Sri Lankan talent helps power SAGE as Sysco earns Gartner recognition

Sri Lankan engineers at Sysco LABS contributed to the Sysco Agentic Ecosystem, an enterprise artificial intelligence platform that earned Sysco Corporation runner-up recognition in the 2026 Gartner Eye on Innovation Awards, according to the company.

Sysco was recognised in the Americas category for Retail and Consumer Goods for the platform, known as SAGE.

The platform connects AI agents with business data and software systems across sales, supply chain and administrative operations. Sysco describes agents as software capable of recommending actions and carrying out workflows within a shared governance framework.

Sysco LABS said its Sri Lankan teams worked with colleagues across the group’s global technology organisation to develop the system.

Managing Director Thushera Kawdawatta, who is also Sysco’s Vice President for GIC Strategy and Operations, said the recognition reflected the team’s contribution and collaboration across the company’s technology operations.

SAGE’s applications include helping sales consultants obtain answers and sales resources, supporting customer service processes and enabling employees to search training materials, operating procedures and policy documents.

According to Sysco, these capabilities support faster decisions, improved customer order fulfilment, operational efficiencies and revenue growth.

The company said reusable components and tools requiring limited coding helped technology teams develop and deploy AI applications more quickly.

Its stated safeguards include centralised oversight, measures to remove personally identifiable information and filters for AI responses. The platform also supports multiple AI models and cloud environments.

Sysco supplies food and related products to restaurants, hotels, healthcare facilities and other organisations preparing meals away from home.

The Gartner recognition follows a 2026 Newsweek AI Impact Award for SAGE in the AI Brand and Retail category for Best Outcomes.

Sysco LABS also credited the platform with recognition at the 2025 Presidential Export Awards and the 2025 SLASSCOM National Ingenuity Awards in Sri Lanka.