QAD Expands ChampionAI with New ERP Assistant and Accounts Payable AI Agent

QAD | Redzone is expanding its artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities with new additions to ChampionAI, introducing Champion Assist, a conversational AI assistant for QAD Adaptive ERP, and a new Accounts Payable Champion designed to automate invoice processing and payment workflows. The developments aim to help manufacturers simplify ERP operations, reduce repetitive administrative work, and improve financial efficiency.

The expansion reflects QAD’s broader strategy of bringing agentic AI into everyday manufacturing and business processes. Rather than limiting AI to answering questions or generating reports, ChampionAI is designed to monitor workflows, process information, perform routine tasks, and involve employees when decisions require human judgment.

Champion Assist Brings Conversational AI into ERP

One of the major additions is Champion Assist, a conversational AI interface embedded directly within QAD Adaptive ERP. It allows employees to interact with enterprise data using natural language instead of navigating multiple screens, running reports, or manually searching for business records.

For example, purchasing teams can ask which blanket purchase orders are approaching expiration, while finance professionals can request budget-versus-actual comparisons for specific entities and reporting periods.

Key capabilities include:

Natural Language Queries: Employees can ask questions about business information using everyday language.
ERP Data Access: Users can retrieve information about purchasing, suppliers, sales orders, production, and financial performance.
Conversational Updates: Supports selected ERP record updates and business activities through simple instructions.
Role-Based Assistance: Provides relevant information and actions based on individual job responsibilities.
Integrated Experience: Works directly within Adaptive ERP without requiring employees to switch between separate applications.

Champion Assist is also available within QAD Source and EQMS, helping extend conversational access across procurement, sourcing, and quality management activities.

Accounts Payable Champion Automates Invoice-to-Payment Workflows

Another major development is the introduction of the Accounts Payable Champion, an AI-powered agent designed to automate invoice processing from initial receipt through payment preparation.

Traditional accounts payable operations often involve manually entering invoice details, checking purchase orders, matching goods receipts, and resolving discrepancies. These activities can slow down payment cycles and increase administrative costs.

The Accounts Payable Champion uses AI to handle routine invoice-processing activities with minimal manual intervention.

Its main capabilities include:

Automated Invoice Capture: Collects invoices from email, supplier portals, and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI).
AI-Powered Data Extraction: Extracts supplier information, invoice amounts, line items, and purchase order references across different document formats.
Three-Way Matching: Compares invoices against purchase orders and goods receipts to identify discrepancies.
Automated Invoice Processing: Moves invoices that meet matching requirements directly into the payment workflow.
Exception Management: Escalates mismatches, missing receipts, disputes, and coding issues to the appropriate employees.
Improved Payment Management: Helps businesses process invoices faster and capture early-payment discounts.

By automating routine activities, the solution allows accounts payable teams to focus on financial controls, exception handling, and strategic responsibilities rather than repetitive data entry. qad.com+1

AI Automation Delivers Measurable Financial Benefits

QAD highlighted several operational improvements achieved by customers using this level of accounts payable automation in production.

Reported results include:

Approximately 50% reduction in invoice processing costs.
Up to 90% of purchase orders automatically matched through three-way matching.
Approximately 95% accuracy in extracting information from scanned invoices.

These improvements demonstrate how AI-driven automation can help manufacturers reduce manual workloads, improve invoice accuracy, and strengthen working capital management.

Faster invoice processing can also help organisations avoid delayed payments and take advantage of early-payment discounts offered by suppliers. qad.com

ChampionAI Works Across Multiple ERP Platforms

An important feature of QAD’s expanded ChampionAI portfolio is its ability to operate independently of a specific ERP platform.

The Accounts Payable Champion runs on a standalone platform, allowing manufacturers to introduce invoice automation without replacing their existing ERP systems or modifying legacy application code.

The solution supports integration with:

QAD Adaptive ERP
SAP ERP
Infor ERP
Epicor ERP
QAD Enterprise Edition 2016 and later versions

This ERP-independent approach gives manufacturers more flexibility to adopt AI without waiting for a complete ERP migration or system modernisation project.

For organisations already using QAD Adaptive ERP, Champion Assist and other AI agents provide additional opportunities to connect conversational assistance with automated business workflows. qad.com+1

QAD Strengthens Its Manufacturing ERP and AI Strategy

The latest ChampionAI expansion is part of QAD | Redzone’s broader strategy to bring intelligent automation into manufacturing operations, supply chain management, procurement, and financial processes.

The company is also expanding its QAD Source intelligent sourcing platform, which helps manufacturers manage supplier selection, purchasing decisions, supplier performance, and sourcing activities.

With Champion Assist integrated into QAD Source, purchasing professionals can compare supplier bids, review certification records, monitor supplier risks, and identify potential suppliers through conversational interactions.

These developments demonstrate QAD’s focus on combining manufacturing-specific ERP capabilities with AI-powered business execution.

What the Expansion Means for Manufacturers

The expansion of ChampionAI represents another step towards more intelligent and automated ERP environments. Manufacturers increasingly need technology that can connect financial operations, purchasing activities, supplier management, and production processes while reducing administrative complexity.

QAD’s new capabilities aim to address these requirements by combining conversational AI with autonomous workflow execution.

Champion Assist makes ERP information easier to access, while the Accounts Payable Champion handles repetitive invoice-processing activities and escalates exceptions for human review.

For manufacturers operating legacy ERP systems, the ability to deploy AI independently of a complete system replacement could also reduce barriers to digital transformation.

Overall, QAD | Redzone’s expanded ChampionAI portfolio highlights the growing role of agentic AI in manufacturing ERP. By focusing on practical business workflows and measurable operational improvements, QAD aims to help manufacturers improve productivity, streamline financial processes, and build more responsive business operations.