sap ariba snap Archives

Mar 27

Best Practices to Master Buying and Invoicing

By Parker Sproul Procurement No Comments

CFOs and CPOs face numerous challenges when managing to buy and invoicing processes within their organizations. Efficient financial management is crucial to maintain a healthy cash flow, reducing risk, and making data-driven decisions. In this blog post, we’ll explore the top ten pain points related to buying and invoicing from a financial perspective, along with best-in-class solutions and supporting statistics.

Manual Invoice Processing

One of the most time-consuming and error-prone aspects of financial management is manual invoice processing. Automating this process with AI-based tools can significantly reduce the time spent on processing invoices and improve accuracy. According to the Institute of Finance and Management (IOFM), organizations that have automated invoice processing report a 60-80% reduction in invoice processing time.

Inaccurate Financial Data and Reporting

Access to accurate, real-time financial data is essential for making informed decisions. Implementing real-time data analytics and reporting tools can help CFOs and CPOs to achieve greater insights and improve decision-making. Companies that use real-time analytics experience a 54% improvement in decision-making speed, according to the Aberdeen Group.

Fraud and Compliance Risks

Fraud and compliance risks can have severe financial and reputational consequences for organizations. Enhancing internal controls with fraud detection and compliance management systems can help mitigate these risks. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) reports that companies with strong anti-fraud controls can reduce fraud losses by up to 50%.

Decentralized Procurement and Purchasing Processes

A decentralized procurement process can lead to inefficiencies, lack of visibility, and increased costs. Centralizing procurement with a comprehensive, cloud-based procurement platform can streamline operations and reduce expenses. The Hackett Group found that centralized procurement can reduce procurement costs by up to 20%.

Inefficient Vendor Management

Managing vendors effectively is crucial for maintaining strong relationships and ensuring optimal performance. Implementing a vendor management system with automated vendor onboarding and performance tracking can improve the efficiency of this process. Deloitte reports that companies with efficient vendor management experience 26% faster vendor onboarding times.

Lack of Spend Visibility

Gaining granular, real-time insights into spending is essential for cost control and strategic decision-making. Utilizing spend analytics tools can provide CFOs and CPOs with the visibility they need to make informed decisions. Gartner states that organizations that leverage spending analytics can achieve up to 15% cost savings.

High Invoice Error Rates

Invoice errors can lead to payment delays, strained relationships with suppliers, and increased costs. Adopting a smart invoicing system with built-in error detection and prevention can reduce invoice error rates significantly. Ardent Partners found that companies using smart invoicing systems can reduce invoice error rates by up to 37%.

Slow Approval Workflows

Lengthy approval workflows can delay payments and hinder cash flow management. Streamlining approval workflows with automated routing and escalation features can expedite the process. PayStream Advisors report that organizations that automate their approval workflows experience a 45% reduction in approval cycle times.

Difficulty Managing Cash Flow and Working Capital

Effective cash flow management and forecasting are vital for maintaining financial stability. Implementing cash flow management and forecasting tools with real-time visibility can improve accuracy and decision-making. PwC found that companies that use cash flow management tools can improve cash flow forecasting accuracy by up to 36%.

Ineffective Budgeting and Cost Control

Budgeting and cost control are integral to financial success. Adopting an integrated budget management system with real-time tracking and reporting can streamline these processes and provide better insights. The Financial Executives Research Foundation (FERF) reports that organizations that implement integrated budget management systems experience a 33% reduction in budgeting cycle times.

By addressing these pain points with best-in-class solutions, CFOs and CPOs can significantly improve their organizations’ financial performance, reduce risk, and enhance decision-making capabilities. These improvements will ultimately lead to a more efficient and effective buying and invoicing process, allowing organizations to thrive in a competitive business environment.

Contact us to learn more!

Dec 07

2 Things Your Business Needs To Do ASAP

By michael Procurement No Comments

Do you need to take a serious assessment of your business right now?

