 麻豆原创 Business Network will facilitate tasks in logistics and asset management. Generative AI will analyze, categorize and transform unstructured invoice rejection errors into structured, actionable insights to reduce the cost of resolving exceptions. Generative AI capabilities within the 麻豆原创 Business Network Discovery solution will help match suppliers with new business opportunities.

Joule is currently available within 麻豆原创 Ariba solutions and will debut in 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions and 麻豆原创 Business Network in the fourth quarter 2024. Joule will manage 80% of the most frequently performed tasks in the portfolio of intelligent spend management and business network solutions from 麻豆原创 starting in the fourth quarter 2024 with a phased approach.

New 麻豆原创 Ariba Intake Management Solution Delivers Simplicity in Procurement

麻豆原创 introduces the 麻豆原创 Ariba Intake Management solution to help transform how businesses handle employee requests and process orchestration, starting with procurement.

With 麻豆原创 Ariba Intake Management, employees have one place to go for procurement inquiries and visibility on status. The solution collects employee requests, orchestrates processes across heterogenous landscapes and applications, including all necessary stakeholders, and provides visibility on status while shielding employees from process complexity yet keeping them informed. This simpler, more intuitive user experience is designed to help drive adoption and improve compliance.

麻豆原创 plans to make 麻豆原创 Ariba Intake Management available in the first quarter 2025.

New 麻豆原创 Business Network, Promote Subscription to Help Suppliers Grow their Businesses

麻豆原创 Business Network in the first quarter 2025 will launch a new promote subscription with value-added features to help suppliers differentiate themselves, attract new buyers and grow their businesses. With millions of companies conducting nearly $6 trillion in commerce annually on the 麻豆原创 Business Network, promote presents a sizable opportunity for suppliers to accelerate growth.

麻豆原创 Unveils Analytics Add-On for External Workforce Management

The new analytics add-on with AI capabilities for 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions helps procurement, vendor management and HR professionals to quickly implement more agile multi-channel talent strategies. This add-on enables business users to benchmark and predict external talent scenarios.

The analytics add-on for 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions lets users:

• Review performance against over 50 external workforce key performance indicators.
• Access global market intelligence including rates, talent supply and demand, and time-to-hire trends.
• Track sustainability initiatives such as spend with diverse suppliers and worker health and safety, while observing cost overruns, worker fatigue, and on- and offboarding compliance.

鈥淲ith 麻豆原创 Business AI as the foundation of our intelligent products, customers can improve productivity and gain insights from their spend data no matter where it sits,鈥� said Manoj Swaminathan, President and Chief Product Officer, Intelligent Spend and Business Network, 麻豆原创. 鈥淲hether it is managing cost, mitigating risk or supporting scope three emission reduction, 麻豆原创 empowers companies with the right solutions for agile and effective spend management and supply chain functions.鈥�

Visit the . Follow 麻豆原创 at .

Media Contact:
Kelly Sheldon Murray, +1 (978) 708-6821, kelly.murray@sap.com, ET
麻豆原创 麻豆原创 Room; press@sap.com

This document contains forward-looking statements, which are predictions, projections, or other statements about future events. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to materially differ.  Additional information regarding these risks and uncertainties may be found in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to the risk factors section of 厂础笔鈥檚 2023 Annual Report on Form 20-F.
漏 2024 麻豆原创 SE. All rights reserved.
麻豆原创 and other 麻豆原创 products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of 麻豆原创 SE in Germany and other countries. Please see for additional trademark information and notices.

麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower can enable business leaders to answer questions, like where and how much did my organization spend? With what suppliers? Can we break that down by normalized categories? Where are my cost-savings opportunities? What about compliance with environmental and social regulations?

I am happy to announce that 麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower is now available for all businesses.

Addressing Your Spend Data Challenges

I frequently discuss spend management challenges with CPOs and CFOs. They consistently seek visibility and insights into their spending, key suppliers, and ways to enhance savings and cash flow, which enable them to make better-informed decisions.

This aligns with our formal market research. In a new Economist Impact study sponsored by 麻豆原创 鈥� 鈥� 44% of all respondents and 49% of CPOs identified spend analytics as the top driver of digitization in procurement in 2024.

Of course, it鈥檚 not just about procurement spend. It鈥檚 about all enterprise spend. And that鈥檚 our sweet spot. 麻豆原创 delivers intelligent spend solutions covering the entire enterprise 鈥� from procurement to travel and expense to contingent labor and beyond.

As we鈥檝e worked to bring together spend data across the enterprise, it鈥檚 become clear to me that many organizations face similar challenges:

• Poor data quality
• Too much data for individuals to process
• Lack of visibility into cost-saving opportunities and ways to improve cash flow

麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower is specifically designed to help address these challenges. It can provide visibility and actionable insights into enterprise spend that flows to 麻豆原创 solutions, such as 麻豆原创 S/4HANA or 麻豆原创 ERP Central Component (麻豆原创 ECC), and non-麻豆原创 systems. Spend information can then be further enhanced with data from 麻豆原创 Ariba, 麻豆原创 Fieldglass, and 麻豆原创 Concur solutions.

