How can AI be used in procurement?

AI can significantly enhance procurement processes by improving efficiency, reducing costs, and aiding better decision-making. It can analyse purchasing data to identify spending patterns, uncover cost-saving opportunities, and help optimise procurement strategies. AI can also automate contract analysis by extracting essential terms and conditions, ensuring compliance, and identifying potential risks and opportunities. By integrating AI into procurement, organisations can make more informed decisions and streamline processes for improved operational efficiency.

Which AI capabilities are available in SAP Ariba and SAP Fieldglass?

AI is used in procurement to optimise spend, enhance efficiencies, and provide a better employee experience. Key solution areas include: Category management: Create category strategies faster with enriched market data and cost information to boost actionable insights and optimise spendingSourcing: Receive recommended suppliers, enhance supplier risk management, and accelerate e-procurement efficienciesBuying: Make it easier for your users to shop by simplifying the experience with your company's cataloguesInvoicing: Automate data extraction to ensure accurate and swift processingServices procurement: Turn initial ideas into detailed statements of workSpend analytics: Unlock insights and opportunities with all your company’s spend consolidated, enriched, and standardised to key categories

SAP Business AI for procurement

Optimise spend, reduce risk, and maximise supply chain efficiency with AI.

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AI procurement tools that boost your bottom line

Business flourishes when your team has what it needs to grow and innovate. SAP's AI-enabled procurement solutions help you harness valuable resources and services while optimising your time and budget.

Simplify spend management with AI-enhanced visibility and automation

Elevate your procurement processes with integrated generative AI capabilities from SAP. Data-driven spend analytics provide rich insights to help you anticipate market trends, minimise supply disruption, and build inflation resilience. AI-enabled sourcing solutions help avoid bottlenecks, mitigate risk, and generate recommendations. Productivity tools optimise purchasing while automating time-consuming tasks.

Reduce costs and save time on sourcing

Partner with recommended vendors, enhance supplier risk management, and accelerate e-procurement efficiencies.

Fill critical positions faster

Discover external and contingent workers with AI-assisted job and statement-of-work descriptions. Simplify the hiring process with automated job translations and intelligent resume analysis.

Increase productivity with AI and automation

Streamline processes with automated invoice management and contract management. Make better, faster decisions with AI-generated insights.

WEBCAST

Adapt sourcing at the speed of business with Joule and SAP Ariba

Explore how Joule’s Sourcing Agent helps managers quickly refine sourcing events, navigate geopolitical risks, and stay ahead in dynamic supply chains.

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AI that fits into your flow of work

Simplify work and accelerate results with AI-enabled scenarios that connect end-to-end procurement processes.

FEATURED SOLUTIONS

Joule Agents

Discover ready-to-use Joule Agents for procurement that automatically plan and execute multi-step workflows connecting departments, speeding up decisions, and streamlining processes.

Sourcing Agent

Create tailored RFPs fast using the Sourcing Agent that analyses data and past sourcing events, shortlists suppliers, and suggests questions so you can make real-time adjustments.

View all Joule Agent use cases for procurement

See how our customers are succeeding with SAP

Centralising and simplifying purchasing protocols

See how American Eagle Outfitters achieved high compliance rates by streamlining procurement and supplier management with SAP Business Network for Procurement and SAP Ariba applications.

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VALUE CALCULATOR

Calculate your savings from SAP Business AI

Learn how SAP Business AI can deliver measurable value for your business.

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Packages

Discover how Joule can help meet your spend management needs.

Joule Base

Baseline AI capabilities, included in all cloud subscriptions:

Provides free access to core AI functions
Supports tasks like finding information and navigating to task-relevant locations
Embedded in standard cloud licenses with solution-specific foundational AI capabilities

Joule Premium

Advanced AI capabilities tailored to your business needs. Includes everything in Joule Base plus:

Powerful organisation-wide or user-specific access to high-value AI services
Relevant Joule Agent capabilities and premium Joule capabilities, such as analytical insights and task automations
Price based on usage through AI units, billed monthly

Resources

White paper

How AI makes intake management a quick win

Find out why AI can help you unlock value from intake management software and simplify a complex buying landscape to give users one entry point.

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LEARNING COURSE

Introducing SAP Business AI for Spend Management

Learn how AI supports procurement and spend management processes in this self-paced course designed to build foundational knowledge.

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ANALYST REPORT

From chatbot assistants to strategic AI agents

Discover how AI enhances user experiences and streamlines processes to make interactions more intuitive and engaging.

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ANALYST REPORT

AI for procurement and the broader business

Exhibit digital leadership to better integrate and infuse intelligence into the vast landscape of enterprise applications.

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Frequently asked questions

: AI can significantly enhance procurement processes by improving efficiency, reducing costs, and aiding better decision-making. It can analyse purchasing data to identify spending patterns, uncover cost-saving opportunities, and help optimise procurement strategies. AI can also automate contract analysis by extracting essential terms and conditions, ensuring compliance, and identifying potential risks and opportunities. By integrating AI into procurement, organisations can make more informed decisions and streamline processes for improved operational efficiency.
: AI is used in procurement to optimise spend, enhance efficiencies, and provide a better employee experience. Key solution areas include:

Category management: Create category strategies faster with enriched market data and cost information to boost actionable insights and optimise spending
Sourcing: Receive recommended suppliers, enhance supplier risk management, and accelerate e-procurement efficiencies
Buying: Make it easier for your users to shop by simplifying the experience with your company's catalogues
Invoicing: Automate data extraction to ensure accurate and swift processing
Services procurement: Turn initial ideas into detailed statements of work
Spend analytics: Unlock insights and opportunities with all your company’s spend consolidated, enriched, and standardised to key categories