“It’s a moral imperative.”
Those words, which I used in our inaugural issue, are as relevant today as they were back then. Because the world continues to face immense challenges, which are often caused by a process that isn‘t working as efficiently or intelligently as it should—a process constrained by rigid systems, siloed data, and a lack of context.
That‘s why this, the fourth edition of Celonis Labs: Beyond Journal, is dedicated to the people and the technology that are freeing processes from the confines of our systems and building the foundation for the AI-driven, composable enterprise of the future.
Beyond is our chance to share the insights from the innovators, researchers, and partners who understand that the future of enterprise transformation isn’t about just having AI; it’s about grounding it in the operational truth of your business.
This year, you’ll find that truth within three core themes:
First, we dive into the need for open ecosystems. Our partners show why transformation fails when truth is locked in behind legacy systems, and how Process Intelligence creates a shared, vendor-agnostic blueprint for change.
Second, we explore how ‘Enterprise AI’ is finally becoming a reality. This is the leap from passive AI assistants to active, goal-driven AI allies—agents that operate autonomously alongside you. It’s viewing AI not as a technology, but a strategic practice—a discipline for infusing intelligence throughout your operations. You’ll see how this agentic future demands Process Intelligence to provide the necessary context, control, and governance, ensuring AI delivers measurable, systemic results, not just clever chatbots. Our contributors, including visionary AI-first founders and leaders from the Celonis Garage, demonstrate how vertical expertise and process context are the new moat for value.
Finally, we go Beyond the Horizon with our Academic Alliance. This section features cutting-edge research—from Celonis Garage on Concept Drift Detection to industry PhDs on Causal Analysis—that moves us from asking what is happening to understanding why and, most importantly, how to fix it.
This journal is a collection of candid, unfettered thoughts, analysis, and prototype descriptions from the brightest minds dedicated to making processes smarter. So let go of your preconceived notions about how business works today, and join us once again as we look Beyond the boundaries of the possible.