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Sep 12
supplier diversity

Supplier Diversity: How it Improves Business, and How it Works

By Procurement No Comments

Supplier Diversity: How it Improves Business, and How it Works

Diverse spend is an ongoing goal for companies large and small alike. For government contractors and their subcontractors along the supply chain, the goal of supplier diversity can even stand as a requirement to doing business.

Exacerbating the search for diverse spend, suppliers often don’t even realize their potential to benefit from formal recognition of their diverse supplier qualities.

Supplier diversity can therefore feel like an onerous goal at times, imposed on supply chain professionals and business owners who already face manifold compliance requirements and boxes to check elsewhere.

Fortunately, in almost any industry, supplier diversity initiatives can be successful on both the buy and the supply sides with an all-encompassing approach that utilizes business intelligence, researches outside knowledge, and takes proactive measures. (You’ve already made a good first step coming to this page!)

The benefits of supplier diversity

Most large companies have been striving to increase supplier diversity for decades. But just what is a diverse supplier?

In the case of supplier diversity where the U.S. government is concerned, the OFCCP – Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs – provides the following major small business subcontractor categories:

  • Disadvantaged
  • Woman-owned
  • Veteran-owned
  • Service-disabled veteran-owned
  • HUBZone (Small Business Administration-designated “Historically Underutilized Business Zones”)

With the U.S. federal government requiring those contracting in excess of $700,000 ($1.5 million in construction) on a deal to pursue subcontract according to certain percentages with the above small business categories, it becomes crucial for these businesses to know their supplier bases inside and out.

There are other categories outside of or overlapping with the above, too, such as foreign businesses and National Institute for the Blind (NIB) or National Institute of Speech and Hearing (NISH) affiliate businesses.

Supplier diversity’s benefits are not limited to satisfying government contracting requirements. Having achieved supplier diversity – either as a buyer, or as an entrepreneur who has attained diverse certification (more on that below) – one’s business becomes more attractive to outside companies looking to improve diverse spend overall.

Moreover, from a marketing perspective, the potentially unique approaches of diverse suppliers can bolster a company’s ability to navigate the U.S.’s increasingly diverse demographics.

Identifying diverse suppliers

For many corporations, supplier diversity is nothing new. To illustrate, CVM Solutions found in a 2017 report that 75% of supplier diversity programs have been in place for more than 3 years. In the same survey, however, only 25% of supplier diversity professionals rated their programs as “very effective,” signaling a gap between those who knowwhat supplier diversity is and those who achieveit.

Of acute relevance to small and medium-size companies is to know how to demonstrate supplier diversity. Luckily, doing so is a relatively simple affair thanks to the existence of Supplier Diversity Certification.

Major national-level certifying agencies include the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), and the U.S. Department of Transportation DBE Program, and the SBA Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program. Other major certifications exist, with even the state of Ohio operating its own Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certification program.

Knowing about certifications is only half the battle. Suppliers may not realize the business benefits of certification, and their customers may not think to ask. Procurement supplier business surveys should always ask in plain terms about suppliers’ knowledge of diverse supplier certification beforeestablishing whether they have any! This simple question can save lots of time, money, and calories for all parties involved.

For small and medium businesses especially, the art of sourcing diverse spend can still seem excessively time-consuming, cost-intensive, or just overwhelming to approach. Easy-to-use tools exist to streamline this process.

Integrating diverse suppliers

Dun & Bradstreet (DNB) is meanwhile known for its deep supplier sourcing database, and assigning a D-U-N-S identification number is free for all businesses required to register with the U.S. Federal government for contracts or grants.

New networks and databases are cropping up to meet the unique demands supply chain professionals face, like in supplier diversity. Premikati Marketplace, an SAP Partner-Packaged Solution, enables diverse supplier sourcing with ease.

SAP Ariba is a major software suite that supply chain professionals use to drive all sorts of business decisions.  Using SAP Ariba in a turnkey, in-browser navigation system, Premikati Marketplace connects suppliers (including diverse) with buyers. It is free for suppliers to set up, with no costs or fees to maintain.

