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Research Report
The 2026 State of CX Outsourcing
The Gist
- AI-driven process automation. SAP introduced new AI agents for travel booking, expense reporting and procurement management.
- Enhanced user productivity. Features include natural language input, automated reporting and fewer manual tasks.
- Impact on business leaders. CIOs and department heads can expect increased efficiency and improved policy compliance across spend, procurement and customer experience.
SAP released six AI-powered features in its Q4 2025 update, targeting spend management, procurement and customer experience workflows.
The features, announced Feb. 23 include agents for travel booking and expense processing, natural language procurement intake and automated reporting tools. Company officials said the release aims to help customers overcome barriers to AI adoption including integration complexity, regulatory compliance and data quality concerns.
Table of Contents
- SAP Feature Breakdown
- SAP Doubles Down on AI Via Acquisition
- Conversational Interfaces Meet Integrated Analytics
- SAP Background
SAP Feature Breakdown
SAP claims the new capabilities deliver measurable efficiency gains across enterprise workflows.
| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| Booking Agent | Joule-powered travel recommendations; SAP claims 11.5% faster booking |
| Receipt Analysis Agent | Automated expense categorization; aims to reduce entry time by 19% |
| Demand Intake (Ariba) | Natural language procurement requests; targets 12% productivity gain |
| Service Descriptions (Fieldglass) | Automated specification creation; claims 70% time reduction |
| Report Builder (Emarsys) | Prompt-based custom reports; targets 67% faster campaign analysis |
SAP Doubles Down on AI Via Acquisition
SAP has strengthened its AI-driven enterprise software position through strategic acquisitions focused on human capital management. In August 2025, SAP entered an agreement to acquire SmartRecruiters, an AI-driven recruiting platform used by Amazon, Visa and McDonald's. The deal completed in September 2025.
SAP accelerated its AI and data strategy through several partnerships. In November 2025, SAP and Snowflake announced zero-copy data sharing between SAP Business Data Cloud and Snowflake's AI Data Cloud. This month, SAP and Cohere expanded their partnership to deliver sovereign AI solutions starting in Canada.
It wasn't all great news. The European Commission opened formal antitrust proceedings in September 2025 into SAP's on-premises ERP maintenance practices.
Conversational Interfaces Meet Integrated Analytics
AI-powered platforms are delivering measurable productivity gains through automated workflows, conversational interfaces and integrated analytics—capabilities now reshaping spend management and procurement.
Conversational AI & Automation at Scale
The conversational AI market is projected to reach $50 billion, driven by enterprise demand for omnichannel orchestration. Weekly usage among decision-makers jumped from 37% to 72% in one year, while average AI budgets more than doubled from $4.5 million to $10.3 million.
Chatbots and virtual assistants powered by natural language processing (NLP) handle front-line inquiries with speed and consistency. AI also automates backend workflows—ticket categorization, sentiment tagging and customer routing—resulting in smoother handoffs and faster resolutions.
Measurable Productivity & Compliance Gains
Organizations deploying AI in customer operations report cross-functional improvements in retention and resolution. A recent report found 21% of respondents using generative AI say their organizations have fundamentally redesigned at least some workflows.
Organizations using AI in customer experience report up to 25% increases in customer satisfaction and significant reductions in operational costs.
SAP Background
SAP, founded in 1972 in Germany, provides enterprise software and business AI solutions for medium-to-large enterprises with complex operational needs. The company offers cloud-based ERP solutions including SAP S/4HANA Cloud and AI-enabled applications for finance, HR, supply chain and customer experience.
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