How We Do It

麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower helps address the challenges of spend data management by providing:

• A single location for all spend data: Enterprise data for all spend-related applications is centralized in a single 鈥渄ata layer.鈥� This can provide visibility into your overall organizational spend while allowing users to drill down and see data within specific solutions, for example 麻豆原创 Ariba, 麻豆原创 Fieldglass, or 麻豆原创 Concur solutions.
• Data analysis driven by AI and machine learning: Embedded 麻豆原创 Business AI solutions can enable users to analyze spend data, clarify categories, and make data-driven decisions.
• Data harmonization and enrichment: Systems use a variety of formats to store data, which makes it difficult to combine or compare data sets. 麻豆原创 standardizes data into a unified structure, making it possible to analyze a cohesive data set. Additionally, data enrichment helps improve accuracy by adding supplemental, third-party data to your own, then comparing them to ensure completeness and accuracy.

Six Ways 麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower Helps Drive Spend Performance

The process of driving enterprise spend performance is a journey. First you need to explore what you鈥檙e spending and where you鈥檙e spending it. Then you uncover opportunities for savings. Finally, you measure regulatory compliance and how your spending programs stack up against your industry competitors.

麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower can help every step of the way, providing visibility into accurate data sets that can enable you to:

Consolidate Spend, Category, and Contract Data

Spend across your enterprise is a maze of suppliers, invoices, and contracts. How many suppliers do we really have? Which invoices fall into the 鈥渙ther鈥� bucket? 麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower can produce a consolidated list of suppliers and categories by employing artificial intelligence and machine learning classification and matching algorithms.

Improve Compliance and Deliver Savings

Once you identify categories and suppliers, you can look for opportunities to increase compliance and achieve cost savings. For instance, you may find that your business has five contracts with smaller suppliers, all under the same global ultimate parent company. This information allows you to consolidate your contracts, resulting in cost savings and improved cash flow.

Drill Down for Efficient Spend Visibility

With 麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower, you can have visibility across all areas of your enterprise spend 鈥� for example, contingent labor, maintenance, repairs and operation, or travel and expense 鈥� providing a single view of all spend from 麻豆原创 or non-麻豆原创 systems while enabling visibility into the source of spend via 麻豆原创 Ariba, 麻豆原创 Fieldglass, or 麻豆原创 Concur solutions.

Identify Cost-Savings Opportunities and Provide Actionable Insights

麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower utilizes 麻豆原创 Business AI to help guide you toward relevant and timely savings opportunities. Data from 麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower can seamlessly integrate with the spend profile. Furthermore, within opportunity analysis, AI can identify opportunities for end users in 麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower, which are accessible to 麻豆原创 Ariba Category Management. This integration allows category managers to set goals and develop effective category plans. By leveraging 麻豆原创 Business AI, category managers can efficiently narrow down suppliers and deliver procurement opportunities within categories, streamlining the process and optimizing cost saving.

Drive Enterprise-Level Diversity and Sustainability Compliance

Even if you know who your suppliers are, it鈥檚 likely you don鈥檛 have direct access to all their corporate social responsibility credentials. Through data enhancement using generative AI and the solution, 麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower can layer compliance and diversity data onto your supplier and spend data. This can help enable the evaluation of spend for compliance with diversity requirements and sustainability measures like Scope 3 emissions.

Achieve Best-in-Class Spend Performance Based on Industry Standards

A significant portion of the world鈥檚 business runs through 麻豆原创 systems. We leverage this information to help provide realistic benchmarks from leading businesses in your industry. For example, a consumer products company may direct 22% of its total spend on marketing. Using 麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower, they can find out that for leading competitors of similar size and revenue, the average marketing spend is much lower. This will help inform decisions about how to align their costs with the competition.

麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower is now available to all businesses to help drive enterprise spend performance effectively. or register for and watch the 鈥溾�� webinar on 麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower.

Join the 麻豆原创 Spend Connect Live virtual event on October 24 to catch the latest in technology, innovation, and ideas on-demand.

Manoj Swaminathan is ISBN president and chief product officer at 麻豆原创.

The 麻豆原创-sponsored report offers insights from more than 2,300 C-suite executives spanning multiple countries, regions and industries and examines the pressures facing today鈥檚 procurement teams. As these teams manage risks like geopolitical shifts, supplier threats, and liquidity risks, the surveyed executives emphasize an urgent motivation to improve their procurement operations through agile, innovative, and fast-paced solutions.

Today鈥檚 complex and uncertain business environment has pushed procurement teams to take matters into their own hands. Not only are they accelerating digitalization by adopting emerging technologies like AI, they are driving it by searching for ways to change the procurement operating model.

As Always, It鈥檚 All About Innovation

Procurement officers view driving innovation as one of their function鈥檚 chief objectives. Doing so will help them navigate risks and respond to an evolving consumer environment.

When procurement is truly influential, it is proactive. Teams that understand digitalization and the technologies being acquired have more impact in this area than those that are reactive. Over two-thirds (70%) of the survey respondents agree that procurement is actively involved in developing their wider organization鈥檚 digital transformation strategy 鈥� though whether this is true in the day-to-day may vary from business to business.

If procurement is to play a more integral role in businesses, changes to the function鈥檚 operating model are likely for some organizations, which is why the research also shows that procurement is accelerating its digitalization, including through the adoption of emerging technologies. Approximately 84% of executives are confident in their procurement team鈥檚 ability to apply technology successfully to automate some processes and shift attention to more strategic and complex tasks.

