With the first-quarter 2020 release, SAP Ariba solutions and SAP S/4HANA Cloud are now fully integrated to deliver an end-to-end source-to-pay process, part of the intelligent suite of solutions from SAP. This next-generation spend management process integration provides complete visibility and control to help customers achieve business outcomes.
The source-to-pay process within the intelligent suite enables customers to effectively manage all spend categories – direct and indirect goods and services – through a fully integrated, end-to-end procurement process using industry-leading SAP Ariba solutions and the world’s largest digital business network, Ariba Network, where $3.2 trillion in commerce is transacted annually. The process redefines the procurement experience and further enhances the return on existing SAP investments for customers by offering what no one else does: a harmonized user experience, embedded intelligence, a single platform for trading partner collaboration and unified solution integration to SAP S/4HANA Cloud.
Delivering a seamless source-to-pay process aligns with SAP’s strategy to become the Experience Company powered by the Intelligent Enterprise. With the integration of SAP Ariba solutions with SAP S/4HANA Cloud, SAP delivers a smooth end-to-end experience across data and processes. It offers a unified view across systems and adopts technology guidelines, such as user interfaces, application programming interfaces, identity management, and user provisioning. Key benefits include:
- Harmonized experience and simpler change management with a consistent user interface across all solutions, including guided tours, embedded learning, and a digital assistant;
- Faster, more informed decision-making through instant access to embedded intelligence, including proactive alerts to support smart and secure buying;
- Improved visibility and real-time reporting with end-to-end analytics;
- Lower total cost of ownership and rapid return on investment through unified integration that helps eliminate the need for costly services and support.
According to newly appointed SAP Procurement Solutions President Chris Haydon: “By providing transparency across the source-to-pay process and fully integrating with an organization’s enterprise resource planning systems, the intelligent suite — aided by cognitive technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning — reveals insights and opportunities to create value that was never possible before. Through intelligent insights and an enhanced user experience, businesses can anticipate and act on changes in supply and demand by enabling buyers and suppliers to collaborate in real time with ease and simplicity on a unified platform.”
“With the source-to-pay process now part of the intelligent suite, SAP is delivering on its promise of a comprehensive and integrated cloud portfolio for spend management,” said Mickey North Rizza, program vice president, Enterprise Applications and Digital Commerce, IDC. “The value of SAP Ariba solutions is further elevated by the deep alignment with SAP software. By helping solve the issues of multiple platforms, insufficient integration, disconnected data, and inconsistent user experience, customers now have a clearer path to achieving intelligent spend management with SAP solutions.”
“We’re delivering on the vision of SAP S/4HANA Cloud and its role in an intelligent enterprise that helps customers realize immediate time to value,” SAP S/4HANA President Jan Gilg said. “Now, with the integration of SAP Ariba solutions, we have extended the portfolio to cover network communication, strategic sourcing, contracts, and guided buying. This gives our customers the integration they need to address critical sourcing and procurement business processes end-to-end.”
Learn more about the source-to-pay process within the intelligent suite at the March 18 virtual SAP Ariba Live event and the “Accelerate Procurement Transformation with Three High-Impact Options” session. Visit the SAP Ariba Live website and follow the #SAPAribaLive event hashtag.
Drew Hofler is vice president of Portfolio Marketing for SAP Ariba.