Supply Chain Collaboration (2024)

Solutions

Share real-time information with all your direct spend suppliers, obtain their commits, and tap network-generated intelligence to achieve complete supply chain visibility.

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Supply Chain Collaboration (1)

Network-based collaboration reduces inventory levels while increasing fill rates and productivity

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Achieve complete supply chain visibility with SAP Ariba Supply Chain Collaboration. Integrated with your ERP and supply chain optimization systems, this collaboration platform equips you to work safely and easily with multiple tiers of contract manufacturers and suppliers across key supply chain planning and execution processes.

  • Share production forecasts, orders, quality, and inventory information with suppliers and obtain their responses in real time.

  • Anticipate and resolve supply assurance problems quickly with collaboration dashboards that alert you to supply and demand mismatches.

  • Onboard all your suppliers using our on-demand tools, multiple integration options, and supplier enablement teams with decades of onboarding expertise.

Supply Chain Collaboration: Product Features

Supply Chain Collaboration (2)

Broad collaboration

Collaborate in real time, with suppliers and contract manufacturing organizations across multiple processes, systems, and geographies, on key supply chain planning and execution processes like ordering, forecasting, quality, and inventory management.

Supply Chain Collaboration (3)

Actionable intelligence

Dashboards help you identify supply-demand mismatch and quality issues quickly, displaying supplier responses and status of their commitments to your forecasts, orders, quality notifications, and inventory pulls.

Improved compliance

With standards-based and secured electronic communications, as well as customized configuration of inter-company supply chain business rules, drive greater compliance with orders delivered correctly and on time.

Efficient onboarding

Multiple integration options ensure that sophisticated suppliers will participate. Use simple, on-demand tools to onboard the rest. Experts are available 24/7 to help you plan, prioritize, and execute.

Easy integration

Integrate this solution with any back-office system. Packaged integration is available with SAP ERP and supply chain solutions.

Fast time-to-value

Achieve fast time-to-value through efficient onboarding and quick deployment of this user-friendly solution, encouraging broad adoption by internal teams and external trading partners.

Add-Ons to Enhance Supply Chain Collaboration

Supply Chain Collaboration (4)
Forecast Add-On

Get early visibility into supply availability with the forecast add-on, which helps you and your trading partners align on supply and demand planning over multiple time horizons.

Read about forecast add-on

Supply Chain Collaboration (5)
Inventory Add-On

With real-time visibility into inventory managed by your trading partners, this add-on can drive down working capital, excess inventory, and carrying costs by optimizing inventory levels.

Read about the inventory add-on

Supply Chain Collaboration (6)
Quality Add-On

Resolve issues quickly and boost customer satisfaction by using this add-on to gain visibility into quality issues and automate information exchange between you and your trading partners.

Read about the quality add-on

Success Stories

“SAP Ariba Supply Chain Collaboration for Buyers has streamlined and simplified the way we work with our suppliers, making it easier for us all to do business.”Read the ITP Aero story
Supply Chain Collaboration (8)
“We’ve drastically reduced work-in-process inventories and finished goods inventories at our contract manufacturer. The total right now is close to $200 million of inventory drained from our surface supply chain.” Watch testimonial
“We’ve never had solutions like SAP Ariba solutions that have been so transparent and easy to use. In providing greater context to our staff, they offer a great user experience."Read Vorwerk's story

Supply Chain Collaboration Resources

Supply Chain Collaboration (10)

Direct Materials Collaboration: Why it's vital today

Learn best practices from supply chain leaders across various industries who have delivered better business outcomes with best-run supply chain networks and critical collaboration.

Download white paper

Download white paper

Comprehensive Supplier Collaboration Reconnects Globally Distributed Supply Chains

Get this IDC Technology Spotlight for their insights on trends in external manufacturing and other outsourced supply chain functions and how supply chain visibility enables greater resiliency.

Download IDC report

Download IDC report

Supply Chain Collaboration (11)

Watch a demo replay

Watch this replay of our live demo, including overview and Q&A, to learn how to collaborate with your trading partners on supply chain planning and execution processes.