This ability to seamlessly integrate and adopt new solutions will be critical as procurement teams work to balance capabilities, know-how, and expertise from suppliers to achieve the best possible results.

Digitalization Remains a Top Priority

While innovation is at the core of many companies鈥� priorities, C-suite leaders are laser-focused on the solutions that enable their teams to be more efficient, cost-effective, and risk-averse.

More than half (57%) of the C-suite cite digitalization as the top strategic priority for their procurement teams. This emphasis may be fueled by recent advances in generative AI, which is the top technology trend (34%) executives plan to implement in the next 12 to 18 months.

Digitalization efforts can offer real-time capabilities that better address dynamic market challenges and make existing procurement processes more efficient. Data-driven insights allow for more actionable outputs in strategic decision-making and can even impact procurement鈥檚 role in engaging contingent labor. Augmented with AI, they can easily manage contingent labor by streamlining and standardizing recruiting processes like job advertising, resume scanning, expediting background checks, and more.

More efficient intake management also goes hand-in-hand with digitalization. While generative AI occupies the highest priority, intake management is only one percentage point behind it, making it the second-most likely tech trend to be piloted or implemented. 

Value of Multi-Sourcing and Supplier Diversity

The top organizational risk for procurement was monetary uncertainty (49%), as macroeconomic risks can have a large impact on operational external risk. This is a potential factor as to why procurement teams are focused on risk as a longer-term priority.

Updates here can create opportunities like multi-sourcing, which can improve risk reduction and resilience amid growing external threats, and supplier diversity 鈥� driving market expansion through a more diverse supplier base. This can also reduce single-sourcing dependencies to mitigate risks against potential disruptions.

These possibilities prove how companies must make it a mission to improve the quality of data and the models needed to effectively analyze it. Subpar data directly hinders procurement鈥檚 ability to make good decisions, undermining its overall effectiveness and derailing successful digitalization before it takes hold.

Executives Agree: Time to Go All-In on AI

No other strategic priority attracts nearly as many responses as a priority across all industries as digitalization. However, respondents also agreed on one other key topic: the role that AI will take in the digitalization journey.

Adoption of an AI strategy stands at the joint top of executives鈥� list of digitalization priorities for procurement, alongside spend analytics, both cited by 44%. Almost half (48%) of executives aim to use AI to improve procurement processes through source-to-pay and AI-enabled spend management and decision support.

As the main drivers for digital transformation in procurement, these two objectives are complementary. AI tools can read a contract to evaluate clauses and suggest how they can be improved. It can also enhance data management, streamlining the processes needed to make key procurement decisions.

Fully digitalizing procurement operations has been on the function鈥檚 agenda for several years, but it is a continuous challenge. It is a process that does not have an endpoint, particularly as technologies advance quickly. The leading technologies from just three years ago pale in comparison to what can be accomplished today, which require knowledge across software development, APIs, and AI.

Therefore, success in building a thorough and adaptable AI strategy requires top-level expertise. Acquiring the necessary skills could entail considerable organizational and cultural change in procurement and across the business 鈥� extending beyond the structural shifts and developing new ways of working to build these skills.

The Start of a Procurement Renaissance

Across industries, procurement is already finding new ways to add value to the organization. But now that chief procurement officers and their teams are more consistently gaining a seat at the decision table, the challenge is to keep it.

The ongoing state of disruption offers ample opportunity for procurement teams to continue evolving and demonstrate their worth. Above all, improving collaboration with other business stakeholders will be the key to strengthening procurement鈥檚 role within the organization. Today鈥檚 technology-driven initiatives are as much a human challenge as they are a technology one, and when organizations are planning these initiatives it is clear that they need to consider people, process, and technology in equal measure to ensure success.

For more about the findings from this year鈥檚 Economist Impact report, tune in to this podcast hosted by Art of Procurement: .

Gordon Donovan is global vice president of Research, Procurement, and External Workforce at 麻豆原创.

In the Economist Impact report, titled “” and sponsored by 麻豆原创, surveyed executives share increased confidence in procurement to deliver against risk-mitigation objectives. Particularly when it comes to internal risk, which involves stakeholder management and strategic alignment, confidence levels rose to 83% this year, from 64% last year. This illustrates that procurement is becoming more aligned with key stakeholders across the organization.

However, a “state of permanent crisis” has shaken executives鈥� confidence in procurement鈥檚 ability to manage external risks such as geopolitical shifts, supplier threats, and liquidity risks.

Procurement鈥檚 role in business strategies is ever-growing, but it is imperative to maintain agility.

Heightened Attention to Risk Management

Ongoing inflation, global conflicts, and fluctuating commodity prices have placed risk management at the center of business strategies. Procurement plays a pivotal role in this effort by identifying high-quality alternative products and services while limiting costs.

Yet, respondents noted concerns over procurement鈥檚 ability to manage external risk factors, as only 41% of respondents said they are highly confident in its ability to control vulnerabilities. Comparatively, in 2023, 62% of business leaders expressed assurance in procurement鈥檚 handling of these factors, like supplier shortages, market fluctuations, and supply chain disruptions. Several drivers are pushing this trend, as the report notes that organizations experience four supply chain disruptions every day. Also, inflation continues to influence organizational decision-making, as monetary uncertainty was listed as the top organizational risk priority for procurement. Additional key external factors impacting organizational strategy over the next 12 to 18 months are macroeconomic (71%) and legal and regulatory risks (70%).

