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Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Five Tenets To Thrive In The Age Of Agentic AI
Monish Darda is the cofounder and CTO of Icertis. The business landscape is witnessing a transformative era with the rapid emergence of agentic AI. It's no longer on the horizon—it's here and shaping how companies operate, deliver value and grow. In fact, a recent study found that more than 85% of the c-suite was prepared to increase their GenAI investment in 2025. The question facing business leaders today is not whether to act, but how to act to gain strategic advantage. The real opportunity lies in agentic workflows that don't just automate tasks, but empower AI agents to make decisions, take action responsibly, and deliver outcomes at scale. Those who invest in building agentic workflows will lead in efficiency, customer value and innovation, while those who wait risk falling behind. We've seen this story before. Businesses that historically resisted investing in emerging technologies found themselves struggling to grow or, worse, becoming obsolete. Reflecting on the manufacturing boom of the 1960s, companies like General Motors that embraced automation technologies surged ahead. In contrast, those hesitant to adopt new technologies often found themselves outpaced by their competitors. By betting on the future of AI, you're banking on long-term growth. Here are five tenets to guide business leaders in realizing the full potential of agentic AI in their enterprise. Agentic AI demands quality, accessible data Agentic AI operates by learning from large datasets to generate predictions and ultimately take action. For enterprises, this means having solutions that not only store vast amounts of data but also organize it in ways that are accessible and useful for AI algorithms. The efficacy of AI models is only as good as the data on which they are trained. Structured data not only improves business performance but also empowers AI agents to act based on the most relevant and current information. In short, better data means better strategic outcomes tied to revenue, cost savings and compliance. Agentic AI requires guardrails As businesses deploy autonomous, AI-powered agentic workflows, they must ensure these agents operate within predefined parameters. When deployed the right way, agentic workflows act as a force multiplier for productivity by solving multi-step problems at scale. However, they need strong governance in order to make informed decisions that do not create unnecessary risk. For instance, contracts set the rules of business relationships and can act as guides for these workflows, helping agents take actions like fulfilling a customer service request or paying a supplier. Ultimately, building trust in agents starts by ensuring they follow the same rules of business as their human counterparts and grounding AI agents with guardrails designed to protect the enterprise. Agentic AI builds on defined business processes Agentic AI can automate complex business processes, from analyzing the financial terms in contracts to identifying hidden savings opportunities and monitoring deliverables. However, AI cannot automate what does not exist. Defined processes and systems must already be part of an enterprise's foundation in order for agentic workflows to create new efficiencies. Enterprises need strong established operations, including processes, integrated systems and a strategic roadmap for delivering value. Business leaders who have the right groundwork in place before applying agentic AI will see faster time-to-value. Agentic AI requires a culture shift Introducing any type of AI into an organization calls for a culture that embraces continuous learning and innovation. It's essential to communicate benefits and changes transparently to alleviate fears and build excitement around emerging technology. This will likely involve upskilling staff to manage and work alongside AI as it evolves. Consider the role that agentic AI could play for legal teams to automate low-risk contract reviews or identify noncompliance. According to a recent study sponsored by my company, 35% of legal teams use AI for post-execution contract management—a substantial jump from last year's 9%. Law is inherently human to human, but AI will continue to disrupt the way legal teams work for those who are willing to embrace its potential. Agentic AI warrants the need for security As AI becomes more embedded in core operations, the risk landscape expands, introducing new vulnerabilities related to data access, usage and protection. To manage this complexity, business leaders should treat cybersecurity as a core priority that is more than just an IT function. This includes implementing robust access controls, advanced threat detection, encryption, updated policies and regular employee training sessions. Those that scale AI with security at the forefront will be best positioned to protect their data, their outcomes and their brand. The Bottom Line: Agentic AI is a worthwhile investment While the initial cost of agentic AI implementation might be substantial, the long-term benefits of staying competitive in the digital era outweigh these expenses. The autonomous enterprise is beginning to take shape, as seen with autonomous contracting. For business leaders ready to lead in the age of AI, these five tenets will serve as a strong foundation for long-term growth and strategic advantage. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
Business Upturn
26-06-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
C-Suite Cites Contract Savings as No. 1 Strategy to Combat Tariffs in New Survey from Icertis
By Business Wire India Published on June 26, 2025, 12:16 IST Pune, Maharashtra, India: Icertis, the global leader in AI-powered contract intelligence, today published a new survey based on responses from more than 1,000 C-suite executives. The survey found that nearly 90 percent of C-suite leaders agree tariffs will impact their bottom line, and among strategies to mitigate the effects, contracts are the first line of defense. Results revealed the top five ways executives are navigating the impact of tariffs, all of which call for rapid contract analysis and optimization at scale: Reviewing contracts for potential savings opportunities (55 percent). Rethinking long-term sourcing strategies (48 percent). Restructuring supply chains (47 percent). Rethinking strategic partnerships (46 percent). Working to close deals faster to bring cash into the business (45 percent). In addition to tariffs, C-suite leaders cite inflation and interest rates (54 percent), pressure to show ROI from AI investments (46 percent), pressure to keep pace with AI innovation (46 percent), and supply chain complexity and disruptions (44 percent) as the top factors contributing to stress in their role. As these macro challenges build and the need for business agility intensifies, so do the demands that weigh on today's executives: 90 percent of survey respondents say pressure to deliver business results has increased over the last year. 91 percent say it is harder to make the right business decisions today than this time last year. Due to the current business environment, more than half of C-suite leaders are considering pursuing a leadership role at another company or in another industry. More than one third are also considering earlier retirement. 