Zycus to Drive Procurement Transformation for Outokumpu Stainless USA with Merlin AI powered Source to Pay Solution
New Jersey | January 27, 2026 – Zycus, a global leader in Source-to-Pay (S2P) software solutions powered by Merlin Agentic Platform, is proud to announce that Outokumpu Stainless USA, the North American subsidiary of Outokumpu Oyj, the $7B global stainless steel producer, has selected Zycus’ end-to-end procurement transformation platform to modernize and unify procurement operations across North America.
Outokumpu Stainless USA, headquartered in Calvert, Alabama, is one of the region’s largest stainless steel producers, serving the automotive, construction, appliances, and energy sectors. Zycus will deploy its full S2P suite, including Merlin Intake, Contract Management, Supplier Management, Risk Management, Sourcing, eProcurement, eInvoicing, and Autonomous Negotiation as part of Outokumpu’s long-term strategy to strengthen operational efficiency and enhance digital procurement capability.
The selection marks a major milestone following a 20-month evaluation journey, which included remote discovery sessions, detailed solution workshops, and participation in Horizon 2024 & 2025 in Miami & California, where Outokumpu Stainless USA saw Zycus’ innovation and user experience firsthand. Merlin Intake will serve as Outokumpu’s unified front door for procurement engagement, offering guided, compliant, and transparent intake workflows for business users. The broader S2P suite will support Outokumpu’s shift from fragmented, manual processes to a streamlined ecosystem that improves productivity, consistency, and decision-making across its procurement operations.
Merlin Intake will serve as Outokumpu’s unified front door for procurement engagement, offering guided, compliant, and transparent intake workflows for business users. The broader S2P suite will support Outokumpu’s shift from fragmented, manual processes to a streamlined ecosystem that improves productivity, consistency, and decision-making across its procurement operations.
“Partnering with Zycus is a significant step in building a modern procurement foundation for our Americas operations,” said Stuart Holmes, Senior Vice President, Finance & Procurement Outokumpu Stainless USA. “The unified intake experience and S2P workflow orchestration align strongly with our goals of simplifying processes, strengthening governance, and equipping our teams with tools that improve speed, visibility, and outcomes. With Zycus as a trusted partner, we are well positioned to advance our broader vision of pioneering materials and technologies that power tomorrow.”
With Zycus selected, Outokumpu’s procurement function will gain:
- Merlin Intake to streamline request initiation and improve consistency across procurement workflows
- A single, integrated platform for contracts, suppliers, sourcing activity, and procurement workflows
- Automation for RFx creation, supplier responses, evaluations, and sourcing processes
- Centralized contract authoring, approvals, and digital execution
- Streamlined supplier onboarding, performance monitoring, and issue management
- Intelligent capabilities that accelerate contract review and surface potential risks
- Dashboards and analytics that enhance visibility, savings tracking, and operational planning
“Outokumpu Stainless USA’s decision reflects our shared belief in intelligent, scalable, and user-friendly procurement,” said Aatish Dedhia, Founder & CEO, Zycus.
“Procurement is evolving beyond the boundaries of Source-to-pay (S2P), and the shift toward Intake-to-Outcome (I2O) thinking demands platforms that can connect every step. Merlin Agentic delivers that intelligence layer, driving consistency, automation, and enterprise-wide value.”
This partnership underscores Outokumpu’s commitment to building a future-ready procurement function, one that is digital, intuitive, connected, and capable of supporting the dynamic demands of the global metals and manufacturing industry.
About Zycus:
Zycus, recognized by leading analyst firms in procurement technology, empowers enterprises to move beyond S2P toward Intake-to-Outcome (I2O) with agentic AI. At the heart of our S2P solution is the Merlin Agentic Platform, which orchestrates intelligent AI agents to deliver simplified, efficient, and compliant procurement processes.
The Merlin Intake Agent offers business users unparalleled ease of use, increasing adoption rates and significantly reducing non-compliant spending. For procurement teams, the Merlin Autonomous Negotiation Agent handles tail spend autonomously, securing additional savings; the Merlin Contract Agent helps draft compliant contracts and reduces risks by actively monitoring them; and the Merlin AP Agent further enhances efficiency by automating invoice processing with exceptional speed and accuracy.
About Outokumpu
Outokumpu is accelerating the green transition as the global leader in sustainable stainless steel. The company’s business is based on the circular economy, with products made from 95 percent recycled materials, wh-ich we then turn into fully recyclable stainless steel. This steel is utilized in various applications across society, including infrastructure, mobility, and household appliances. In the U.S., Outokumpu operates America’s most advanced stainless-steel mill in Calvert, Alabama. With its extensive range of products and industry-leading technical support and services, Outokumpu is the second largest producer of sustainable stainless steel in the United States. Read more: www.outokumpu.com
Ayushi Mishra
Customer Marketing,
Zycus Inc.
ayushi.mishra@zycus.com