With Premikati as a WBENC-certified woman-owned business, enhancing users’ supplier diversity connections is a key function of its Marketplace. New suppliers have the opportunity to connect with potential buyers, and potential buyers to new suppliers, thanks to the low barrier to entry design of the network.

From electronic requisition processing to supplier information queries, Premikati’s Marketplace solution is easily tailored to diverse supplier integration.

Every supply chain initiative poses unique opportunities and challenges, and supplier diversity efforts are no exception. For a more personal touch to your unique supply chain initiatives, contact Premikati’s experts for a real human’s ideas and insights on how you can improve supplier diversity and enhance other efficiencies in your company’s supply chain now.

About PREMIKATI

Founded in 2009, Premikati, Inc. is a WBENC certified woman-owned Supply Chain Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firm, providing cost savings and financial, contractual and supplier risk mitigation services to purchasing organizations for mid and large enterprises while leveraging best-in-class purchasing processes and technology. Premikati has partnered with SAP and is one of only five companies globally to have been granted the most exclusive partnership level with SAP Ariba, as a BPO Partner.

Sep 12
Digital Transformation in Small and Medium Sized Businesses

Digital Transformation in Small and Medium Sized Businesses

By Procurement No Comments

SMBs and Digital Transformation: Is Your Company a Laggard or a Front Runner?

SMBs have long been seen as being “behind the curve” in terms of transformative businesses processes. This unfortunate placement puts slow adopters at a disadvantage, blocking access to cost-saving solutions and process optimization.

With all the advantages that digital transformation promises, you might wonder what the hesitation is all about, but it could be due to one or more factors that include:

  1. Lack of awareness. In small businesses, often there isn’t a dedicated technology officer to inform leadership of new and helpful tools. Unless there is somebody within the organization who has an interest in pursuing this line of action, the company will likely continue as they have in the past, gradually losing market share.
  2. Cost-prohibitive nature of large analytic ERPs. Not every business is a good candidate for an ERP as these systems are often designed for the enterprise and not priced for a smaller operator.
  3. Lack of manpower. Digital transformation does not happen overnight. Identifying the right technology, migrating systems, training staff, and generally managing change is a time-consuming and sometimes complex process. Many businesses simply do not have in-house staff who are trained adequately enough to see it through and hiring an outside company isn’t always possible due to budget constraints.

Procurement solutions: turning laggards into front-runners

Even if your digital transformation is underway, some departments are often overlooked or put on the back burner while more critical areas are addressed. Procurement is one such area, but in truth, it is one of the easiest to gain control over, helping you lower costs and gain some competitive ground.

Procurement is, perhaps, the largest area of total spend over which SMBs do not have complete oversight. In most cases, there will be several individuals spread out over various departments who are making purchases covering everything from office supplies to raw materials.

In the enterprise, these tasks are centrally managed through the ERP. Buyers can access a centralized list of preferred suppliers, leverage an integrated PO system for efficient financial reporting, and stakeholders are provided with complete transparency into all procurement activities.

How can SMBs take advantage of enterprise approaches to save?

The good news is, the ability to easily manage spending analytics and choose from a catalog of diverse suppliers is no longer the sole realm of the enterprise.

The solution: Premikati Marketplace

Running on the SAP Ariba™ Buying and Invoicing platform, Premikati Marketplace can accomplish all of these things, offering affordability and scalability combined with the simplicity and security of a cloud-based platform.

Premikati Marketplace is a B2B marketplace that features tens of millions of items from fully-vetted and sustainable suppliers. SMBs can access features like rock bottom pricing and leverage built-in spending control, driving value straight back to the bottom line.

“Finding frictionless ways for your business to initiate digital transformation in their organization is a growing trend and plays a key role to maintain competitiveness. The challenge is that businesses are just like consumers – they want fast time to value and convenience. Premikati Marketplace offers both for SMB companies by digitally connecting suppliers to help SMB companies buy goods at market-friendly prices with control and visibility that is required by companies. This is a great foundation for any business to start digital.”