Watch the demo

Supplier Collaboration and Strategic Sourcing Inform Next Generation Product Design

How important is the new product development and introduction (NPDI) process at your business? In this new paper, IDC reveals why effective and efficient collaboration tools are more important to the process than ever.

Read IDC's report

Read IDC's report

Supply Chain Collaboration (12)

4 Reasons to Embrace Cloud Technology for Real Time Supply Chain Collaboration

In this article from Supply Chain Brain, you'll read how the advent of business networks on cloud platforms enables real-time visibility into supply chain conditions.

Read article

Read article

Supply Chain Collaboration (13)

Build a resilient supply chain

Watch this webinar series on demand to see how SAP Ariba customers are building resilient supply chain infrastructures for collaboration.

Learn more and register

Learn more and register

Supply Chain Collaboration (14)

The Business Network and Its Impact on the Larger Ecosystem

Watch this IDC video for insight into how linear supply chains are being replaced by ecosystems of interconnected trading partners to achieve better collaboration, enhanced efficiency, and greater resilience.

Watch now

Frequently Asked Questions

Supply Chain Collaboration (2024)

FAQs

What does collaboration mean in supply chain? ›

In supply chain management, supply chain collaboration is defined as two or more autonomous firms working jointly to plan and execute supply chain operations. It can deliver substantial benefits and advantages to collaborators.

Why collaboration in supply chain is important? ›

Collaborating with a supply chain partner allows you to work together towards greater supply chain transparency, promote higher ethical and environmental standards, and exert better leverage over parts of your supply chain that are resistant to positive change.

What types of collaboration are important in supply chain? ›

3 Types of Collaborations in Supply Chain Management
  • Transaction Integration. Level one involves computerization of general business activities and transactions. ...
  • Supply Chain Management Information Sharing. ...
  • Strategic Collaboration.
21 Feb 2017

Who is involved in supply chain collaboration? ›

Who is Involved in Supply Chain Collaboration? Quite simply, any two or more companies dependent on one another to supply an end-customer should be prepared to collaborate. For example: A retailer might collaborate with a wholesaler or manufacturer from which it purchases goods.

How successfully collaborate with supply chain players? ›

  1. Collaborate in areas where you have a solid footing. ...
  2. Turn win-lose situations into win-win opportunities with the right benefit-sharing model. ...
  3. Select partners based on capability, strategic goals, and value potential. ...
  4. Invest in the right infrastructure and people. ...
  5. Establish a joint performance-management system.
1 Jul 2012

How can collaboration be used to increase supply chain responsiveness? ›

The benefit from collaboration with suppliers can be the improvement of product lead time, better order fulfilment, having access to continuous supplies and better resource utilisation. Customer collaboration with firms can provide new trends of product design and better response to market changes.

How can supplier collaboration be improved? ›

Learn How To Improve Supplier Collaboration and Build Sustainable Partnerships
  1. Maintain lower inventory levels.
  2. Optimise warehousing and transportation costs.
  3. Shorten lead times.
  4. Reduce out-of-stock levels.
  5. Gain visibility into demand and supplier performance.
6 Nov 2019

How supply chain collaboration can improve performance and support business continuity? ›

Importance Of Supply Chain Collaboration

By extending collaboration across all tiers of the supply chain, information can be exchanged more efficiently—resulting in improved component forecasting, shorter lead times, streamlined procurement processes, and increased productivity.

What is horizontal collaboration in supply chain? ›

Horizontal collaboration is the pooling of logistics activities and consolidation of supply chains between two or more manufacturers for achieving mutual benefit. The concept of establishing horizontal relationships between supply chain partners has been first introduced by the European Union in 2001.

What is collaborative relationship in procurement? ›

Collaborative Relationships in Procurement Definition

Collaborative relationships occur when two or more groups of people or organisations engage in procurement work together for mutual benefit (CIPS: P&SM; collaboration between organisations).

What is logistics collaboration? ›

Collaborative logistics means competitors working together to service a common customer, or as a customer bundling competing suppliers (ie trucking companies) into one truckload to maximize utilization, have return loads, etc.

