CASE STUDY
Key business benefits
• Efficiency: Automation frees employees to focus on higher-value tasks
• Accuracy: AI reduces human error and supports contract-compliant payments
• Multilingual support: Seamless communication across a global supplier base
• Scalability: High volumes handled without additional resources
• Experience: Faster, clearer responses strengthen supplier relationships
and French, dramatically reducing response time while maintaining consistency and accuracy.
The result: average handling time has dropped from 30 minutes to just two minutes per inquiry.
‘ Simply stunning’ results
“ The time-consuming research required to identify the payment status of an invoice and its reason was overwhelming,” said Philippe Lalumière, vice president of information technology, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group.“ We were looking for a more efficient way to handle this, and SAP Business AI provided us with a simply stunning answer.”
At the technical level, the assistant leverages SAP HANA Cloud to store and process structured data derived from emails, analysis outputs and generated responses. SAP AI Core supports intelligent automation, enabling advanced capabilities such as urgency detection, sentiment analysis and identification of recurring payment issues.
This architecture ensures that automation is not only fast but also trustworthy, secure and deeply integrated with Cirque du Soleil’ s existing SAP landscape.
Improving supplier relationships at scale
For Cirque du Soleil, faster responses are about more than efficiency. They directly impact supplier trust. Vendors supporting live productions often operate under tight timelines, making payment visibility critical.
By delivering timely, standardised and accurate responses, the invoice assistant has significantly improved supplier satisfaction. Multilingual capabilities further strengthen inclusivity, allowing suppliers from different regions to interact naturally and confidently with Cirque du Soleil’ s finance team.
Data and AI in perfect balance
For SAP, the Cirque du Soleil implementation highlights how business data and AI can work together to deliver measurable impact.
“ As we partner with Cirque du Soleil on this transformative journey, it’ s inspiring to see how technology is streamlining operations and focusing organisations even more on what they do best, delivering unforgettable experiences,” said Dr. Philipp Herzig, chief technology officer and chief AI officer at SAP SE.“ This is a perfect example of how data and AI can unlock both creativity and efficiency.”
The solution also provides a foundation for future innovation, enabling Cirque du Soleil to expand automation into additional finance and operational processes as the organisation continues to evolve.
Agility beyond the stage
Known worldwide for redefining live entertainment, Cirque du Soleil continues to set new standards not only on stage but behind the scenes as well. By embracing SAP Business AI, the company is demonstrating how intelligent automation can support resilience, scalability and agility, even in the most dynamic industries.
As Cirque du Soleil grows its global footprint, SAP remains a trusted partner, helping ensure that operational excellence keeps pace with creative ambition and that every performance, both seen and unseen, runs seamlessly. •
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