Diversifying Supplier Relationships

Businesses have looked to ease fears of shortages by moving away from sole sourcing suppliers. According to the survey, 40% of executives aim to prioritize supply chain diversification to build trusted and long-lasting relationships. In fact, three of the top five strategies listed in the survey are focused on mitigating risk, including reshoring/nearshoring and multi-sourcing.

Visibility has also been listed as one of the highest two priorities for a second consecutive year, proof that it is an urgent need for organizations to invest in technology that increases access to supply chain metrics, develops connections with suppliers, and identifies alternative sellers. Platforms that utilize automation, AI, and advanced analytics are another way to enable procurement teams to make data-driven decisions that improve efficiency and reduce risk.

Sustainability: Procurement鈥檚 Green Thumb

ESG ranked second on the list of priorities for the next 12 to 18 months, an increase from fifth in 2023.

鈥淧rocurement鈥檚 work at the convergence between the business and wider supply-chain ecosystem thus offers it a unique strategic opportunity to lead the sustainability agenda,鈥� the report states. By engaging with sourcing and suppliers, two critical stakeholders in achieving sustainability KPIs, procurement can use its role to translate companies鈥� green ambitions into tangible results.

New regulations such as the (ESRS) and (CSRD) have driven companies to enhance their sustainability practices. 聽According to the Economist Impact report, procurement has capitalized on this opportunity to gain the confidence of executives across the C-suite, with 68% of business leaders expressing belief in procurement鈥檚 abilities to deliver against ESG objectives. This is an increase from 49% in 2023, signaling that procurement鈥檚 remit has expanded beyond cost management.

Sustainability has also become a critical risk category, as 39% of respondents listed compliance as a driver to becoming greener. A failure to conform to governmental policy can lead to penalties and fines that limit growth.

to discuss strategies that leading companies are using to develop sustainable supply. The discussion also includes insights into how procurement can add value to ESG initiatives beyond compliance and reporting.

Leveraging Technology for Sustainable Sourcing

Procurement鈥檚 role in engaging buyers and suppliers to drive sustainability is pivotal. CPOs can set standards for sustainable sourcing and supplier practices, reducing carbon footprints and helping reach ESG benchmarks.

The increasing alignment of procurement with C-suite priorities is seen through the increased focus on sustainability and risk management. The shift in reporting lines toward COOs and the greater involvement in strategic discussions highlight the growing influence of procurement in organizational decision-making.

The expanded role of procurement has placed it at an inflection point, with heightened expectations to deliver results beyond cost mitigation. How will procurement leaders meet these new demands? Investing in technology offers a solution for uncovering valuable insights that to demonstrate procurement鈥檚 value. Coupled with developing people and processes, this approach allows procurement leaders to successfully fulfill their increasing remit.

Utilizing 麻豆原创 Business Network for Strategic Priorities

Business leaders should look for a platform to bridge the gap between companies and buyers and suppliers, enhancing visibility, collaboration, efficiency, and compliance. By leveraging such a comprehensive solution, companies can streamline their procurement processes, reduce silos, mitigate risk, and achieve substantial time and cost savings.

can align these benefits with the strategic priorities of risk management and sustainability. The technology has facilitated 780 million B2B transactions and $5.8 trillion in annual commerce, highlighting its vast influence across 190 countries. There has also been a 13% growth in transacting relationships and a 7.3% increase in B2B transactions over the past 12 months, a testament to our growing global community.

Embracing the Future of Procurement

With growing confidence from executives and risk-focused strategies, procurement is well-positioned to lead organizations through today鈥檚 complex business environment. The Economist Impact report underscores this belief, but procurement teams must aim to ensure long-term success by leveraging digital transformation.

Through in-depth interviews and targeted research, the Economist Impact report provides a broad analysis of the state of procurement.

View the and download the .

Gordon Donovan is global vice president of Research, Procurement & External Workforce at 麻豆原创.

Join your peers at the industry鈥檚 premier spend management event from October 14鈥�16. Get ready for an impactful experience with breakout sessions, hands-on demos, powerful keynotes, and a celebratory finale in the City of Lights! This year, we are offering a special discount 鈥� keep reading to learn more about the event and registration deal.

As business continues to move at a frenzied pace with changing dynamics around every turn, agile and effective spend management and supply chain functions are essential to keep up. Whether it is driving cost management, digitizing manual processes, or staying ahead of changing regulations, 麻豆原创 can help you bring out your best. After our at , I am looking forward to diving deeper into what鈥檚 in store across 厂础笔鈥檚 spend management and business network portfolio.

Over the course of the event, we will share insights and discuss top-of-mind business challenges, opportunities, and priorities. Aside from the dazzling lights, top-notch dining, and world-renowned shows, here are some other reasons you should join me in Las Vegas for 麻豆原创 Spend Connect Live in 2024.

Hear How Other Organizations Are Transforming Their Spend Management Strategy

Between customer sessions, keynotes, and informal networking, we have so many opportunities for you to hear from your peers. In addition to keynotes, several breakout sessions will feature how customers are using 麻豆原创 solutions to help fuel their spend decisions across procurement, external workforce, travel and expense, working capital management, and business collaboration.