 

Sean Thomson, SAP Ariba, Network & Ecosystems

@seanthomson0108

Benefits of Premikati Marketplace

There are many benefits of Premikati Marketplace, including:

  • Control spending across multiple departments and buyers
  • Reduce time spent on ad-hoc buying processes from days or weeks to just hours
  • Up to 35 percent reduction in costs overall
  • Cashback feature: receive a rebate of up to one percent on your P-Card for all purchases

If your company is lagging behind the pack in digital transformation, even small changes can deliver significant results. To learn more about how we can help you optimize your procurement spend, visit www.premikati.com/marketplace or call us directly to find out how we can help.

About PREMIKATI

Founded in 2009, Premikati, Inc. is a WBENC certified woman-owned Supply Chain Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firm, providing cost savings and financial, contractual and supplier risk mitigation services to purchasing organizations for mid and large enterprises while leveraging best-in-class purchasing processes and technology. Premikati has partnered with SAP and is one of only five companies globally to have been granted the most exclusive partnership level with SAP Ariba, as a BPO Partner.

Sep 12
Premikati and SAP Ariba Deliver Enterprise-class Procurement for SMBs

Premikati and SAP Ariba Deliver Enterprise-class Procurement for SMBs

By Procurement No Comments

For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), shrewd spending decisions can mean the difference between failure and success. But many lack the systems and staff to make procurement a mission-critical priority.

Premikati Inc. has a solution to their problem. Leveraging technology from SAP Ariba, Premikati introduced the Premikati Marketplace, giving SMBs access to enterprise-class procurement as a service.

“Small and medium-sized businesses have long wanted to take advantage of enterprise-class procurement, but they haven’t had the means,” said Marisol Buczynski Buchanan, CEO of Premikati. “Using the Premikati Marketplace, they can access millions of vetted suppliers and enterprise-class procurement tools that provide greater visibility into their spend and procurement process from end to end – all at a cost they can afford.”

As an SAP Ariba partner, Premikati has created the marketplace specifically geared to SMBs in just six weeks, from delivery to cutover to production. It provides them with critical elements they need in driving a simple, efficient source-to-settle process that quickly delivers results. Their customers can manage spending, connect with suppliers, improve cash flow, and drive compliance – all without adding complexity.

“The Sanders Group has been transacting over the Ariba Network for many years as a media technology and communications supplier to some of the largest companies in the United States,” said Mike Sanders, president of The Sanders Group. “With the Premikati Marketplace, we can now use the same SAP Ariba solution to purchase products and services we need to run our business. Premikati was able to get our team enabled and completing transactions within one hour of receiving our information.”

Sep 12
Premikati and SAP improve the lives of students

SAP and Premikati Improve the Lives of Students

By Press No Comments

SAP Ariba silver partner Premikati recently completed a project that provides students, parents, and schools in Florida with much-improved access to services and financial support through the Step Up for Students (SUFS) organization.

The non-profit SUFS manages funds for The Gardiner Scholarship Program , which provides up to $10,000 each for K-12 students in Florida for tuition, equipment, therapy and other supplies. Prior to implementing SAP Ariba, parents had to pay expenses out of pocket and submit invoices for reimbursement.

The system financially strained many parents and featured an inefficient, manually intensive process for nearly 1,300 reimbursements every day. A team of 75 people manage invoices and the organization printed 100,000 checks on a quarterly basis, said Marisol Buczynski-Buchanan, CEO of Premikati, which handled the implementation.

“Their process was not sustainable nor scalable,” she said. “They were looking for technology to manage the funds and put all approved products and materials into a marketplace where parents and guardians could click to purchase.”

Vendors such as Best Buy, Office Depot, Lakeshore Learning, and School Specialty are onboarding their catalogs into the SUFS marketplace, with more on the way, allowing parents to purchase educational materials, services and tuition online.

