Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group has implemented an AI-enabled invoice assistant to improve its accounts payable operations, according to an announcement from SAP SE. The solution, powered by SAP Business AI and built on the SAP Business Technology Platform, is designed to deliver faster response times and support multilingual automation for the entertainment company.
Cirque du Soleil manages over 70,000 supplier invoices each year. Nearly 40 percent of inquiries come from vendors requesting updates on invoice status. Previously, these requests were often delayed due to manual processing and limited visibility.
The new assistant automates the process of triaging and responding to invoice-related emails. It analyzes messages in multiple languages, identifies request types, extracts relevant details, determines invoice status, and captures sentiment to prioritize urgent cases. Responses are generated in both English and French. This has reduced average handling time per inquiry from 30 minutes to two minutes.
Philippe Lalumière, vice president of information technology at Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, said: “The time-consuming research required to identify the payment status of an invoice and its reason was overwhelming. We were looking for a more efficient way to handle this, and SAP Business AI provided us with a simply stunning answer.”
The system uses SAP HANA Cloud for data storage and processing as well as SAP AI Core foundation for intelligent automation. This allows detection of urgency and root causes of payment delays while reducing manual workload.
Dr. Philipp Herzig, chief technology officer and chief AI officer at SAP SE, commented: “As we partner with Cirque du Soleil on this transformative journey, it’s inspiring to see how technology is streamlining operations and focusing organizations even more on what they do best—delivering unforgettable experiences. This is a perfect example of how data and AI can unlock both creativity and efficiency.”
Key benefits cited include improved efficiency through automation; increased accuracy by minimizing human error; bilingual support for global suppliers; scalability without extra resources; and standardized responses that enhance supplier relationships.
SAP continues its partnership with Cirque du Soleil as the company seeks operational excellence alongside its global live performances.