For months, we’ve seen how COVID-19 has affected our personal lives, businesses, and the way our society functions in general. And if you haven’t taken the time to really dive into how your business is functioning from the ground up, I challenge you to make this your top priority.

The impact that COVID-19 has had on business is emphasizing what has always been true: The future is filled with unforeseen circumstances, and the world is changing fast. Businesses need to be smart, agile, and innovative, but it’s hard to do this if you don’t have a solid foundation in place.

Many businesses are experiencing budget cuts and a reduced workforce. Now is the time to become more strategic with your game plan and fix or improve current processes.

Plain and simple, if you haven’t already, you need to:

1. Cut costs.
2. Make sure time is used efficiently as possible.

Of course, while this may be simple, it is frequently not easy. Here are ways you can approach making these essential assessments:

You Need to Dial In Your Spending.
We want our businesses to not just survive—we want them to thrive. However, especially in the last several months, many companies have shifted into survival mode.

Companies in many industries are having to take a hard look at their expenses, and there have been significant cuts across the board. It’s essential to stay lean and mean, and you need to be bold, proactive, and smart when evaluating where you can cut back.

Part of successfully cutting costs begins with asking the right questions. I encourage businesses to consider:

What do you actually NEED for your business to operate right now? Are you actually accumulating things you don’t need? How have your needs changed with more employees working from home?
How are purchases approved? Who is in charge of approving purchases? Are they able to review and approve in a timely manner? Are inefficient processes causing your business to miss out on important opportunities that could have been? Who is spending money on what, and how can you find out this information?
Are you actually buying from the BEST supplier for your specific needs? Are you getting the very best deals on items you truly need? Are the products you’re using high quality? Does your supplier provide a top-notch shopping experience so you don’t waste time? Does your supplier provide excellent customer service?

Not only do you need to simplify your procurement process, but you need to make sure you’re also getting the most out of it.

Is Valuable Time Being Wasted?

While working from home can have its perks, there is an added layer of complexity due to the unique challenges of COVID-19. People are not simply “working from home”; they are doing everything from home. And with budget cuts, employees may be working harder and longer hours than ever.

Your goal here is to let your employees spend time on the things that really sustain and grow your business. Again, identifying how to fix and improve processes begins with asking the right questions:

Are your employees wasting valuable hours on easy-to-solve procurement issues? For example, how many hours do they spend manually reconciling purchase orders with invoices? (How many hours or days does this add up to each year?)
How long do employees spend researching the suppliers with the lowest costs? After investing in hours researching suppliers, have you ended up actually saving money? Are the suppliers reputable? Do they offer white glove customer support where you can talk to a real person right away?
How much time does it take to get set up with each new supplier? Is it worth the investment? How long until you’ll need to find a new supplier to grow with your business? How long will it take you to figure out if it’s the best fit for your needs?

Don’t waste time doing things that have simple, elegant solutions already available.

***

No matter what your unique challenges may be during this time, every business can benefit from taking a hard look at how time and money are being used.

If you read this and felt slightly panicked or overwhelmed, you’re not alone. This stuff is hard. It can be time-consuming to figure out, and sometimes it can feel easier to let things get done the way they always have, instead of making the investment in a potential solution that may or may not work out. You need to figure out a way to make big changes… without wasting even more money and time.

Premikati Marketplace has you covered. How can you know for sure? We know from experience exactly what businesses (like yours!) struggle with the most.

Premikati Marketplace helps your business:

Cut costs. Companies that use Premikati Marketplace save up to 35% due to pre-negotiated pricing on millions of items, efficiencies, and spend visibility.
Use time efficiently. Set up Premikati Marketplace in less than 24 hours. You don’t need any IT or technical admin support, either.

Click here to learn more about the Premikati Marketplace

Sep 12

SAP Ariba Snap Frequently Asked Questions

By Parker Sproul 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.

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