Learn How AI Can Transform Your Business

According to this year鈥檚 , 44% of the spend management executives who were surveyed listed AI strategy as their top driver for digital transformation. AI has quickly proven to be a powerful asset for agile, efficient decision-making, and it is here to stay. There are several AI-focused session offerings at 麻豆原创 Spend Connect Live where you will have the opportunity to:

• Learn how built-in AI capabilities help create resilient supply chains through customer demand prediction and suggested adjustments.
• Join a to learn about recent and upcoming product innovations, like how we are integrating Joule into our spend management solutions to help bring natural language processing to day-to-day processes.
• Participate in a to discover how 麻豆原创 Business AI use cases can apply to your business needs.
• Attend a to learn about scenarios within 麻豆原创 Fieldglass and 麻豆原创 Ariba solutions where AI makes a big impact.
• Learn how to leverage AI-based predictive analytics to help create dynamic supply chains that react and respond in real-time.

Attend Keynotes, Breakout Sessions, and Demos Aligned to Your Unique Business Needs

With over 120 sessions delivering content about the latest market trends and industry innovations, it is a sure bet that you will leave with ideas about how to shape your spend management strategy and meet your business challenges. You will have your choice of road map sessions, solution deep dives, and even hands-on master classes. This year, you can look forward to must-see sessions such as:

• Supercharge workforce management strategy with generative AI and analytics
• Revolutionize sourcing success with 麻豆原创 Ariba Category Management
• Cutting costs that count: Transform your travel spend
• Build stronger supply chains with 麻豆原创 Business Network
• AI in action: Transforming procurement and supply chain dynamics

Browse the and find the full to plan your agenda.

Network with Experts, Peers, and 麻豆原创 Leadership in the Marketplace

Our attendees consistently report that the Marketplace is one of their favorite things about 麻豆原创 Spend Connect Live. The Marketplace is your innovation destination 鈥� a one-stop shop to connect with partners, subject-matter experts, and executives while learning how to make the most of your 麻豆原创 solutions. Explore each part of 厂础笔鈥檚 spend management portfolio with demos for hands-on learning, booths to discover members of the 麻豆原创 partner ecosystem, and 鈥渆xpert bars鈥� where you can get answers to solution-specific questions. This year, we are introducing new ways to expand your knowledge with free, 30-minute, one-on-one solution consulting sessions and adoption labs where you can learn how to optimize your solutions.

Deepen Your Expertise with Exclusive In-Person, Pre-Conference Trainings

Make the most of your conference experience with on-site training at 麻豆原创 Spend Connect Live. These comprehensive, expert-led sessions will help increase your expertise in an era where upskilling is of the utmost importance. Take the opportunity to learn something new that will enable you to help achieve your organization鈥檚 procurement goals. Space is limited, so to secure your spot.

Connect with Peers at Celebration Night and Make a Difference at the Els Autism Charity Golf Tournament

Have you really visited Vegas if you haven鈥檛 had an awesome night out? With over 80,000 square feet of entertainment 鈥� including bowling lanes, six on-site bars, and live music 鈥� Celebration Night at will be one to remember. Don鈥檛 forget to catch mentalist Oz Pearlman for mind-boggling illusions!

In the mood for golf? Participate in the Els for Autism Charity Golf Challenge to make a difference in the lives of those living with autism and those who care for them. Space is limited, so be sure to reach out to your account executive to participate.

Take Advantage of the 鈥淏uy 4, Get 1 Free鈥� Registration Deal

Remember: what happens in Vegas鈥�蝉丑辞耻濒诲苍鈥檛 stay there! Join us this fall for a dynamic experience that will leave you with the tools to help bring out the best in your business.

Ready to sign up, but unsure how to get approval? Download our 鈥溾�� template to explain why your company needs representation at 麻豆原创 Spend Connect Live in 2024!

Etosha Thurman is chief marketing officer for Intelligent Spend and Business Network at 麻豆原创.  

At 麻豆原创, we鈥檝e designed our spend management and business network solutions with this in mind. , , , and help you spend less time bogged down by tactical work, giving you more time to focus on strategic initiatives.

Our market-leading solutions help provide complete visibility into your company spending, so your decisions are smarter and your time and money saved. And with AI becoming ubiquitous, we鈥檙e automating repetitive tasks and analyzing enterprise-wide spend analytics to identify tail spend, improve compliance, and identify rapidly increasing costs.

Artificial Intelligence Is Changing Everything About Enterprise Software

AI is revolutionizing the global business landscape and 麻豆原创 is at the forefront. We continuously embed new AI capabilities into our software to deliver intelligent spend management solutions to our customers. With our AI-infused products, work 鈥� and your workforce 鈥� can be more productive and supply chains more resilient.

