Sage AI assistant supports supply chains

Manufacturing and distribution teams using Sage software can now identify operational issues earlier and respond faster, following the launch of an AI-based assistant to Sage Operations. The assistant, Sage Copilot, supports day-to-day decision-making across fulfilment and supply chain operations.

Sage is a UK-based developer of accounting, finance, HR, payroll and operations software for small and mid-sized businesses. Sage Operations was formerly known as Sage Distribution and Manufacturing Operations.

According to the company, manufacturers and distributors continue to feel pressure to improve visibility and act before problems escalate. Analyst research supports this move toward more autonomous decision-making, with Gartner predicting that 25% of supply chain key performance indicator reporting will be powered by GenAI models by 2028.

Sage Copilot is a key step in that direction, says the company, giving businesses reliable, context aware insights that help teams focus on customer needs instead of administrative work

“Manufacturers and distributors need tools that cut through complexity, not add to it,” says Rob Sinfield, Sage SVP for enterprise resource planning. “Sage Copilot gives teams a clearer view of emerging risks so they can act before problems escalate and safeguard service quality. By bringing trusted AI into everyday operational decisions, it strengthens performance where speed, accuracy and customer expectations matter most.”

Staying ahead of operational risk

Built using Sage Ai, Sage Copilot can surface timely insight on key operational, fulfilment and customer issues. Teams can identify potential delays and bottlenecks earlier, understand the drivers of operational risk, and act sooner to protect timelines and service levels.

Insights are delivered into existing workflows, so staff can prioritise tasks, resolve issues quickly and maintain consistent service quality without switching between systems or relying on manual checks. Sage says this improves performance in environments where speed, accuracy and responsiveness are essential for customer satisfaction and revenue protection.

Katharina Kluth, authorised signatory at abacus edv-lösungen GmbH & Co, says: “We are looking forward with enthusiasm to a future full of development opportunities that Sage Copilot will open up for our customers. Sales Insights will give them an overview of open orders or delayed deliveries at any time, so they can react earlier and prevent potential problems. This allows teams to save valuable time and use it profitably for strategic decisions.”

Agentic workflows

Sage Copilot lays the foundation for a broader network of intelligent operational agents embedded across the manufacturing and distribution lifecycle. These agents flag emerging issues and increasingly take on routine decision and action work that currently occupies operational teams.

As these capabilities evolve, says Sage, organisations can expect fewer manual checks, faster responses to fulfilment risks and stronger customer relationships. This is enabled by domain-specific assistants that are built into workflow and designed to support the way operational teams work every day.

By adding autonomous capabilities to Sage Operations, the update is intended to help businesses identify and address issues earlier, reducing reliance on reactive problem-solving and routine administrative work. The change aligns with Sage’s broader roadmap to apply AI-driven agents within industry-specific workflows, with the aim of supporting operational efficiency, resilience and longer-term supply chain performance.

These capabilities are delivered through the Sage Platform, which provides shared data, AI services and workflow infrastructure to support more automated and agent-based operations across the supply chain.

* Visit the Sage Operations website here.