The tuition reimbursement process and marketplace is expected to go live in January 2018, serving more than 100,000 students in 2,000 schools.

“Going forward, parents can just order the goods and services they need for the education of their children online using their smart phones while the software tracks the balance of their scholarship funds,” Buchanan said. “And SUFS can spend their time working closer with the families to provide additional services and support.”

Additionally, the 2,000 private Florida Schools also reduce their administrative costs associated with tracking parental signatures for tuition reimbursement checks as well as additional costs.

“This is the first time a real business to consumer system has been built on SAP Ariba. In fact, this is one of the largest SAP Ariba implementations to date in terms of buying organizations, which has only been made possible by the advancements to the user interface and the addition of guided buying,” Buchanan said. “Essentially, we are applying the most sophisticated procurement software available and offering it to families so that they can spend more time with their children and less time and headaches dealing with paperwork and stressing over financial burdens.  This is a true business case of procurement with purpose driven by SAP Ariba.”

Sep 12
SAP Ariba SNAP! FAQs

SAP Ariba Snap Frequently Asked Questions

By Procurement No Comments

As one of only eight companies in North America that have the ability to implement SAP Ariba Snap solution that is targeted at mid-market companies, we at PREMIKATI have compiled a list of frequently asked questions and their answers to help you decide if your organization is ready to take the next steps into solving your procurement obstacles and meeting your business objectives.

Overview and Key Differentiators:

What exactly is SAP Ariba Snap and how does it differ from standard SAP Ariba?

Snap is an implementation of SAP Ariba Buying and Invoicing and encompasses the critical elements of a procurement foundation at a minimum of complexity.

What is the process of implementation?

PREMIKATI is able to take your business live with SAP Ariba Snap in under 12 weeks. You will get best practices on Day 1 out-of-the-box which can be adjusted during implementation and over time.  In order to maximize the return on investment, we recommend that SAP Ariba’s Spot Buy marketplace be turned on immediately.  We want you to be transacting in 2 weeks or less!

(See more about the incredible SAP Ariba Spot Buy Marketplace!)

Supplier enablement of the initially targeted suppliers are performed by Premikati.  This is a critical aspect of the successful implementation and has been fully integrated into the implementation process.  We train your team so you can be self-sufficient as you add suppliers over time.

Spot Buy:

Does the SAP Ariba Spot Buy Marketplace come with SAP Ariba Snap?

Yes, Spot Buy is included and can be ready for transacting early in the implementation process.

One great thing about Spot Buy is that you can control content by commodity. For example, the administrator has the ability to toggle on and toggle off what content your users are allowed to see.  In addition, approval workflows and cost center information can be added to any purchase.  These are unique value props to Ariba Marketplace. You choose the content for your users, no matter the number or location – a feature that NO competitor has.

Do users in countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, UK, Germany, and Australia have access to Spot Buy content immediately or is that limited to the US only?

The marketplace is growing fast! SAP Ariba Snap has up to 60 million SKU`s from sustainable, and vetted suppliers. It is available for users in US, Canada, UK, and Germany today.  Mercateo is the marketplace provider for EMEA.  Recently, SAP Ariba signed agreements with Mercado Libre that will make the marketplace available in Latin America.

Guided Buying:

Does Guided Buying come with SAP Ariba Snap, and if so, can you configure other categories to the guided buying landing page?

Yes, Guided Buying is included. While you can easily add additional categories that are specific for your business, with Snap you get pre-built categories with content and forms for:

  • IT & IT Services
  • Office Supplies
  • Advertising & Printing
  • Marketing Services
  • Financial Services
  • Legal & HR Services
  • Facilities / Maintenance
  • Travel

(See more about SAP Ariba’s Guided Buying)
 

Technical:

How do approval processes work? What do they look like?

You will receive SAP Ariba’s best practice approval workflow out-of-the box. You can approve via the application, via email, or by mobile device.  Approval workflows have tons of flexibility. There are parallel approvals to accelerate process. There is a concept of a watcher, and user approval groups.  Out of the box approvals include role, dollar value, special situation. This helps to minimize the need to build customizations.

