SAP Ariba

Digitalise your procurement processes

WHAT IS SAP ARIBA?

SAP Ariba is a cloud-based platform for operational and strategic procurement that facilitates collaboration between companies and their suppliers by digital means.
It will help you take the digital transformation into your purchasing.

What is the Business Network?

SAP’s Business Network is at the heart of the entire purchasing process. It is a B2B marketplace based on SAP HANA technology, enabling you to connect with your suppliers.

SAP Ariba areas of application

Using SAP Ariba, you can control the procurement of direct and indirect materials, analyse your expenditure and conduct transparent supplier management.

Essentially, the SAP Ariba functions can be divided into three areas:

• Purchase-to-Pay
• Source-to-Contract
• Supplier Management & Supply Chain

Purchase-to-Pay

The SAP Ariba modules for purchase-to-pay enable you to apply commerce automation over the SAP Business Network in order to procure indirect goods and services.

SAP Ariba Commerce Automation

With SAP Ariba Commerce Automation, you exchange information with your suppliers in real time across the world's largest B2B network, the Business Network. Commerce Automation enables the exchange of purchase orders, order confirmations, shipping notifications, goods receipts and service entry sheets as well as the electronic processing of invoices and credit memos. This solution offers an easily scalable EDI/WebEDI platform for the optimisation of the ordering and e-invoicing process.

SAP Ariba Buying

The SAP Ariba Buying module enables you to optimise routine tasks. You can combine output categories, set up automated processes and manage workflows.

SAP Ariba Buying emulates the SAP Ariba Buying & Invoicing solution, but does not include the Invoicing module. Like its “big sister”, the solution offers an appealing user interface, an integrated search function for internal and external catalogues and a facility for accessing the Mercateo Unite marketplace via Spot Buy.

The transparent approval workflow for the procurement of goods and services can be configured in line with company-specific procurement guidelines. In addition, purchase orders, order confirmations and invoices can be exchanged on a paperless basis via the Business Network. Integration with an existing SAP ECC or SAP S/4HANA system is realised via standardised interfaces, such as the Cloud Integration Gateway (CIG), or through native integration to enable the automated synchronisation of master and transaction data. The user experience familiar from privately used intuitive apps can now also be found in the B2B environment. End users are guided through the procurement process by the Guided Buying user interface. With predefined forms and rules, Guided Buying increases user-friendliness and contributes to cost savings.

SAP Ariba Catalog

SAP Ariba Catalog, also known as Ariba Procurement Catalog, is SAP Ariba's own catalogue solution. It offers extensive options for loading electronic catalogues as well as for the validation and approval of their contents. All catalogue formats customary in the market are supported, including BMECat 1.2, CIF 3.0 and Excel.
In addition to static catalogues, punchout catalogues (Level 1 and Level 2) can be used as well. Suppliers can upload their catalogues themselves via the Business Network and the only task left for purchasing staff is to conduct a commercial check. Different filter options, such as New Items, Modified Items and Deleted Items, enable standardised and efficient checking of the catalogue data.
With the Spot Buy function, SAP Ariba further offers a facility for integrating a marketplace directly with the procurement solution SAP Ariba Buying. This enables purchasing companies to cover the so-called long-tail spend simply and efficiently via catalogue items, which helps to realise a further reduction in free text items.

SAP Ariba Invoicing (Invoice Management)

With SAP Ariba Invoice Management, you can digitalise your paper-based and manual processes, enabling you to make cost savings, avoid manual errors and perform automated compliance checks. It will also allow you to introduce electronic invoicing at some point in the future. In addition, the cloud-based workflow automates the receipt, processing and payment of invoices for you. All this can produce a reduction in processing costs of up to 60%. Thanks to the connection between SAP Ariba Invoice Management and your supplier network, suppliers will receive direct alerts in the event of errors or non-compliance with business rules, preventing incorrect invoices entering your workflow in the first place.
In conjunction with the integrated report, the possibility of mobile use via app, the benefits of a cloud solution in terms of maintenance, the integration with existing SAP S/4HANA or ERP systems, as well as innovations such as machine learning, SAP Ariba Invoice Management represents the future-proof solution for the invoice verification process.

