News: SAP Ariba a Leader in eProcurement

SAP Ariba has been ranked as a leader in eProcurement by independent research firm Forrester Research, Inc. in a new report titled “The Forrester Wave™: eProcurement, Q2 2017,” (The Forrester Wave™: eProcurement, Q2 2017, Forrester Research, Inc., May 2017).

Designed to assess the current state of the market for eProcurement solutions, the Forrester Wave evaluated 12 Procurement software vendors using 30 criteria. SAP Ariba received among the highest scores for:

• Globalization
• Corporate strategy
• Market presence, including installed base and market share of new deals

The company was also recognized for providing a comprehensive spend management suite, continued investments in functionality for indirect categories and a shifted focus on direct materials.

Read full news article here

Real use case: Supply Chain Maturity Whitepaper

Last year I conducted an analysis of a particular business who’s main focus is procuring, storing and supplying general products to large facilities. The focus of my investigation was primarily around the integration of SAP EDI in to the supply chain and in particular the Procure to Pay (PTP) process with a heavy emphasis on the Advanced Ship Notification and the automation thereof.

Explaining the PO confirmation control key

Purchase Order Item Confirmations Tabstrips:
The confirmation control key controls the process subsequent to the creation of the PO. 
E.g. For some important materials with long delivery times, you wish to receive advance information (via the shipping notification or inbound delivery) about the expected GR date so that you can include this information in the availability check.

PO related transactions

MASS MAINTENANCE

- MEMASSPO : Mass maintenance of POs
- MEMASSRQ : Mass maintenance of PRs
- MEMASSCONTRACT : Mass Maintenance of Contracts
- MEMASSSA : Mass Maintenance of Scheduling Agreements
- MEMASSIN : Mass Maintenance of info records
- XK99     : Mass Maintenance of vendors

Purchasing process described with module integration highlighted

• Step-1  Generating Purchase Requisition (PP AND MM involved)
• Step-2  Making Inquiries - (MM)
• Step-3  Raising Purchase Order (MM)
• Step-4  Release of Purchase Order (MM)
• Step-5  Goods received from Vendor (MM & FI)
  Raw material account - dr
  GR/IR clearing ac
• Step-6  Invoice Verification and quality Assurance (FI & MM)
  GR/IR clearing ac
  TO Vendor
• Step-7  Goods issue for consumption (MM FI & PP) 
  Rawmaterial Consumption Dr
  TO Rawmaterial Inventory Account
• Step-8  Production Receipt (FI MM & PP)
  Finished Goods Inventory Account
  to Change in Stock
• Step-9  Finished goods delivered to Customer (MM SD & FI)
  Change in stock ac
  to Finished goods inventory
• Step-10  Raising invoice on customer   (SD & FI)
  Customer ac   -
  to Sales
• Step-11 Receipt of payment from customers  (SD & FI)