SpendHQ details how its AI-powered spend analytics helped Prudential Financial consolidate five years of spend data totalling almost US $ 40bn

As artificial intelligence reshapes the future of procurement, one truth remains unchanged: clean, structured data is the bedrock of transformation. As AI is rapidly deployed across enterprises, the importance of organised, high-quality data has never been greater. Without it, even the most advanced algorithms falter, making data integrity not just a technical necessity, but a strategic imperative.“ AI models are only as powerful as the data they’ re built on,” says Mitch Couper, VP of Data & Analytics at SpendHQ.“ Without high-quality data, many of the capabilities that drive meaningful outcomes simply can’ t be deployed effectively.”

Unlocking transformation with spend visibility

Prudential Financial recognised that unlocking large-scale transformation required control over its spend data. For years, the company relied on quarterly Excel reports compiled by a small analyticsfocused team, limiting visibility and agility. Its implementation with SpendHQ marked a turning point, showcasing how the right data infrastructure can power enterprise-wide change. Analysis was“ relatively limited” and mainly examined“ US-based spend on a quarterly basis,” Rausey Mason, Data Analysis & Strategy Lead at SpendHQ, explains.“ It lacked the ability to look across time periods and certainly didn’ t have the global visibility they now have.”

From fragmented reports to global visibility

Prudential partnered with SpendHQ in autumn 2024 – and the pace of change was truly remarkable.“ By Christmas, we’ d cleansed, classified and loaded almost five years worth of spend data from the US and Japan,” continues Rausey. Soon after, SpendHQ had incorporated the rest of the world, consolidating almost US $ 40bn worth of spend data and turning 600,000“ uncleaned vendors” into“ cleansed vendors”. Today, 99 % of Prudential’ s spend is categorised. SpendHQ supports 150 active users who are“ leveraging spend data to drive strategies and make decisions”.