IBM (NYSE: IBM) and StarLink, an Infinigate Group company and a value-added distributor in the Middle East and Africa (MEA), have announced a collaboration to build an AI-powered purchase order automation solution. The tool is built with IBM Bob and IBM watsonx Orchestrate. It uses agentic AI to cut manual work and improve efficiency and consistency across StarLink’s procurement operations.

The solution deploys AI agents to automate key stages of the purchase order lifecycle. These include email intake and classification, enterprise resource planning validation, document processing and accounts payable execution. Additionally, it integrates with Oracle NetSuite, Docling and Automation Anywhere, coordinating end-to-end workflows with greater visibility, governance and control. The system was developed under StarLink’s Client Zero program. As a result, StarLink plans to extend these efficiency gains to more than 1,500 partners and clients exploring agentic AI across the region.

According to the companies, the purchase order automation system is projected to save StarLink an average of 11,500 hours annually. Of that total, 6,000 hours will come from automating 9,000 purchase orders, 1,500 hours from automating 14,000 quotes, and 4,000 hours from quote comparison. Consequently, StarLink reduced the time needed to compare internal documents, partner purchase orders and vendor quotations from thirty minutes to three minutes, a 90% reduction. This has helped sales and accounts payable teams confirm that required documentation is complete.

Furthermore, StarLink shortened the time required to develop, test and deploy AI agents. The process previously took an average of two weeks. Now, using IBM Bob and watsonx Orchestrate, it can be completed in two days, an 85% reduction in implementation time.

IBM Bob and watsonx Orchestrate together provide connected development and orchestration capabilities for the solution’s AI agents. Bob functions as an agentic development partner that accounts for enterprise complexity, supporting the planning, development, testing, deployment, maintenance and refinement of agents and tools. Meanwhile, watsonx Orchestrate manages and governs the agents as they process incoming emails, validate information extracted from unstructured documents, and coordinate activities across enterprise systems.

The collaboration is meant to address several operational challenges, including manual purchase order processing, slow quote cycles, fragmented workflows, and difficulty extracting information from unstructured documents. In turn, the solution is designed to improve accuracy, shorten processing times and bring greater consistency to procurement workflows.

“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,” said Nidal Othman, CEO, StarLink. “Having tested and validated the model through our Client Zero program, we are ready to take these capabilities and our experience to customers across the region.”

“This collaboration demonstrates the role our ecosystem can play in moving agentic AI from development into operational use,” said Zaidoun Arbad, VP – Ecosystem and Select Territory Sales, Middle East and Africa, IBM. “IBM Bob and watsonx Orchestrate provide a governed approach to building, running, managing and optimizing AI agents, enabling partners such as StarLink to apply these capabilities to practical business workflows and bring that experience to clients.”

Looking ahead, the purchase order automation rollout marks the first step in a broader roadmap. Additional use cases under consideration include integrated dashboards and AI agents for sales, legal, finance and credit teams.

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