Artificial intelligence and process intelligence aren’t just buzzwords — they’re strategic tools reshaping how organizations streamline operations, reduce inefficiencies and unify data across fragmented systems. These tools also unlock opportunities for growth and sustainability across diverse industries.

Celonis SE, a recognized leader in process intelligence, looks to be at the forefront of this shift. Through real-time insights, agentic AI and smooth data connectivity, Celonis enables companies to move from reactive problem-solving to proactive decision-making. This approach was spotlighted at the company’s Celosphere 24 conference, which showcased the innovations, insights and real-world use cases shaping Celonis’ go-to-market strategy.

TheCUBE Research’s Rob Strechay, Savannah Peterson and George Gilbert talk about how integrating AI and process intelligence is transforming business operations during an analyst segment at Celosphere 24.

“What we saw at Celosphere 24, and have seen from Celonis over the years, is an approach to process mapping and engineering that is unique in the industry,” said Rob Strechay, managing director of theCUBE Research. “What is new and exciting is the realization by organizations that the information gathered by Celonis is key to the next wave of agentic applications that are yet to be built. The way Celonis harmonizes data across processes with the know-how of their GTM partners, such as the global systems integrators and hyperscale clouds, will be key to organizations realizing the return on investment of AI.”

The recent event highlighted how Celonis is refining its process intelligence offerings, emphasizing strategic flexibility, automation and technological innovation. These advancements underline Celonis’ unique position in enterprise AI and process intelligence while providing a roadmap for its long-term vision.

This feature is part of SiliconANGLE Media’s ongoing series exploring the latest developments in the process mining and automation sectors. (* Disclosure below.) 

From automation to optimization: Unlocking the power of process intelligence

Celonis is driving a new era in process intelligence, evolving from merely visualizing processes to actively improving operations. This shift represents a significant leap in how enterprises address inefficiencies, according to theCUBE Research’s Savannah Peterson, George Gilbert and Strechay. By positioning process intelligence as a cornerstone of business optimization, Celonis has established itself as a leader in the field.

“It feels like [Celonis is] having an SAP-from-a-few-decades-ago moment,” Peterson said in an analyst segment during the event. “Process mining is at an evolutionary juncture, but you can really feel the trajectory. It feels like process mining is really having its moment. Companies and enterprises are aware of the value add there. That’s what Celonis sells.”

Agentic AI is central to Celonis’ automation strategy, enabling businesses to develop agents within their preferred platforms while leveraging contextual data to optimize workflows, according to Divya Krishnan, vice president of product marketing at Celonis. (Read our exclusive profile on Krishnan here.) This flexibility ensures seamless integration with existing systems and enhances return on investment on prior investments in robotic process automation and backend automation.

“People have been putting a lot of good time, energy, effort and money into RPA, into backend automation and into complex workflows,” Krishnan told theCUBE. “The question is how do you optimize that and then how do you bring agents to play to really dramatically increase the ROI that you can get from all the investments that you’re putting in?”

Celonis’ Manu Haug talks with theCUBE during Celosphere 24 about how organizations are accelerating AI progress by refining their process mapping strategies.

A “data-first” mindset is critical for businesses to unlock the full potential of AI, according to Manu Haug, field chief technology officer of Celonis. By relying on process intelligence, organizations can move beyond theoretical models to practical outcomes, using real-time insights to make impactful decisions.

“I think what we see most is if you look at [large language models], what they’re doing … they’re just fundamentally lowering the barrier,” Haug said during Celosphere 24. “You have the same information as before, but before that, you needed an absolutely super-duper expert to help you solve the problem. Now you have access to a technology that actually makes it possible for you and me to optimize.”

The Celonis Orchestration Engine exemplifies this transformation, converting insights into actionable results. Its capabilities can be compared to those of autonomous driving, where core processors are managed automatically while businesses handle exceptions, according to  Rudy Kuhn, lead transformation evangelist at Celonis.

“If you think about autonomous cars, you need situational awareness … you need a system of values, you need a roadmap,” he told theCUBE. “We know what the process should look like because we defined the process with business process management. We have Orchestration Engine really to operate the systems and the organization.”

Celonis also emphasizes real-time data sharing among stakeholders, shifting from static updates to continuous intelligence. This ensures decision-makers at every level can act on the most current information, according to Krishnan.

“It’s not about just a one-time or an ad-hoc status check or communication,” Krishnan told theCUBE. “It’s about how can you do intelligence sharing, mental data sharing in real time.”

Real-world impact: Industry solutions tailored for success

Celonis’ ability to adapt its tools to a wide array of industries highlights its strategic flexibility. From government to healthcare to automotive and beyond, the company tailors its solutions to address unique challenges. This adaptability is a cornerstone of its go-to-market strategy. For example, in the State of Oklahoma, Celonis has revolutionized auditing processes by automating them and eliminating data silos, according to Janet Morrow, director of risk, assessment and compliance for the Office of Management and Enterprise Services at the State of Oklahoma. Real-time checks now replace processes that previously spanned years, enabling faster, data-driven decisions.

