Discover Live ’26: Where Source-to-Pay comes together

Roy de Brouwer, Marketing Director at ISPnext, opened Discover Live ’26 with a clear message: AI is no longer a distant prospect, but a reality. Organisations are no longer in an experimental phase. AI is developing at breakneck speed and is fundamentally changing the way we work.

According to Roy, the real shift lies not in AI replacing people, but in AI acting as an autonomous performer of routine tasks. This also changes the role of professionals: from executing to managing, from doing to guiding.

“The question is not how you ask employees to use AI, but how you build a culture in which they no longer want to be without it,” says Roy de Brouwer. His message was clear: don’t wait, just get started. Use AI to learn about AI and work with it as if it were a smart colleague.

Gustaf Tanate, CEO of ISPnext, then took the floor. His message: technology alone is not enough. It’s all about translating it into tangible value for organisations.

Instead of systems that merely record data, the market demands platforms that enable action. Not just insight, but also control and results. Based on this vision, ISPnext is building an Intelligent Source-to-Pay platform that helps organisations turn spend opportunities into financial impact.

Collaboration plays a key role in this. By identifying, testing and applying new technologies early on as a community, we create momentum that extends beyond a single organisation.

Trust remains the foundation. Security, compliance and reliable data are essential for technology and AI to deliver sustainable value.

During the Product Roadmap session, it became clear that ISPnext is committed to targeted further development within Source-to-Pay. Not as isolated features, but as a coherent strategy focused on control, predictability and scalability.

The focus is on strengthening the link between Source-to-Contract and Procure-to-Pay. By better aligning processes, organisations gain greater control, better insight into risks and more control over financial impact. AI remains a catalyst in this regard, with one clear prerequisite: technology must support the professional and remain explainable.

The event also looked ahead to developments such as nextAI, e-invoicing, Procurement Value Management, Budget Management, and new integrations and connectors.

This was followed by the presentation of The NEXT Awards. This highlighted that progress is not just about technology, but also about ownership, structure and collaboration.

Nelson Tanate, head chef at De Librije, offered a fresh perspective during Discover Live ’26. His talk wasn’t about systems or tools, but about people, collaboration and trust. He demonstrated that sustainable performance arises when teams take responsibility, keep each other on their toes and continue to invest in quality. A message that resonated with and was relevant to procurement and finance professionals alike.

The afternoon focused on practical application and real-world relevance, featuring various breakout sessions and client case studies on topics including AI in invoice processing, e-invoicing, compliance in the public sector and Procurement Value Management. These sessions offered concrete insights for organisations across different sectors and ERP environments.

In addition to content, Discover Live was also about meeting, deepening knowledge and connecting. At the partner market, visitors discussed integrations, complementary solutions and use cases. Thanks to live translation, the programme was accessible to international visitors, and during the closing drinks reception there was plenty of opportunity to exchange experiences.

Discover Live ’26 demonstrated once again that Source-to-Pay is about more than just technology. For CFOs, CPOs and CIOs, it is a strategic choice to gain greater control over compliance, risks, efficiency and scalable growth.

Would you like to attend next year? Pre-register now for Discover Live ’27 and stay up to date with the program, speakers and registration.