At 麻豆原创 Sapphire in June, we announced more time- and cash-saving product enhancements that provide generative AI capabilities. Here are several of them:

• help procurement departments streamline the recruitment of external workers. Hiring managers can generate and maintain effective job descriptions, while project managers can deliver detailed statements of work (SOWs) more rapidly with the press of the 鈥淓nhance with AI鈥� button. This can enable businesses to quickly identify and engage contractors with the right skills and qualifications.
• Business owners and sales executives can now benefit from to help generate accurate and timely RFI responses to potential buyers consistently. This can result in a 2-4 times* increase in lead conversion and can reduce effort in responding to requests by up to 75%*.
• , which can quickly sort and contextualize data from multiple systems to help advance automation and improve decision-making, is expanding throughout 厂础笔鈥檚 portfolio and will be embedded in 麻豆原创 Ariba solutions to help improve procurement processes and supply chain planning by the end of 2024.

The AI enhancements mentioned above are only a few examples of how we鈥檙e transforming spend management and how businesses approach procurement through AI. Check out our to see which new features will soon be available at your fingertips.

With the , I would be remiss in not mentioning that ! Released in April, connected customers can book tickets directly on the Amtrak website or mobile app, select the business booking path, and see their company鈥檚 negotiated rates while browsing. With skyrocketing airline ticket prices and the extra legroom, I鈥檓 on board with taking Amtrak to my next customer meeting.

Our Customers Are Winning

I could talk all day about how our customers are winning with 麻豆原创 spend management and business network solutions, but these customer examples speak for themselves:

• needed to meet growing demand as a global leader in autonomous mobility with business units for robotaxi, robotruck, and personally owned vehicles. After implementing 麻豆原创 Business Network and 麻豆原创 Ariba solutions, procurement cycle times were reduced by one week on average and the supplier qualification verification process sped up by three times.
• With the introduction of Japan鈥檚 electronic bookkeeping law, , a logistics real estate company, seized the opportunity to digitalize its expense reimbursement process and align with the new regulations simultaneously. It selected to help automate processes and eliminate manual workflows and now spends 80% less time on the expense reimbursement process.
• When wanted to gain deeper insights into its services-based spend activity and align procurement with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments, the firm embraced 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions. With rich data on how suppliers deliver against an agreement, Accenture can now effectively tie services spend to individual contracts.

It’s Great Being #1

New honors from Ardent Partners, Procurement Magazine, and TrustRadius have us buzzing with gratitude.

Ardent Partners has positioned 麻豆原创 Fieldglass as a Market Leader in its .** It reads, 鈥溌槎乖� Fieldglass has consistently set the bar for the extended workforce solutions industry through a blend of innovation, advanced analytics, and total talent management functionality.鈥� For a more in-depth view of this win, check out this article from my colleague Vish Baliga.

Ardent Partners has also positioned 麻豆原创 as a Market Leader in its report.*** The firm evaluated 麻豆原创 Ariba Spend Analysis, 麻豆原创 Ariba Sourcing, 麻豆原创 Ariba Contracts, 麻豆原创 Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance, and 麻豆原创 Ariba Supplier Risk, determining that 鈥溌槎乖� has a very broad and deep set of solutions that expand well beyond strategic sourcing. Within strategic sourcing, 麻豆原创 has one of the strongest functional offerings, covering the needs of most user groups.鈥�

Procurement Magazine is an established, trusted, and leading voice on all things procurement, and we are honored that our 麻豆原创 spend management solutions are ranked No. 1 in two of their recent lists:

• on the Top 10 Mobile Procurement Apps List.
• on the Top 10 Spend Analyst Platforms List.

In May, TrustRadius announced that 麻豆原创 is the winner of 11 Top Rated awards in 2024. This includes all our flagship offerings in our spend management portfolio:

•  鈥� Procurement, Expense Management, and Supply Chain Management
•  鈥� Leader in Workforce Management, Vendor Management Systems (VMS), Contractor Management, and Freelance Management
• 聽鈥� Leader in Expense Management, Accounts Payable, and
•  鈥� Supply Chain Visibility Procurement

The  are annual awards that recognize the most trusted and reliable vendors on TrustRadius, based solely on customer satisfaction ratings in customer reviews. 麻豆原创 owes this recognition to our valued customers. Thank you for constantly inspiring us to be better. 

Join Us at 麻豆原创 Spend Connect Live

I hope to see you at the world鈥檚 premiere spend management conference, , which takes place October 14-16, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. This event is a sure bet to learn how to achieve full visibility into your enterprise spend through 厂础笔鈥檚 spend management solutions for procurement, external workforce, travel and expense, and business network.

Meet me at the intersection of procurement and supply chain to learn how analytics and 麻豆原创 Business AI can provide visibility into both. 麻豆原创 Spend Connect Live is a unique, in-person networking experience, where you鈥檒l connect with procurement and supply chain leaders from businesses and industries worldwide to share ideas, learn from each other’s success, and discuss best practices.

To learn more and register, visit the .

Jeff Collier is chief revenue officer for 麻豆原创 Intelligent Spend and Business Network.

*Disclaimer: Values mentioned in this blog post are estimates based on average industry benchmark numbers, resulting from an 麻豆原创 analysis. Customers interested in a specific business case calculation can consult their 麻豆原创 account team.
**Ardent Partners鈥� 2024 Vendor Management System (VMS) Technology Advisor is designed to help procurement, human resources, human capital, and talent acquisition executives navigate the complex and mature VMS solutions marketplace. This report analyzes and assesses the primary VMS solution providers in the marketplace today. You can .
***Ardent Partners鈥� 2024 Strategic Sourcing Technology Advisor is designed to help sourcing and procurement leaders navigate the strategic sourcing solution provider market. This report analyzes and assesses solution and market leaders in the strategic sourcing space today. You can .