How does Ariba & ERP’s integrate? Is there a standard set of integration scenarios for each process within Procure-to-Pay that no special development is needed if SAP best practices are followed?

Perhaps the most valuable aspect of Snap is the pre-determined flows, processes, and approvals out of the box. The structure is both robust and complete, essentially eliminating the need for customized integration. There are few instances where the custom integration justifies both the up front and ongoing maintenance costs.  With SAP software, there are 170 native integration points. The number of integrations is 8x of any competitor and covers the entire Source-to-Settle process.

Does this apply to non-SAP customers as well?

Yes. Ariba Snap is ERP Agnostic and will deploy in <12 weeks. 42% of Ariba customers are non-SAP.

Essentially all ERP systems can now be integrated to Ariba.

Are analytics provided? If so, how is reporting presented and managed?

Yes, analytics are provided which are focused on the P2P lifecycle.  As part of Snap, SAP Ariba has provided end to end capabilities to support the entire procure to pay process.  All of the basics are reported on (approvals, spend by categories, invoices exceptions, accruals, etc.) It is possible to set it up to have a weekly report sent to your stakeholders directly from the tool, or you may download in Excel.  Additionally, any data element captured can be reported with an unlimited number of customized reports that your team can create easily.

 

Upgrades:

If our company outgrows SAP Ariba Snap, do we have to redeploy/repurchase SAP Ariba?

Absolutely not!  SAP Ariba Snap is the same full Buying and Invoicing solution deployed at Large Enterprise customers but the focus is on the features and functionality that are critical to growing businesses and deploy only those features.  If you need additional features in the future, these are already included in your license and you can toggle them on at any time.

The beauty of SAP Ariba Snap is that it is a solution that is built to grow in complexity as your business matures. With implementation, we start with the key foundations that will give you the fastest time to value in key spend categories.  Once the foundation is set you can add those features and functionalities that best meet your needs while minimizing cost and operational risk.

What does SAP Ariba Snap cost?  Is the price determined by Spend Volume? by PO? Or transactions? Or connections?

Pricing is done by volume of Spend and the of the number of documents (PO and Invoices per year). Unlimited users are allowed so everybody in your company to have flexibility to access the tool without additional cost.

  

My Suppliers:

What is the process for suppliers to join the Ariba Network?

Suppliers can join the network at discovery.ariba.com but they are also invited to the Ariba Network from the buyer in their Ariba site. This can be done as an invitation or when a PO is sent to supplier prompting the invitation. Suppliers are considered customers too. SAP Ariba has used many UX principles to dramatically ease supplier interaction on the network.

What are the fees for Suppliers with SAP Ariba Snap?

Your suppliers can transact for free on the Ariba Network. They have the ability to send PO`s, Invoices, Order Confirmations, Ship Notices, and more. (Learn more about Light Enablement from SAP Ariba) 

Why should we buy SAP Ariba instead of a competitor’s product? Here are a few highlights:

  • Fast time to value (<12 weeks)
  • Best practices built in
  • Access to Spot Buy marketplace (content engine) that you control by commodity
  • UPGRADE Path without having to “upgrade”!!!
  • Local Resources – local language support and real-delivery expertise
  • Integration is simple and easy
  • Commercial flexibility i.e. Unlimited users and low subscription price
  • Suppliers can transact for free on the Ariba Network via Light Enablement

 

About PREMIKATI

Founded in 2009, PREMIKATI is a WBENC certified woman-owned Supply Chain Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firm, providing cost savings and financial, contractual and supplier risk mitigation services to purchasing organizations for mid and large enterprises while leveraging best-in-class purchasing processes and technology.

