This final product release for 2021 delivers over 115 features across the entire SAP Procurement product portfolio. Please review the complete list of features arranged by functional area planned for delivery to production on 12 November. Customers are also encouraged to register for or review at a later time the Early Release Series sessions that go in-depth to key features planned for delivery.
From major enhancements to the guided sourcing capability to expanded buyer mobile access to requisition/purchasing actions, the 2111 release is packed with numerous customer-driven improvements. Read on to learn more about key focus feature areas being delivered.
Highlights of the SAP Procurement 2111 Release
Guided Sourcing Projects, Auctions and Grading and Scoring
Since the introduction of the guided sourcing capability, customers have provided feedback on additional key capabilities they wished to see within the application. With the 2111 release, a number of those requested innovations arrive!
With the addition of support for full projects, guided sourcing now expands the user experience to include the ability to create sourcing projects with task management, document storage, and document versioning features.
The auctions world is introduced to guided sourcing with this release as both Dutch and English auctions are enabled!
Beyond the innovations noted thus far, the delivery of new grading and scoring features for guided sourcing are certain to be a sourcing resources best friends soon! This innovation enables customers to grade the bids that suppliers have provided for the content in their sourcing events thereby ensuring value is optimized in the supplier selection process. The grading and scoring feature set enables buyers to comply with sourcing standards and select the best possible supplier for their company with as little bias as possible. Automation also drives increased sourcing efficiencies in the bid review/award processes. Learn more here!
In addition to the key features noted above for guided sourcing a half-dozen other new innovations spanning the breadth of sourcing requirements are also available. Check them out in the Release Readiness, Sourcing feature section of SAP Ariba Connect!
SAP Procurement Mobile Application buy on behalf of, change order initiation, non-catalog requests, accounting distributions and quantity based receiving
As with guided sourcing, the SAP Procurement Mobile application has also undergone a tremendous innovation update with the 2111 release. Key capabilities with related demonstrations available include:
- Buy on behalf of another user. Via this feature, a user may execute requisitions/purchases on behalf of another user from within their own purchasing organization, thereby increasing efficiency in purchasing when specific individuals may be unavailable. See a demonstration and gain additional insights to this feature.
- Initiate a change order from within the app. This has been a top request from users of the mobile application as change orders are frequently a critical part of the material acquisition process. Experience this feature in action via a recorded demonstration or gain additional insights to this feature.
- Create non-catalog purchase requests via the mobile application. Watch this feature in action via this demonstration!
- Manage accounting distributions with related purchase requisitions line items. A solid advancement in capability for insuring accounting accuracy. Catch a glimpse of this innovation here.
Track Progress of Orders and Releases - Global Track and Trace
The addition of progress tracking for orders and release provides buyers with the ability to receive tracking information in Ariba Network for ship notices using SAP Logistics Business Network global track and trace option.
This key new functionality drives lower operational costs to customers by enabling proactive management of delays/exceptions via real-time tracking of purchase orders and shipments. This expanded capability drives more efficient collaboration among buyers, carriers and suppliers with real-time communications of pick-up and delivery timeframes along with any potential delay details.
Key performance indicator (KPI) tracking and insights related to supplier/carrier risk and on-time delivery scores along with many others are also available.
Delve further in to the details of this innovation here.
Payment and Discounting
A variety of improvements to the dynamic discounting and payment capabilities within SAP Procurement are deployed as part of the 2111 release. These innovations include:
- Ability to upload supplier lists via CSV to enable participation in a discounting program
- Early payment offer adjustments even after offer acceptance
- Discount percentage precision adjustments
Modular Process Flow Framework for Supplier Qualification and Lifecycle Processes
Buyers have various registration and qualification processes for different types of suppliers. The 2111 release seeks to address the requirements those variable processes bring with them in the supplier qualification and lifecycle process.
This new framework enables customers to define their own processes to qualify/segment suppliers based on their specific business needs. Additionally, customers may define multiple process templates and select various modular questionnaires that may be more appropriate to the scenario at hand. Supplier managers will be able to leverage the questionnaire if it is already submitted by supplier and ask only those new questionnaires that have not been answered by the supplier.
Learn more about this specific feature here.
2111 Early Release Series Webcasts and Release Information
Ready to get a preview of more information on the 2111 release? As noted earlier in this blog, please be sure to check out jcatsap‘s blog post that provides access to webcast registration, release materials and key communications efforts.
- SAP Managed Tags:
2 Comments