In a broad study sponsored by 麻豆原创, , interviewing 2,307 C-suite executives from January to March 2024, spanning multiple countries, regions, and industries. The report finds that external pressures have compelled procurement teams to break down silos and collaborate with other departments to deliver value toward organizational goals. This is not only enhancing cross-functional collaboration but also positioning procurement as a key function in shaping and executing business strategies.

The report, 鈥�,鈥� touches on what trends are impacting the growing expectations for procurement.

鈥淭he 2024 survey results unmistakably point to an expanding role for procurement in businesses and a growing perception of the function as a value generator,鈥� the report states. Interviewees cite lasting effects from the pandemic, inflation rates, and other supply chain disruptions as reasons for the increasing reliance on procurement.

Effective Collaboration with Chief Operating Officers

With macroeconomic conditions constantly fluctuating, procurement teams are increasingly reporting to chief operating officers (COOs) rather than chief financial officers (CFOs), reflecting the expanding scope of procurement beyond just cost reduction to operational risk management. According to the Economist Impact survey, 75% of respondents agree that procurement collaborates effectively with the rest of the organization to achieve the company vision, a significant increase from the previous year.

However, with only 18% of strongly agreeing, there is still room for improvement in procurement鈥檚 collaboration and value creation. 鈥淧rocurement has often operated in this bubble that was in service of its own goals as opposed to in service of the goals of the wider business,鈥� the report states.

Fortunately, the survey suggests that procurement executives are increasingly focusing on generating insights that align with the needs of various stakeholders, fostering cross-functional collaboration to improve outcomes across the organization.

AI as a Driver for Digitalization

AI has shown that it can increase efficiency across many business use cases. Within procurement, AI and generative AI can optimize spend, enhance supplier management, create cost savings opportunities, and allow procurement professionals to focus on value-adding activities.

The Economist Impact data suggests that AI is a significant driver of digital transformation. Accelerating digitalization is tied as the top procurement priority over the next 12-18 months, with 44% of respondents identifying AI as a crucial technology focus. Respondents anticipate that AI would bring about significant enhancements in two areas: the automation of procurement processes (48%) and improved guidance and optimization (45%).

Chief procurement officers (CPOs) are seeing direct impacts on business outcomes through increased technology investment. However, to realize the value of AI, procurement executives must create a road map for change management, adopt new ways of working, and invest in developing new skills for their workforce. The survey cites that 69% of respondents believe a lack of vision and business alignment poses a major change management challenge in procurement transformation.

Inflation鈥檚 Lasting Impact

Cost management continues to remain a high priority on procurement鈥檚 agenda, especially as high inflation rates become a growing concern for CPOs, with 49% of executives citing monetary uncertainty as their top priority compared to other procurement risks 鈥� a 29% jump from 2023. Even while inflation rates have dipped, costs for materials and items remain high.

It is no surprise that 71% of the CPO respondents identify macroeconomic risks as one of the primary external factors influencing their organizations鈥� strategic priorities over the next 12-18 months.

It is difficult to predict when and if the economic turbulence we are all experiencing will settle down. But, once it does, procurement executives expect to shift their attention to risk management, as 40% cite supplier diversification as a priority over the next three to five years. However, 鈥渄iversifying from suppliers is not as easy, especially if the supplier is the sole provider of the goods or service, or if they are deeply embedded in the supply chain,鈥� the report states.

Technology can help procurement teams easily identify alternative sources of materials, ensuring supply chain resilience and minimizing the risk of disruptions.

The Sustainable Buyer

As external pressure mounts from internal stakeholders and regulators for companies to act on environmental issues, procurement teams have placed a larger emphasis on sustainability.

In fact, 70% of executives say legal and regulatory non-compliance is a key external risk. Procurement teams have responded accordingly, as 32% of executives list sustainability as a top priority, a 7% increase from 2023. Additionally, the top priority for sustainability among executives is compliance, demonstrating an increased focus on regulatory risks.

The increased attention on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) has been successful, as 68% of executives express confidence in procurement consistently meeting ESG goals, an increase of 21% from the 2023 survey. With long-term sustainability measures in place, procurement teams may serve as a model for regulatory compliance.

Shaping the Procurement Function of the Future

The Economist Impact research indicates procurement鈥檚 growing value within organizations, with CPOs and their teams gaining a seat at the table. However, to maintain this position, procurement must address critical areas for improvement, such as spend management and cost control capabilities, where a third of C-suite executives lack confidence in procurement’s abilities.

The survey points to deeper issues, including gaps in procurement鈥檚 visibility into stakeholder risks and priorities, limitations in creating accurate spend data, developing clear road maps, and forging deeper relationships with stakeholders. Collaboration and improved communication are crucial for building trust and sustaining engagement with procurement鈥檚 insights.

Investing in procurement technology, such as , can help address priorities and enhance the procurement function. These solutions can span various aspects of procurement and include new integrations and generative AI features to help automate and streamline processes. Additionally, enhancements to aim to reduce silos between and within organizations and can result in significant time and cost savings.