Sep 12
NSBA partners

CEO of Premikati Named to National Small Business Association Leadership Council

By Press No Comments

Marisol Buchanan, CEO of Premikati, located in Indianapolis, IN was recently named to the National Small Business Association (NSBA) Leadership Council. NSBA is the nation’s oldest small-business advocacy organization, and operates on a staunchly nonpartisan basis. Buchanan, a recognized leader in the small-business community, joins the NSBA Leadership Council alongside other small-business advocates from across the country as they work to promote the interests of small business to policymakers in Washington, D.C. Additionally, Buchanan is a Council Member for the NSBA Technology, Economic Development, and Health and Human Resources Committees.

“As a small-business owner, I see daily the importance of being involved and active when it comes to laws and regulation,” stated Buchanan. “Joining NSBA’s Leadership Council will enable me to take our collective small-business message to the people that need to hear it most: Congress.”

As a WBENC certified, woman-owned small business operator and owner, Buchanan has more than 18 years of leadership and governance management experience. She is an active member of the National Association of Woman Business Owners, Women and Hi Tech, and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Buchanan volunteers her time to multiple community organizations to maximize the voice of small business owners.

Ms. Buchanan joined her NSBA Leadership Council as part of her efforts to tackle the many critical issues facing small business, including tax reform, regulatory restraint, health care costs and how the Affordable Care Act will impact small business. The NSBA Leadership Council is focused on providing valuable networking between small-business advocates from across the country while ensuring small business a seat at the table as Congress and regulators take up key small-business proposals.

“I am proud to have Marisol as part of our Leadership Council,” stated NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. “She came to us highly recommended and I look forward to our coordinated efforts for years to come.”

Please click here to learn more about Marisol Buchanan.https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisolbuczuynskibuchanan/

For more on the NSBA Leadership Council, please visit www.nsba.biz/leadershipcouncil.

About Premikati: Founded in 2009, Premikati, Inc. is a Supply Chain Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firm, providing cost savings and financial, contractual and supplier risk mitigation services to purchasing organizations for mid and large enterprises while leveraging best-in-class purchasing processes and technology. Premikati has partnered with SAP and is one of only five companies globally to have been granted the most exclusive partnership level with SAP Ariba. Additionally, Premikati is now embarking two new lines of business; a national Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) for the K-12 education space and non-profits, and orchestrating a Minority and Woman Business Enterprise (MWBE) catalog of suppliers to support the swell of demand by Fortune, government and private sectors.

Sep 12
Contract management from Ariba for $30K

Contract Management from Ariba for $30K?

By Procurement No Comments

When a company decides it has a need for a Contract Management software, the first step is generally to send out an RFI/RFP. A number of weeks and many pages of responses later, the field is generally narrowed to a couple of contenders. Then comes the demos… The team watches each vendor demonstrate their technology, usually with fairly little difference between them. Reporting, templates, clause libraries, redlining, and electronic signatures are usually the top things that everyone wants to see.

At the end of the day, since most of the top tools can all accomplish the same things, two factors typically make the decision. 1) The one that the team deems most “user friendly” and 2) price.

Once implementation is underway, the team starts to realize that they simply aren’t ready with templates and a clause library. Creating those from scratch takes a considerable amount of effort, particularly from an already overburdened legal team. They also realize that redlining might not work quite as easily as it was shown in the demo. These two items are then pushed off to a Phase II (which often never occurs) and the system is basically used as a repository.

The software vendors typically do not have different “levels” of their software at different price points. If you want a “repository only” solution, you would need choose a lower cost, less sophisticated software, effectively eliminating a progression path towards those features such as templates, clause libraries, and redlining that can be beneficial as your organization matures.

With Premikati recently becoming a BPO Partner of SAP Ariba, we have opened up a new set of options.

Premikati can now purchase and operate the SAP Ariba Contract Management Professional software on your behalf. We have two paths, one for Enterprise customers, and another for companies below $500MM in annual revenue.

First, for the Enterprise. Premikati can purchase an individual realm to operate on your behalf. Frankly, our status as a BPO Partner enables us to buy it at a significantly lower price point that you can. Our team will own and operate the system on your behalf, performing Contract Administration Services and, of course, all of the system administrative functions as well. This allows your team to focus its energy on more strategic opportunities, not the tactical day to day activities of keeping track of contracts. When you consider the total cost of ownership, you will be hard pressed to find a service/solution that provides more value for the price.

