News | September 24, 2008

Ariba Enhances Supplier Network

Sunnyvale, CA - Ariba, Inc., the leading spend management solutions provider, recently announced the release of Ariba Supplier Network 46, the latest version of its industry-leading Web-based business commerce and collaboration platform. Building on robust functionality developed over the last decade, the release features new capabilities designed to fuel greater collaboration among buyers and suppliers globally, including a supplier discovery service, transaction dashboard and invoice quick enablement.

"Globalization creates unprecedented opportunities for buyers and suppliers to connect and transact business," said Bob Solomon, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Ariba Supplier Network. "To maximize these opportunities, companies must have access to leading-edge tools that enable them to optimize and manage trading relationships across multiple geographies using a common platform."

Delivered on-demand, Ariba Supplier Network 46 features new capabilities designed to further streamline key business processes such as supplier discovery and enablement, invoicing and payment.

Finding New Trading Partners and Expanding Business Opportunities
As the world becomes increasingly flat, few things are more critical to the success of any business than finding the world's best suppliers. Through a new supplier discovery service, buyers can identify world-class partners to support their business strategies. And suppliers can tap new, qualified business opportunities using expanded supplier profile attributes that enable them to outline their capabilities in greater detail.

Speeding Enablement and Adoption
Equipping suppliers to transact business electronically remains a significant challenge for companies of all sizes. Expanding on its robust supplier enablement capabilities, Ariba has added invoice quick enablement features to Ariba Supplier Network 46. Now, buyers can quickly on-board suppliers who invoice them but do not typically receive a purchase order by automatically enabling them as soon as they are ready to generate an invoice. Companies using ERP systems to manage invoices can seamlessly connect to the Ariba Network and realize the value of this and other features that the Ariba Network provides.

Enhancing Visibility and Collaboration throughout the Procure-to-Pay Cycle
Leveraging a new dashboard that provides a view into transaction activities, suppliers can more effectively manage the lifecycle of orders and invoices and respond more quickly to customer needs. Using a single interface, suppliers can easily find purchase orders that have not been fully invoiced, create invoices, search for new orders, find changed orders, handle rejected invoices, and correct invoice errors. With increased visibility, suppliers can drive better usage and greater value from the Ariba Network.

"In a global economy, collaboration isn't just prudent, it's critical to success," Solomon said. "Through its Supplier Network, Ariba will continue to deliver the features and functionality that companies need to connect with key trading partners, enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of their operations and ultimately, capitalize on opportunities for growth."

SOURCE: Ariba Supplier Network