Through in-depth interviews and targeted research, the Economist Impact report provides a broad analysis of the state of procurement. View the and download the .

Baber Farooq is senior vice president for Market Strategy Procurement Solutions at 麻豆原创.

With new integrations for , , and , as well as the incorporation of new generative AI features, we aim to automate and streamline procurement, supply chain, and external workforce management processes. These innovations will help empower organizations to access real-time spend data and focus on proactive decision-making, ultimately increasing their visibility and effectiveness.

As businesses continue to embrace advanced technologies, the integration of responsible, relevant, and reliable business AI and , 厂础笔鈥檚 natural language, generative AI copilot, into the 麻豆原创 suite of solutions represents a significant leap forward in optimizing business processes and accelerating strategic initiatives. By harnessing the power of supply chain data alongside business AI and generative AI, we are setting the stage for practical procurement and workforce scenarios to thrive.

Joule Combined with 麻豆原创 Ariba and 麻豆原创 Analytics Cloud Can Improve Procurement Processes and Supply Chain Planning

Digital transformation has brought on endless potential for procurement teams, as embedded generative AI and increased access to data across the supply chain can lead to better visibility into spend. That is why we鈥檙e announcing further integration of Joule into our procurement solutions.

Later this year, will be generally available in 麻豆原创 Ariba solutions. Through this update, sourcing managers can utilize intelligent product and supplier recommendations to develop proposal requests. The combined platform will consider cost-effectiveness, sustainability ramifications, compliance regulations, and previous transactions.

Another new generative AI-based feature in 麻豆原创 Ariba solutions will migrate data from to help provide customers with a 360-degree buying user experience to enable a simple, agile, and collaborative process to identify products and skills in the same purchase order, otherwise known as spend bundling. Buyers can describe their purchasing needs with natural language prompts, and the system will deliver intelligent and personalized recommendations. This will help increase flexibility for buying materials and services, creating a collaborative and straightforward process from searching for products and services through order fulfillment.

To this end, we revealed a version of our generative AI-powered 麻豆原创 Spend Control Tower at 麻豆原创 Sapphire. The command center, which can provide a single location for enterprise-wide spend analytics, can identify tail spend, improve compliance, and constantly identify rapidly increasing costs. This will help create meaningful value for organizations by increasing end-to-end visibility to drive efficient spend performance. Find out how to take advantage of the solution鈥檚 native connections to other 麻豆原创 applications and improved insight to action .

Optimizing 麻豆原创 Fieldglass with Generative AI to Mitigate Risk

HR departments and procurement teams often struggle to collaborate, creating silos that limit the ability to identify proper external candidates who can fill skills gaps in organizations. The latest update to 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions will introduce embedded AI to help reduce risk and increase the value of the external workforce.

We are leveraging generative AI to produce scope of work (SOW) descriptions, job descriptions, and job description translations for external workers, automatically identifying the required skills and qualifications for each organization. This will help remove data silos to enable total workforce management, an organizational strategy to provide visibility into all temporary and permanent employees.

Additionally, 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions enhanced with generative AI can rank candidates based on salary preference, skills, and experience. Procurement teams can then identify the best candidates in an unbiased manner to reduce the time to hire, ultimately accelerating strategic decision-making. These added facets will help enhance planning and preparation for all external talent scenarios.

Introducing New Enhancements to 麻豆原创 Business Network

One of the highest priorities for any supply chain professional is to ensure their people, processes, and technology are resilient. Supply chain resilience extends beyond being able to withstand disruptions 鈥� it includes visibility into all activity and agility to react quickly to find and secure alternative sources of supply.

In fact, 麻豆原创 was recognized as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Multi-Enterprise Supply Chain Commerce Network 2023 Vendor Assessment* and by TrustRadius as a .

Our latest modernization of 麻豆原创 Business Network helps enhance customers鈥� communication channels with trading partners for increased visibility and agility. Improved integrations between 麻豆原创 Business Network Supply Chain Collaboration and 麻豆原创 Business Network Material Traceability can allow suppliers to share product genealogy data to help ensure full traceability and compliance across the supply chain. Additional links between 麻豆原创 Business Network Supply Chain Collaboration and 麻豆原创 Business Network Freight Collaboration will help automate updates for inbound deliveries, simplifying management of carrier appointments and shipments.

Enhancements to the 麻豆原创 Business Network Asset Collaboration solution will help increase access to millions of supplier profiles from whom alternative products can be found. These new features across 麻豆原创 Business Network solutions will work to reduce silos between and within organizations, resulting in significant time and cost savings with fewer manual steps in processing work orders.

Strategic Investment Across the 麻豆原创 Suite of Solutions

麻豆原创 has augmented integrations across its entire portfolio of spend management and business network solutions, aiming to improve efficiency. By investing in technology that provides catered and end-to-end solutions, customers can have all-encompassing visibility to all business processes, from procurement of raw materials to delivery of the final product.

What we shared at 麻豆原创 Sapphire will only improve relationships between buyers, suppliers, logistics providers, and service providers across the supply chain, developing a larger view of all functions and employees. This will lead to better decision-making, increased productivity, and improved agility.

Manoj Swaminathan is chief product and technology officer for Intelligent Spend and Business Network at 麻豆原创.

*Source: 鈥�,鈥� #US49948423, December 2023.