“Prior to us implementing Celonis and utilizing this tool, we got about eight audits done a year with a team of six,” Morrow said in an interview with theCUBE. “Now we’re doing it live every day, and it’s automated. We only see the things that cause concern, and then we reach out to those agencies and those buyers to talk through it.”

The State of Oklahoma’s Janet Morrow talks with theCUBE about how Celonis has transformed government operations and the importance of removing data silos.

Healthcare offers another compelling use case. NHS England adopted Celonis to analyze bottlenecks in patient scheduling and improve appointment attendance. A simple adjustment to communication timing significantly reduced missed appointments and improved patient outcomes, according to Daniel Hayes, national lead of data-driven productivity for elective care at NHS England.

“From what we’ve done over the past five months, I genuinely believe we could use data AI to improve our patient processes and people’s comfort day-to-day,” Hayes said in an interview with theCUBE. “So, I’m really supportive of it.”

In the automotive industry, BMW Group has implemented Celonis’ process intelligence tools to enhance operations across engineering, production and customer support, according to Patrick Lechner, head of process mining and robotic process automation at BMW Group. These efforts ensure BMW’s processes remain agile and responsive to rapidly evolving market demands, underscoring the company’s commitment to operational excellence.

“At BMW, we saw that only with optimal processes can we win,” Lechner told theCUBE during an interview. “Therefore, it’s really crucial to combine data and processes in the best possible way. We have to adapt constantly to new competitors, to new demands of the outside world, and this is where we help our businesses to get even better.”

Driving innovation: Breaking silos with actionable insights

Celonis’ go-to-market strategy emphasizes innovations such as AgentC and the Celonis Networks platform, which combine advanced analytics, AI and real-time data to drive customer-centric solutions and operational excellence. This approach underscores Celonis’ focus on breaking down barriers between AI and data silos, enabling smooth integration and greater efficiency in enterprise operations.

“There’s silos of AI going on, and silos of data underneath AI, and I think Celonis’ message is about being able to go across that,” Strechay said in an analyst segment at the event. “They know the process of what the agent needs to do. For me, that was always missing when we’re having these agent conversations.”

Celonis’ Process Intelligence Graph provides businesses with a unified view of workflows, making it easier to identify inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement. This capability provides businesses with a clear, intuitive framework to optimize workflows and empowers business developers to create actionable solutions without deep technical expertise, according to George Gilbert, theCUBE principal research analyst.

“Let’s say if you want to build an app that works with SAP data, you have to navigate 50,000 tables with three-letter German acronyms,” Gilbert said in an analyst segment during Celosphere 24. “Whereas in the Process Intelligence Graph, a citizen developer can take essentially from a visual gallery these elements and build what’s not just a dashboard, but it can have action buttons that then operationalize decisions. It’s a complete change because now app development moves that into the business.”

Celonis’ Kerry Brown talks with theCUBE about how Celonis’ technology helps organizations align business decisions with long-term goals.

Navigating system transformation is often daunting, but Celonis’ tools simplify the process by providing real-time visibility and actionable insights. By grounding decisions in trustworthy data, businesses can reduce uncertainty, build confidence and ensure alignment with long-term goals, according to Kerry Brown, digital transformation evangelist at Celonis SE. This approach aligns with Celonis’ strategy of equipping businesses with tools to address both immediate challenges and long-term operational goals.

“Facts are friendly [and] can make stressful, anxious and difficult decisions so much easier to understand,” Brown told theCUBE. “If I understand it, I can trust it. If I trust it, I can act upon it. You say, ‘You think what you want is important [and] so do I. Which one of them is going to affect our customers, our revenue?’”

Sustainability also remains a critical focus for Celonis, with process intelligence helping businesses align operations with environmental goals, according to Eugenio Cassiano (pictured), senior vice president of strategy and innovation at Celonis. By providing actionable insights, Celonis enables organizations to measure and reduce their carbon footprints. This dual focus on operational efficiency and environmental responsibility sets Celonis apart in a market increasingly driven by sustainability mandates.

“Sustainability is a real challenge, but it’s also an opportunity — to drive change and motivate action,” Cassiano said during an interview with theCUBE. “Our customers are inspired to create positive change across dimensions like these.”

Celonis’ progression from process mining to a full intelligence platform underscores its commitment to empowering businesses with scalable, robust solutions. By building the infrastructure necessary to support process optimization and enabling cross-application communication, Celonis ensures its customers can continuously adapt and create value in an ever-evolving market, according to  Carsten Thoma, president of Celonis.

“We consider ourselves change-makers,” Thoma told theCUBE during Celosphere 24. “At one point in time, and I’ve seen those examples, there used to be a lot of innovation over the decades. But at one point, it was also very clear that processes got retrofitted into systems to fit. And, on a certain level, it’s time to liberate the processes a little bit. It’s Process Independence Day at Celosphere.”

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE was a paid media partner for Celosphere 24. Neither Celonis SE, the sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

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