Unlocking procurement value through embedded finance

The path towards digitisation of business processes is well ingrained but takes on even more weight with procurement and B2B payments. Organisations on both sides of transactions — buyers and suppliers alike — recognise that digital transformation is no longer optional but essential for competitive success. Nearly eight in ten buyers agree that digitising procurement processes is a top priority for their company, mirroring similar urgency among suppliers, where our prior research shows 93% of suppliers identify digitising payment processes as a business priority.

This alignment between suppliers and buyers signals a fundamental shift in how organisations approach procurement, demonstrating a universal appetite for more efficient digital solutions. While buyers and suppliers agree on the need for change, many organisations struggle with where to begin and how to overcome perceived barriers surrounding digitisation, such as costs, implementation complexity and security risks.

Embedded finance - which refers to integrating financial services, such as payments, borrowing or lending, directly into business systems and workflows - has emerged as a compelling solution to bridge this gap. Nearly three-quarters of buyers view embedded finance within procurement systems as an opportunity to drive value in the short to medium term, with a similar percentage prioritising connected procurement and payment systems.

Across users and non-users alike, there is genuine conviction about the transformative potential of embedded finance. Eighty-three per cent of buyers agree that "embedded finance will play a role in shaping the future of procurement by unlocking new levels of speed, transparency and control." Among those who do not yet use embedded finance for procurement, adoption timelines are anticipated to accelerate as about threequarters (76%) expect to adopt it within the next two years.

And yet misconceptions persist. While enthusiasm for embedded finance continues to grow, concerns about complexity, security, supplier impact and return on investment hinder adoption for some. This report examines five common myths that create hesitation among buyers and reveals what current users actually experience, often finding that areas of concern for some can become significant benefits for others.