Again, manual processes are often error prone and labor intensive, which can be costly. Data entry delays and errors preclude real-time visibility into cash flows and can cause backlogs in processing invoices, which can delay payments.įor buyers, lack of integration with their ERP means that they have to use manual processes to enter order confirmations, ship notices, and invoices into ERP. Suppliers may spend over 30 hours a week entering sales orders manually into their ERP, which can also make it difficult handle large volumes of transactions without inevitable errors that cause frustration. Suppliers find themselves entering sales orders and invoices manually which is not only time-consuming, but also prone to errors. Without integration between supplier networks and ERP, buyers and suppliers must continue to rely on manual processes. Challenges Buyers and Suppliers Face without Integration

Depending on volumes, bottlenecks and delays can occur that negatively impact experiences. Order, shipment, invoice, and payment information usually originate from an ERP such as SAP S/4HANA, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Workday or Acumatica.

Even with all the added efficiency, data that needs to be entered into or retrieved from the network still requires manual intervention. Supplier networks make it much easier for buyers and suppliers to collaborate resulting in significant time savings and much clearer communication. Setting up this document exchange was a complicated process that required considerable time, effort, and money.

As trading volumes grew, electronic data interchange (EDI) would be adopted to automate some of the process. If volumes were small, phone, email or web portals were used to exchange order information by hand. Until supplier networks like SAP Ariba Networks came along, trading among buyers and suppliers was either tedious and manual or complex and automated.

Ariba network for suppliers