Corinne Hodan of Air Liquide has spent seven years, building a unified procurement foundation across a complex global operation. At Horizon 2026, she explains how that foundation is now unlocking the next wave of value…
At Zycus Horizon EU & UK 2026 in Vienna, the focus was firmly on agentic AI and the shift from source-to-pay (S2P) to intake-to-outcomes (I2O). The event brought together Zycus customers at varying stages of their implementation journeys. Well into the process is Corinne Hodan, Group Procurement Digital and Change Management Director at Air Liquide – a highly decentralised industrial gas company.
Air Liquide chose Zycus to implement its worldwide procurement tool seven years ago. “We did a very thorough request for information and request for quotation,” explains Hodan. “There were two shortlisted companies, so we had a proof of concept session with more than 120 people involved. They voted for Zycus.” Hodan explains what drove the decision: “What attracted us was the user friendliness of the solution. Also, the fact that we could co-develop with Zycus. They were also very innovative.”
The company subsequently contracted Zycus for several modules. “We got the full source-to-contract suite,” says Hodan, “and we just renewed our contract.” That renewal – after seven years of partnership – speaks to the depth of the relationship. It’s not a legacy arrangement running on inertia; Air Liquide actively chose to continue with Zycus for the next phase.
Taking the time to get implementation right
One aspect of digital transformation that separates successful rollouts from failed ones is the discipline to invest in proper implementation. Hodan says, “It was a long journey because from what you see during the pre-sale and what you actually have to implement, there’s a lot of work.”
That work has been worth it, though, as Hodan explains: “We have varying geographical processes and fragmented supplier databases. First, we wanted to break the silos between the different geographies and have one single source of truth for our spend consolidation, supplier management, and contract repository”. Hodan is clear that this has been achieved: “This is really so far the main benefit we see – and that was the basis.”
This kind of structural challenge can’t be fixed overnight. Hodan has been through the process, working closely with Zycus to get the basics right. “Now that we have this consolidation,” she continues, “it’s time to deliver value. That’s the next challenge we are going to address with Zycus.”
This is exactly the kind of disciplined groundwork that positions Air Liquide to fully capitalize on Zycus’ agentic AI capabilities as they come online.
Sharing knowledge at Horizon
For Hodan, sharing these experiences is important. On day three of the Horizon event, she spoke on a panel about AI strategy and choosing the right partner, where she shared her journey with Zycus. But the event is a chance to learn from others, too.
“It’s the second Horizon event I’m attending,” Hodan says. “There’s the opportunity to exchange with my peers, and it’s inspiring to see those testimonies. It gives me a lot of ideas that I will work on when I’m back.” For Hodan, the event goes beyond content. “It’s the opportunity to exchange with my peers — people I don’t have the opportunity to meet during the year,” she says.
As well as the sharing of knowledge, there’s an important networking element to the event. Building long-term relationships with other procurement professionals, as well as potential partners, is valuable. Hodan recommends the event, she says: “It’s definitely a good opportunity. First, it’s very well organised, Zycus knows how to receive its guests. During the year, we are really just focused on our pain points, so it’s an opportunity to have fresh air and discuss with everyone.”
In a market racing toward agentic AI, Air Liquide’s partnership with Zycus shows what it looks like to do it right – build the foundation first, then accelerate.
Tools such as Zycus’s Merlin AI – which automates workflows, extracts invoice data, and handles supplier queries – can only deliver a return on investment when the underlying data is coherent. This is why Air Liquide has taken the time to consolidate its data from fragmented systems spread over a large geographical area. With seven years of consolidated data now flowing through the platform, Air Liquide is exactly where it needs to be to unlock the full power of Zycus’s Merlin AI and agentic capabilities.
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