American Express will partner with Microsoft to develop a suite of solutions built on Microsoft Cloud and AI technologies focused on reducing business travel friction for employees and businesses.
The first solution developed through this collaboration will enhance the expense management process by addressing some of the pain points business travelers and expense processers face.
Using AI and machine learning capabilities, the solution will bolster clients’ existing processes and tools by simplifying and automating manual expense reporting and approvals, enhancing audit efficacy and streamlining reconciliation and reimbursements for accounting teams. Microsoft will pilot the solution with its employees by integrating it into the company’s internal expense system later this year. The solution will be made available to other American Express corporate clients over time, with the ability to integrate into other expense management tools.
Gunther Bright, executive vice president, global commercial services at American Express, said, “Expense reports are a necessity, but we all hate doing them.” At the same time, he said, every company has an increased need for control and compliance with expenses. “Now imagine a future,” said Bright, “where the majority of your expenses are simply ‘auto-submitted’ and ‘auto-approved,’ requiring no manual intervention and adhering to your companies’ policies and spend limits.”