SAP Ariba Sourcing

SAP Ariba Sourcing is a solution for managing RFPs and auctions in strategic procurement. It provides support with the search for the right supplier, the shortening of procurement cycles and the negotiation of agreements in line with the market to achieve cost savings.

SAP Ariba Sourcing leads to an increase in agility and speed in procurement. Buyers appreciate the simple and intelligently managed processes, such as the integrated approval workflows. The solution ensures maximum compliance and a rapid RoI.

SAP Ariba Contracts

SAP Ariba Contract Management offers full transparency in contract management and enables clear mapping of all processes across the entire contract life cycle. This Ariba module thus meets all the requirements for modern contract management – from contract creation to changes to termination. The individual roles and responsibilities are clearly evident in the process mapping. Further users, even from different departments or third-party companies, can be added easily.

The solution bundles the entire communication stream and facilitates data exchange. This streamlines all contract management processes permanently, thus freeing up time for other activities. The integrated reporting is a comprehensive, all-in-one tool that makes painstaking data collection, for instance in Excel tables, obsolete and allows staff to view the latest statuses at any time. Any existing contracts can be migrated and integrated with ease.
More sophisticated contract management is possible via Icertis (information to follow).

SAP Ariba Spend Analysis

SAP Ariba Spend Analysis provides a clear picture of the purchasing behaviour throughout the company, thereby minimising risk. Data is enriched with company and industry standards as well as with supplier data. This provides a clearer picture of the entire supplier base, revealing previously hidden correlations and strengthening the company’s own negotiating position.

As all Ariba reporting processes are available, the administrative effort is minimised. The handling of the powerful HANA database is integrated in Ariba. Reports can be sent periodically via email or exported directly to Excel. A dashboard that can be customised for each user completes a reporting tool that meets the highest demands.

Supplier Management & Supply Chain

This will improve your supplier relations and produce a faster ROI. You will also be able to perform supplier qualifications, monitor risk management and benefit from better collaboration based on the supplier data. You will have a better overview of your suppliers and the entire supply chain; responsibility for obtaining and maintaining certificates is transferred to suppliers, helping you comply with the requirements of the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG).

SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance (SLP)

SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance (SLP for short) is the cloud solution for comprehensive supplier management. The rapid implementation, existing interfaces to other Ariba solutions as well as continual further developments guarantee innovation and state-of-the-art technology. The integration with the Business Network provides access to the world’s largest supplier network for simplified communication and collaboration.

Supplier data can be managed and exchanged with the ERP system. Functions for supplier qualification and classification as well as for monitoring supplier certificates are available. Integration with SAP Ariba Contracts makes for a seamless transition from participation in RFPs to conclusion of contract.

SAP Ariba Supplier Risk

With SAP Ariba Supplier Risk, comprehensive and continuous risk assessments can be integrated into the procurement processes. The tool offers user-friendly risk views and alerts for all suppliers, which can be customised for each relationship. It also facilitates supplier segmentation based on risk potential.

Data from over 500,000 sources serves as the basis for the risk warnings, including news websites, official sources as well as disaster information systems. The continuous monitoring not only facilitates timely, context-specific and well-founded decisions, but also minimises risks that could jeopardise the company’s compliance, finances, reputation or operation.

SAP Ariba Supply Chain Collaboration

SAP Ariba Supply Chain Collaboration provides further processes for direct materials. Among others, these include subcontracting, the integration of suppliers and logistics service providers, scheduling agreements and delivery schedules, production forecasts, Supplier Managed Inventory (SMI) and consignment stock.
The solution offers everything for reliable and simple supplier collaboration and provides full transparency along the supply chain.

SAP Ariba Snap

SAP developed the Ariba Snap tool in order to open the door to the Business Network to companies from the SME sector as well. Short implementation times and preconfiguration are intended to keep project costs down. SAP also made some adaptations to the licensing model, enabling SMEs to use SAP Ariba Snap in operational purchasing as well.

Benefits of SAP Ariba Snap