SAP is embedding generative AI copilot Joule within SAP Concur solutions, bringing its portfolio closer to fully automated travel and expense management, and deepening its partnerships with American Express and Mastercard, the company announced at last week’s annual SAP Concur Fusion conference.
Within its Concur Expense solution, Joule will be able to answer employees’ questions and assist with automating expense reports. Joule in the new Concur Travel solution, meanwhile, will provide offsite meeting location recommendations with flight and hotel cost estimates, according to Chris Juneau, SVP and Head of SAP Concur Product Marketing.
General availability for Joule in Concur Expense is expected in the second quarter of 2025, while Joule in Concur Travel is now in the SAP Early Adopter Care program, with general availability expected later this year.
“Our vision is a world where travel and expenses practically manage themselves,” said Juneau. “Joule is the exact use case that ladders up into that vision. As part of SAP, with Joule, our responsible approach to AI, and the number of AI engines we can tap into, it has allowed us to accelerate our product innovation much faster for our customers than we ever have in our 30+ years.”
SAP Concur also announced real-time data authorization capabilities for its shared customers with American Express, through which American Express Corporate Card purchases will automatically generate and categorize expenses in Concur Expense at time of spend, sending employees mobile notifications with expense policy reminders in the moment. Similarly, SAP Concur is working to provide more Mastercard customers access to its integration with Mastercard, which automates expense creation in Concur Expense at time of purchase, Juneau said.
Additionally, American Express Global Business Travel has integrated its hotel marketplace into the new Concur Travel, giving customers access to comprehensive hotel content, including negotiated programs and preferred partner rates.
Through its Concur Travel and Concur Expense solutions, SAP remains the leader in global travel and expense management software, with a 49.6 percent 2023 market share, as per IDC. Both solutions fall within the SAP Business Suite, encompassing core cloud ERP and line-of-business solutions.
"Now is an exhilarating time to be in the business travel and expense industry," said Juneau. "With innovations like SAP's generative AI copilot, Joule, we're on the cusp of fully automated travel and expense management. Our partnerships with top payment providers to offer real-time data authorization and enhanced integrations are transforming the user experience at scale. After three decades in this business, I can confidently say that the future has never looked brighter. We're not just streamlining processes; we're redefining how business gets done."