StarLink Streamlines Procurement with IBM's AI-Powered Solution

StarLink, a leading value-added distributor in the Middle East and Africa, has streamlined its procurement process using agentic AI. The company collaborated with IBM to develop an AI-powered purchase order automation solution built with IBM Bob and IBM WatsonX Orchestrate.

The solution leverages agentic AI to reduce manual work and improve efficiency and consistency across StarLink's procurement operations. It automates key steps in the purchase order lifecycle, including email intake and classification, enterprise resource planning validation, document processing, and accounts payable execution.

With the new system, StarLink plans to extend efficiency gains to more than 1,500 of its partners and clients exploring agentic AI across the Middle East and Africa. The solution is projected to save StarLink an average of 11,500 hours annually, with a 90% reduction in the time required to compare internal documents, partner purchase orders, and vendor quotations.

Nidal Othman, CEO of StarLink, said: 'We have put this approach into practice within our own operations, using IBM Bob and WatsonX Orchestrate to develop and operate AI agents across complex workflows.' Zaidoun Arbad, VP, Ecosystem and Select Territory Sales, Middle East and Africa at IBM, added: 'This collaboration demonstrates the role our ecosystem can play in moving agentic AI from development into operational use.'

The purchase order solution is the first step in a broader roadmap for StarLink, with potential additional use cases involving integrated dashboards and AI agents for sales, legal, finance, and credit teams.