SAP purchased Ariba in 2012, then complemented their offering by adding FieldGlass that same year, and finally purchased Concur in 2014. Let me explain why.įrom the early days, SAP has been very aggressive with their cloud procurement strategy, with important acquisitions in this field. This shift is what will differentiate SAP from its competitors, and I believe SAP already has the capability.

We have ticked the local, or paper procurement process from an end-to-end business process system point of view – but what we need to know now is what this procurement system does for us in facilitating the human experience. This is a profound and forward-looking change in how procurement systems should work – beyond the local firewall and into the clouds. With the world changing, the software needs to facilitate ideas and collaboration beyond the traditional local ERP infrastructure. We hear cloud buzzwords (“in the cloud”, “fully integrated cloud solution” that does X and Y), and many other words that really do not answer fundamental questions such as: what does it really mean? And how can it benefit companies who are now dealing with a tremendous pressure to cut costs, increase efficiency and implement different ways of collaboration in a world that has been severely hit by a pandemic?

We can now see with the naked eye the disruption caused by COVID-19 around the globe and the immense pressures it has caused and will continue to cause for the foreseeable future on the global supply chain and the economy.Īs procurement professionals, we are seeing a real shift in the way we view the need for software, be it a procurement system or a fully integrated system. Today’s geopolitical climate is complex and more volatile than ever.

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