Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley stars in a Super Bowl LIX ad for Ramp, a financial services startup he has invested in. The 15-second ad, Ramp's first Super Bowl commercial, highlights its AI-driven expense management. Founded in 2019, Ramp is valued at $7.65 billion and has raised $1.2 billion in equity and $700 million in debt. Barkley's investment aligns with his business strategy, joining major investors like Sequoia Capital. His Super Bowl presence boosts his marketability.

This content does not express the views or opinions of Spend Matters.Ramp recently hosted a panel of seasoned procurement practitioners to discuss and debate next-gen procurement, how procurement should be positioned and approached for businesses implementing a formal process for the first time, and practical steps to stand up a function from scratch. You can watch the full discussion in the video below or read a detailed recap of the key takeaways.Procurement is no longer just a back-office function. It’s evolved into a strategic part of an organization that directly influences the bottom line. By managing costs earlier, negotiating better supplier terms, and ensuring the best value for money, procurement has become a critical driver of long-term financial performance. Below are key considerations to transform the procurement process from a ticketing function followed by a handful of employees to one that actually drives down costs and is 100% adopted by employees. Reposition procurement  Procurement is only successful if employees actually adopt and follow your process. It must be approachable. In many organizations, procurement is often perceived as a “black box” or a slow-moving, bureaucratic process that eventually creates friction between procurement teams and other departments, especially if employees feel that procurement is a barrier to getting their work done.Create a “people-first” approach to procurement that emphasizes relationships over processes and takes the time to deeply understand employee needs

Ramp has added a treasury solution to its financial operations platform. The new Ramp Treasury allows businesses to earn 35 times more on their operating cash in a Ramp Business Account than the national average, or potentially earn higher yields in an investment account, the company said in a Wednesday (Jan. 22) press release. The solution also enables businesses to get around three extra days of working capital and incremental earning by paying bills the day they’re due, and to receive artificial intelligence-powered automated balance alerts and liquidity forecasting, according to the release