Drink your own champagne – How SAP is using Ariba
Mainly working on procurement topics for the Mill Products & Mining Industries, I keep looking around for good information on how to use modern procurement technologies. I find little information on paper, steel and mining companies, but I found this example of SAP. What I really like about it – SAP is sharing a lot of data points.
http://de.slideshare.net/Ariba/how-sap-isextendingourownerpandsrmdeploymentbyleveragingskmv2
Hi Ursula,
Sorry, but I have to chime in here:
How do you mean, I found this example of SAP? According to your user profile you're working at the company yourself. So yeah, I'm sure you can find that kind of information.
How a company like SAP (computer industry) uses a procurement product might not be very relevant to customers from the Mill and Mining Industry. So even the space you're posting this in is highly dubious IMO.
I'm sure it's me, but to me this whole blog post smells like marketing, and as such I've alerted the moderator. Now, apparently the moderator doesn't think of it that way, because the post is still 'alive'. But nevertheless I'd really prefer you to write more substantial and authentic blog posts which I'm sure you're capable of.
Thanks, Fred
Hi Fred,
I'm sure we can find also examples of paper, steel, and mining companies using our procurement solutions. Nevertheless that we as a company set examples on the level of "SAP runs SAP" is not a bad idea and well received with the mill and mining audience. We are actually inviting SAP colleagues from our own finance, procurement, and IT departments talking to our mill and mining customers on SAP's success running our own solutions. At our next event with 400 mining and metals industry representatives, our CIO Bjoern Goerke will deliver a keynote also highlighting how successful we are running our own solutions.
The procurement topic is very relevant to our industries, hence I see Ursula's blog as relevant and not too marketing focused. Let's keep the Mill and Mining SCN side activie and open and give credit to the colleagues writing blogs.
Regards,
Eckhardt
Hello Fred,
I agree that my blog may lead you to having some doubt in my intentions...
I am working in the industry business unit of Mill Products & Mining at SAP - and in this group I am responsible for the solution management of procurement solutions.
While for Ariba these industries (apart from Mining - Quadrem network) have not really been in focus, SAP is having a strong focus on these industries. Therefore I am trying to find examples that might help companies in 'my' industries to get an idea about the solution and how it could / or could not fit into their business needs.
And this example that I pulled out from SAP itsself is one example that gives the most numbers that I have seen in any case study. And when it comes to procurement of non-direct material, I am convinced that most of the businesses share a lot of processes and challenges in common.
That is why I have posted this blog.
I hope this helps to clarify my intentions.
Kind regards,
Ursula
Hi Ursula,
Thanks for responding, and not being too offended to do so (or at least not showing it 🙂 ).
I already assumed you're working in the M&M IBU, otherwise (if you'd been a marketer for example), you'd for sure have posted this blog post in the Ariba/procurement space, or in Business Trends (sorry, insider joke).
So I'm sure your intentions are honest and good.
Still, if you would have explained your position at the beginning of the blog post, and would have added your motivation from above to the blog post itself (including the bit about other case studies you looked at), it would have been so much better! I also wouldn't have reported it, as the relevance would be clear from the start (and in that case, even I can stand a little bit of marketing).
So: thanks a lot for clarifying, and keep posting 🙂 , but please consider that your audience (which is the whole SCN community) might not have the same context.
BR, Fred