'Performance demands on the C-suite have never been higher amidst uncertainties like tariffs, but contracts are the key to capturing savings in supplier relationships, expediting cash flow in customer deals, and optimizing partnerships for commercial benefit. That's why the Icertis survey points to contracts as the lifeline that business leaders are looking for,' said Bernadette Bulacan, Chief Evangelist, Icertis. 'Most enterprises have thousands – if not millions – in unrealized value hidden in their contracts. The power of AI enables enterprises to immediately unlock that value by actioning data-driven insights that lead to better business decisions and measurable ROI.' While AI made a prominent appearance among the respondents' stress factors, the survey also pointed to its duality as both friend and foe to the C-suite: Nearly 80 percent feel pressure to understand complex AI concepts that historically would not have impacted their role. Nearly 80 percent find it difficult to determine which AI investments will have the biggest impact on their business, yet 45 percent say AI is already impacting their bottom line and an additional 34 percent say it will impact their bottom line by the end of 2025. Nearly 70 percent are already using AI to surface insights from their contract data and 90 percent consider their contracting technology a 'must have.' Icertis Contract Intelligence creates a single source of truth for every business relationship to improve speed and efficiency across contract operations while surfacing value-driving analytics from contract portfolios and optimizing performance to grow revenue and mitigate risk. By developing contract intelligence agents built for the enterprise, Icertis is driving the next era in AI innovation for commercial relationships to further accelerate strategic outcomes and maximize contract value at scale. Survey respondents included C-suite executives at companies with more than 5,000 employees across the US, UK, and India. Read Under Siege: How Executives Are Navigating a New Era of Compounded Disruption to learn more and register to attend Tariffs, Trade & Turbulence: Using Contract Intelligence to Navigate Uncertainty. About Icertis Icertis delivers AI-powered insights and agentic automation to transform static contracts into strategic enterprise advantage. The Icertis Contract Intelligence platform revolutionizes how enterprises manage their customer, supplier, and partner relationships, enabling businesses to grow revenue, control costs, mitigate risk, and ensure compliance. Today, more than one third of the Fortune 100 trust Icertis to realize the full potential of millions of business relationships in more than 90 countries around the world. View source version on Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Business Wire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash Business Wire India, established in 2002, India's premier media distribution company ensures guaranteed media coverage through its network of 30+ cities and top news agencies.
Times
22-06-2025
- Business
- Times
Trump tariffs leave UK firms scrambling to renegotiate contracts
British companies are looking to renegotiate supplier contracts as they scramble to find savings that can protect them from the impact of escalating US tariffs, according to new data. A survey of firms with more than 5,000 employees found that 90 per cent fear that President Trump's import duties would hurt their revenues and profits, with businesses looking at a series of ways to manage rising costs. More than half (55 per cent) said their main tool to deal with tariff threats was to review existing contracts to find savings or renegotiate better terms with break clauses that could account for the imposition of new levies, according to Acertis, which provides contract management software. Bernadette Bulacan at Icertis said companies' first resort 'to protect margins is to take a critical look at customer and supplier relationships. For many companies, the path to surviving tariff disruption starts not with policy lobbying but with a forensic look at what's already been committed to on paper.' She said firms were taking measures to include rules of termination and force majeure clauses in contracts to deal with costs caused by tariffs, while also seeking out new suppliers in countries that were not affected by sweeping US levies. The Trump administration applied a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs he had announced on most of the world economy on April 8, which is due to expire in early July. The president has signed a partial tariff deal with the UK, but most British goods will still be subject to a 10 per cent tariff when selling to US markets, raising the average US tariff rate from about 1 per cent last year to more than 6 per cent. The European Union is also in talks with the White House about avoiding a potential 55 per cent tariff on all its goods exports. • Britain's exporters at a loss over US tariff turmoil The debate over contractual terms between suppliers and customers is part of a swathe of legal complexities about who should shoulder the cost of import taxes. In April, Howmet Aerospace, an American supplier of components to the sector, declared a force majeure event that would allow it to stop shipments if it remained subject to US tariffs. Although the full gamut of threatened tariffs has not yet been applied on most countries, recent data has shown a spike in invoice rejections as businesses attempt to delay supplier payments until they have more certainty about US trade policy. Icertis's survey, which included 1,000 companies across Britain, the United States and India, found that just under half of them were 're-evaluating' where to find suppliers to avoid tariffs, restructuring their supply chains and manufacturing plants, and also considering 'sunsetting relationships that no longer serve under new cost and compliance pressures'. About 40 per cent of UK firms said they would absorb higher costs into their margins and just over a third said they were planning to raise prices charged to consumers to deal with tariffs. Bulacan said companies should also consider price adjustment clauses that account for tariff changes. 'In the same way that force majeure clauses changed fundamentally during the pandemic, these clauses could be invoked against new tariffs to prevent potential losses,' she said.