For companies below $500MM in revenue, we have a whole new way of thinking. 

Since we realize that initially you most likely only need a “repository” with reporting and the ability to do electronic signatures, that is all you are going to pay for.

Depending on a variety of factors, our pricing starts as low as $30K for an annual subscription that includes Contract Administration Services and all system administration.

Implementation is similarly value priced starting at $25K with a Go-Live in as little as two weeks.

This is still for the full version of the Ariba Contract Management Professional system although integration with other systems is not available in this situation. However, during your maturation as an organization, both in revenue and sophistication, we can always move you over to an Enterprise realm with ease and no downtime.

______________________________________________________________________

Premikati is a certified Woman Owned Management Consulting and Legal Process Outsourcing firm, and an SAP Ariba Silver Partner, that is specifically tailored to Procurement and Supply Chain.

Sep 12
Premikati Transforms Contract Management with SAP Ariba

Premikati Transforms Contract Management with SAP Ariba

By Press No Comments

Certified WBE outsourcing firm leverages cloud-based solutions to fuel efficient digital process that delivers savings and compliance

PALO ALTO, Calif., November 16, 2016 – The cloud is where efficient contract management is happening. But many businesses lack the technology and resources to get there. Premikati is out to change this, with some help from SAP Ariba. The business process outsourcing and management consulting firm today announced that it will leverage Ariba® Contract Management Professional™ to drive an efficient, digital process for managing contracts that delivers savings and compliance.

“We have seen clients of all sizes and industries struggle with contract management,” said Marisol Buczynski Buchanan, CEO of Premikati. “Lack of tracking with respect to items such as expiration dates, renewal terms/price increases, service level agreements, notice provisions, and even counter signatures is all too common. With SAP Ariba, we can help them overcome these issues.”

An SAP Ariba BPO partner, Premikati will use SAP Ariba’s technology to perform contract management services not only for large enterprises, but for companies under $500 million in annual revenue. And in doing so, it aims to eliminate many of the barriers that prevent them from pursuing digital strategies such as a lack of resources to implement and manage software. “We can have them up and running in two to three weeks at a very cost-effective price point,” Buchanan said.

Ariba Contract Management Professional is the industry’s leading SaaS solution for contract management. Uniquely designed to eliminate the paper and ink from the creation, execution, and management of any type of contractual agreement, the offering enables companies of all sizes to efficiently:

  • Automate and accelerate the entire contract lifecycle
  • Standardize and control contract development
  • Collaborate with all stakeholders
  • Strengthen operational, contractual, and regulatory compliance

“Contracts are the lifeblood of any organization and managing them effectively can deliver strategic advantage,” said David Johnston, Senior Vice President, Partner Ecosystem, SAP Ariba. “With SAP Ariba’s technology and Premikati’s contract management expertise, companies of all sizes can get on the road to automation and drive an efficient process that lowers both their costs and risk.”

To learn more about SAP Ariba’s contract management solutions and the value they can deliver, visit: www.ariba.com. Learn More.

About Premikati

Premikati is a WBENC certified WBE Management Consulting and BPO firm that is specifically tailored to Contract Management and Procurement. Premikati helps its clients with all facets of contracting and procurement strategy as well as outsourced Contract Management Services including the drafting and negotiation of contracts.   They employ procurement executives, attorneys, contract management professionals, Six Sigma Black Belts, and certified Change Masters with extensive experience either inside or consulting with the world’s top companies.

About SAP Ariba

SAP® Ariba® is the marketplace for digital business, creating frictionless exchanges between millions of buyers and suppliers across the entire source-to-pay process. Our market-leading solutions enable companies to simplify collaboration with their trading partners, make smarter business decisions and extend their collaborative business processes with an open technology platform. More than two million companies use SAP Ariba solutions to connect and collaborate around nearly one trillion in commerce on an annual basis. To learn more about the company’s offerings and the transformation they are driving, visit www.ariba.com. Learn More.

