The most recent advancements made in the SAP Business Network represent the next step of the German tech giant’s strategic goal to support organizations in achieving greater levels of supply chain transparency, resiliency, and sustainability.
Aside from putting a strong focus on embedding sustainability into operations, the enterprise software vendor believes that a key step in achieving its “intelligent enterprise” vision is developing strong business networks. At the SAPPHIRE NOW 2021 conference, major announcements include the launch of SAP Business Network — a breakthrough solution that reimagines how organizations connect with their network of trading partners. It enables enterprises to consolidate all points of interaction and integration throughout that network to progress faster and smarter than ever.
Part of last year’s solution highlights is a highly configurable toolset that enables user-based personalization based on roles, which is one of the core capabilities of the SAP Business Network trading partner experience. Other key features include intelligent trading partner onboarding and registration, collaboration scenarios, and a centralized access to discover and directly collaborate with customers.
SAP understands that customer feedback and input is significant as the company integrates and develops the various industry-leading networks into a unified business network. With this, the network is now a single portfolio of solutions that intend to assist customers in achieving supply chain visibility, agility, and sustainability within operations.
Latest Area Brand Names for SAP Business Network
The following solution area brand names were developed so that they would accurately reflect the core processes that the portfolio addresses:
- Formerly named Ariba Network, SAP Business Network for Procurement intends to assist customers in achieving business process and regulatory compliance, gaining efficiencies in procurement processes, and improving supply assurance through increased procurement transparency and direct access to a community of global suppliers.
- SAP Business Network for Supply Chain, previously known as SAP Ariba Supply Chain Collaboration, is designed to assist customers in achieving supply chain visibility. This is accomplished by facilitating plan-driven automation, maximizing capacity and inventory, and simplifying procurement workflows.
- SAP Business Network for Logistics, which used to be referred to as SAP Logistics Business Network, is meant to enable businesses in collaborating with shippers and carriers, exchanging insights, and gaining transparency throughout the supply chain.
- Lastly, SAP Business Network for Asset Management originally known as SAP Asset Intelligence Network is created to accommodate asset owners, operators, or service providers to more effectively collaborate and share information by utilizing a single, consistent version of asset master data.
Despite the name change, Tony Harris, Senior Vice President and Head of Marketing and Solutions, stated in the article that the SAP Ariba brand will not be affected in any way. He mentioned that the company will continue to make investments in the many procurement solutions it offers.
“It is a logical step in how we’re evolving our solutions to enable businesses to connect their most critical functions to their network of trading partners across procurement, supply chain, logistics, and asset management. This empowers businesses to deliver products to market when and where their customers need them,” Harris concluded.
Moreover, Taulia, a provider of solutions for working capital management that was just recently acquired by the German software business, will have its products directly incorporated into the network. SAP will also be delivering a new degree of transparency within its supply chain by implementing changes in product genealogy, conducting supplier assessments on human rights, and collaborating with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) suppliers such as EcoVadis, a sustainability data firm.
