The year 2025 is characterized by persistent turbulence, changing legal framework and an unstable geopolitical situation. At the same time, companies also have new opportunities to create added value.

This applies to all areas of a company. Teams in human resources, sales, marketing, finance and procurement are well positioned to advance all aspects of the company – from sales growth to cost management to the company’s agility and resilience.

With the innovations presented at SAP Sapphire 2025, we would like to help companies to develop their entire potential and show them a clear way how they can successfully assert themselves in uncertain times. With these innovations, you are able to cope with the complex challenges of the current business environment, become more robust and more adaptable and to better equip yourself for future requirements.

In the following, some of the innovations are described with which teams in finance and procurement can achieve higher added value.

Integrated virtual cards in SAP Ariba

Many companies want to be able to select suppliers as flexibly as possible. As a result, they sometimes only work with a certain supplier once. Although they benefit from more agility, they also see themselves confronted with a lot of time and manual processes for the integration of suppliers – time that could be better used for other tasks. Conventional payment methods such as checks and physical credit cards not only increase the effort, but can also bring fraud and security risks.

That is why SAP has virtual card payments in SAP Ariba Buying and SAP Ariba Buying and Invoicing integrated. This supports the flexibility and agility that companies need to be successful. With order transactions, our customers can now use virtual credit cards at no additional costs. With virtual cards you benefit from the following advantages:

• Avoidance of additional costs and fraud
• Flexible payment methods
• More security in expenditure management
• Less manual effort in setting up suppliers
• More efficient supplier payments
• Better control of payments outside of the ERP procurement processes

The use of virtual cards only requires minimal change management effort. Buyers can adapt card parameters to the company -wide goals without impairing the systems.

SAP integrates Walkme Premium in SAP Ariba and SAP Concur

Digitization is essential in the modern business world. Eliminating obstacles and reducing the change management effort are therefore important prerequisites for smooth corporate transformation. Again and again managers report that change management is one of the greatest challenges in the introduction of new software in relation to users.

With the integration of Walkme Premium in SAP-Ariba solutions, companies are now available to a platform that reduces the time and workload for the introduction of new technologies in the workplace with in-app instructions. In this way, employees can maximize the business benefits of SAP Ariba. Customers can also Walkme Premium for SAP Concur solutions Use and use their users to access valuable, easy -to -understand training content via the SAP Concur user interface.

The WalkMe solution is a digital learning platform that helps users apply process knowledge in real time and thus manage complex software tasks. The direct integration of Walkme Premium in SAP solutions now enables employees to access in-app prompts for standard tasks, for example for the creation of orders or the management of permits. For this purpose, pre -configured industry -specific templates are available that make the familiarization into high -grade technical processes superfluous.

The in-app instructions for work processes can be adapted to new requirements as required. In this way, employees can be incorporated faster without or with only low change management, while at the same time the existing processes are followed. The SAP knows that clear and precise instructions for users are crucial for the quick introduction of new technologies. The integration of the WalkMe solution into SAP solutions will surely open up new opportunities in the renewal and change of technologies.

New joule agents improve the functions for finance and expenditure management

With joules agents that are integrated into the entire SAP Business Suite, new agent-based AI functions are available in solutions for financial and expenditure management. Among other things, the following new agents are offered:

• Agent for planning the meeting place: Automated time -consuming tasks for business dates of groups and thus improves efficiency and user experience
• Agent for checking expenses statements: Supports employees with the help of warning messages and guided experience to fix problems based on previous data, corporate guidelines and patterns before submitting bills
• Agent for procurement: Created on the basis of data of earlier events and supplier information independently procurement events that are tailored to certain requirements and can be easily adjusted by users to react to disruptions in the supply chain
• Agent to solve clarification cases: Analyzes details of clarification cases and relevant business documents to check cases and to propose solutions
• Agent for accounting: On the basis of data leads to overdue outdoor stands successor activities for customers

Customers with SAP Ariba Procurement will soon be able to use Joule to optimize routine tasks, for example to access supplier offers, the display of previous purchases and the approved persons as well as for easy access to supplier information. The innovations around joules will also also be available in SAP Field Glass solutions. This allows users to accelerate the existing workflows and processes.

Direct integration of SAP TAULIA Receivables in SAP solutions for finance

The integrated financial functions were carried out by integrating the receivables financing on the basis of SAP TAULIA expanded in SAP solutions for finance. Financial teams are thus available for a scalable method with which they can quickly get capital in times of inflation pressure, tariffs and volatile supply chains by converting outstanding claims into cash. This function can be in the SAP solutions for finance Activate immediately.

After activation, users can use SAP TAULIA Receivables:

• Dynamically manage the current assets
• Accelerate claims through sales
• With the help of knowledge based on joules make well -founded liquidity decisions

Extended functions of SAP Ariba Procurement and for travel expenses in the SAP Business Suite

In order to redeem our promise of a comprehensive networked suite-first experience for our customers, extended SAP Ariba and SAP-Concur functions are now included in the SAP Business Suite.

The newly announced application packages for the SAP Business Suite are geared towards the strategic business requirements of our customers with business area -specific offers and enable a better shopping experience. With the package for strategic procurement, customers with SAP Ariba Procurement can consistently control their source-to-contract process. The package for SAP Finance Premium enables customers to access operational procurement functions, among other things, for order requirements, invoice management and the cooperation between companies as well as SAP-Concur functions for expenditure management.

Be successful in the new age of procurement

In view of the imponderables of today’s financial and expenditure management, agility is the key to long-term success. The modern AI functions of SAP, which are based on harmonized data and support an integrated suite of applications, ensure more productivity, higher accuracy and an optimized employee experience.

With SAP solutions, you are optimally equipped for all requirements.

If you couldn’t take part in the SAP Sapphire, you can Call up on-demand content via the event platform.

Etosha Thurman is Chief Marketing Officer for Finance and Spend Management at SAP.