About SAP

As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable approximately 335,000 customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com. Learn More.

 

 

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Aug 01
Costs of Your Supplier Relationships

What are the Real Costs of Your Supplier Relationships?

By Procurement No Comments

Summary: Supplier relationships can be costly in terms of both money and time investments, and can also be rife with risk. Many businesses are turning to B2B marketplaces in order to lower cost and risk alike and instead focus on collaborative relationships, strategic partnerships, and innovation. 

When you’re in business, you have to form relationships with suppliers in one way or another in order to get the job done. However, the way you go about building supplier relationships can make all the difference to your bottom line as well as the innovative potential of your business. When seeking out suppliers and a way to interact with them, it’s important to be aware of the actual cost of the relationship, the risks involved by doing business with them, and the alternatives you have at hand.

What Are The Costs Of Your Supplier Relationships?

When it comes to supplier relationship management, the whole ordeal can be costly if you let it get out of hand. If you have too many suppliers, you risk high costs, confusion, and overcomplication in other areas of business which rely on these supplies, like production. Too few suppliers, and you’re in an “all your eggs in one basket” situation which rarely leads to good things in business or in life.

According to a study by The Hackett Group in 2012,

“It costs roughly $700-$1,400 in internal costs (i.e., labor, outsourcing, technology and related overhead) to source each supplier, set it up in internal systems, transact with it and manage the relationship on an ongoing basis.”

Among the reasons to consolidate suppliers cited in the study, is that added buying power with each supplier can lower your cost of purchase as well as your supplier management costs.

Even beyond money, dealing with paperwork manually, fixing invoice errors and discrepancies, and communicating with suppliers over inquiries costs companies about 6500 hours a year—and you can bet that they are paying someone for each and every one of those hours.

What Are The Risks Of Working With Your Supplier?

Trust, transparency, and longevity are all valid concerns when contemplating the risks of working with suppliers. Contract management alone can be a hefty ordeal, especially if you find yourself dealing with a subpar supplier, since contract renegotiation can be a long and arduous process.

Each supplier you manually add to your supply base also results in a cadre of compliance risks. How do they safeguard their data? How does their preceding supply chain look—are they reliable? Are they utilizing corrupt practices somewhere down the line like forced labor, poor work conditions, or even human trafficking? Without a process in place alongside the skill and man-hours to verify each of your suppliers compliance standards as well as consistent checks to ensure their standards are regularly updated and maintained, you run the risk of severe ethical and reputational harm to your business.

When business neglect to regularly analyze their supplier lists and consolidate where it’s relevant to do so, spend visibility also suffers. Companies may pass along orders to vendors sheerly out of convenience, desire, or cost with little further rationale—all of which can lead to costly situations down the line. Being able to monitor and have full visibility into your company’s spend is vital to healthy, low-risk supplier relationships.

Why Are More Companies Looking To B2B Marketplaces For Their Suppliers?

The middle ground between too many and too few suppliers is paring down to focus on your key suppliers and nurturing those relationships. Similarly, employing the necessary services to validate the compliance of your suppliers can save you many dollars and headaches throughout the course of your business. Both of these reasons are why many companies are turning to B2B marketplaces to source their suppliers.

B2B marketplaces enable buyers to home in on key suppliers, increase spend visibility, lower overhead costs of SRM, and allow businesses to focus on the more important aspects of having supplier relationships and with far fewer worries. Instead, businesses can spend their time developing collaborative, strategic relationships and key partnerships in order to boost innovation and profit for everyone involved.

One well-known supporter of building strong, collaborative supplier relationships as a driver of innovation is Toyota. Approximately 15% of Toyota’s suppliers can be classed as “strategic potential or actual co-developers.” They are sure to invest additional time and resources in these suppliers through activities such as attending R&D shows to spur discussion about new technologies.

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