Barnama
23-05-2025
- Business
- Barnama
Icertis And SAP Deepen Partnership To Accelerate Time To Value With AI-powered Contract Intelligence
BELLEVUE, Wash., May 23 (Bernama) -- Icertis, the global leader in AI-powered contract intelligence, today announced plans to make its Icertis Contract Intelligence platform available as a solution extension under the name SAP Ariba Contract Intelligence by Icertis. SAP Solution Extensions undergo a premium qualification process, exclusive to SAP Solution Extensions, and are supported with available SAP support services. This milestone builds on the longstanding partnership between Icertis and SAP, helping to enable faster product deployment and time to value for customers with one-stop licensing, deeper preconfigured product integrations, and an improved user experience. Contracts are the foundation of every business relationship, establishing the rules of business for how enterprises buy, sell, and partner to drive global commerce. Icertis transforms traditionally static contracts into actionable business rules within the SAP user experience – enabling customers to drive revenue, control costs, mitigate risk, and ensure compliance by integrating structured contract data directly into core business processes.
Techday NZ
23-05-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
SAP & Icertis deepen partnership with AI contract extension
Icertis is working with SAP to embed its contract intelligence platform into SAP solutions, making it available as a solution extension called SAP Ariba Contract Intelligence by Icertis. The collaboration is intended to offer businesses real-time actionable insights, increased productivity and improved financial outcomes through the use of AI-powered contract intelligence. According to Icertis, its contract intelligence platform will now be offered as a solution extension under SAP's premium qualification process, with ongoing support from SAP's service teams. This integration builds on the existing partnership between the two companies and aims to enable faster product deployment and reduced time to value. The companies say benefits include one-stop licensing, deeper preconfigured product integrations, and an enhanced user experience for customers adopting the new platform. There are over 25,000 SAP partners globally, but only around 40 partners hold the exclusive status required to contribute a SAP Solution Extension. The availability of SAP Ariba Contract Intelligence by Icertis marks a significant development for both companies within SP's partner ecosystem. Contracts are described by Icertis as the foundation of all business relationships, setting out the rules of how businesses buy, sell, and partner. Traditionally, contracts have been static documents, but Icertis says its platform transforms these documents into actionable business rules, directly integrated within the SAP user experience. This, according to the company, enables customers to drive revenue, control costs, mitigate risk, and maintain compliance by linking structured contract data to business processes. Manoj Swaminathan, General Manager and Chief Product Officer, Business Suite, Finance & Spend, SAP, commented on the development: "Contract intelligence plays an increasingly critical role in enterprise operations. This expansion in our partnership with Icertis aims to help more businesses reimagine how they leverage contracts as an essential pillar of their long-term growth strategies." Anand Subbaraman, Chief Operating Officer, Icertis, said: "Contracts define the rules of business yet 90 percent of CEOs believe they're losing money in contract negotiations, and more than 9 percent of a contract's value is lost post-signature – adding up to billions of dollars in potential lost revenue and overpayment. For years, managing the full scope of global contract obligations felt daunting, but together, SAP and Icertis have transformed that challenge into an opportunity through AI-powered contract intelligence. Our plan to become a solution extension underscores our partnership and reinforces the vital role of contracts in a holistic technology strategy that accelerates measurable outcomes." Icertis is an AI-powered contract intelligence partner for technology companies and global systems integrators, and according to MGI Research, it is three times the size of the next pure-play contract lifecycle management vendor. The combined efforts of Icertis and SAP are expected to help enterprises digitally manage and integrate their contracts into core business functions. The companies aim to provide enterprises with actionable data and insights from contracts in real time, supporting growth, cost control, and risk mitigation initiatives.