What makes collaboration difficult? ›

But collaboration can get complicated quickly; partners are often in separate locations and balancing individual priorities, which can make it difficult to share ideas and resources, manage deadlines and remain focused on a shared goal.

How do you collaborate with suppliers? ›

While supplier collaboration consists of several elements, the key to effective collaboration is transparency and open communication. This can be achieved by using technology, such as supplier portals, to exchange information and build supplier relationships.

How do you achieve supply chain coordination? ›

Supply chain coordination (SCC) is an effective approach to improve supply chain (SC) performance. The coordination can be achieved when interdependent entities work together by sharing resources and information to achieve common objectives aligned to maximise customer value for the entire SC.

What is supply chain synergy? ›

Synergy happens when the combined value of multiple companies is greater than the sum of those companies. Thus, as we rethink the supply chain, it's essential that we capture the collective value created when all companies in the chain work together in a harmonious and congruent manner.

What roles do collaboration and trust play in the practice of supply chain management? ›

What roles do " collaboration" and " trust" play in the practice of supply chain management? This is essential for process integration. Sharing information and determining joint strategies is part of the integration/collaboration process, and to do this, trust must be present between the customer/focal firm/supplier.

How do you build trust and partnership in supply chain management? ›

Incorporating these elements into business relationships is one way to build trust in a supply chain.
  1. Transparency. Trust begins with transparency. ...
  2. Collaboration. McKinsey surveyed more than 100 large organizations in multiple sectors about collaboration in their supply chain. ...
  3. Responsibility. ...
  4. Empathy. ...
  5. Logic. ...
  6. Building Trust.
8 Dec 2020

What are supply chain strategies? ›

A supply chain strategy explains how a company will bring goods into the business and get them out to customers as effectively as possible. Considering every phase in the supply chain, such as sourcing goods, logistics and delivery, the strategy optimizes operations to reduce costs and maximize profits.

What is logistics collaboration? ›

Collaborative logistics means competitors working together to service a common customer, or as a customer bundling competing suppliers (ie trucking companies) into one truckload to maximize utilization, have return loads, etc.

What is collaborative relationship in procurement? ›

Collaborative Relationships in Procurement Definition

Collaborative relationships occur when two or more groups of people or organisations engage in procurement work together for mutual benefit (CIPS: P&SM; collaboration between organisations).

How can collaboration be used to increase supply chain responsiveness? ›

The benefit from collaboration with suppliers can be the improvement of product lead time, better order fulfilment, having access to continuous supplies and better resource utilisation. Customer collaboration with firms can provide new trends of product design and better response to market changes.

What is meant by horizontal collaboration in a supply chain? ›

A recent trend in supply chain management, called horizontal collaboration, sees companies join forces to perform their distribution jointly. The principle behind this trend is straightforward: companies can achieve higher efficiency levels by forming a coalition and carrying out a joint operational plan.

What is SAP supply chain collaboration? ›

SAP Business Network enables you to collaborate with all trading partners in your supply chain, including suppliers, logistics providers, asset operators, and more. A collection of the latest thought leadership, analyst reports, and white papers for procurement and supply chain professionals.

What is supply chain synergy? ›

Synergy happens when the combined value of multiple companies is greater than the sum of those companies. Thus, as we rethink the supply chain, it's essential that we capture the collective value created when all companies in the chain work together in a harmonious and congruent manner.

How supply chain collaboration can improve performance and support business continuity? ›

Importance Of Supply Chain Collaboration

By extending collaboration across all tiers of the supply chain, information can be exchanged more efficiently—resulting in improved component forecasting, shorter lead times, streamlined procurement processes, and increased productivity.

How can supplier collaboration be improved? ›

Learn How To Improve Supplier Collaboration and Build Sustainable Partnerships
  1. Maintain lower inventory levels.
  2. Optimise warehousing and transportation costs.
  3. Shorten lead times.
  4. Reduce out-of-stock levels.
  5. Gain visibility into demand and supplier performance.
6 Nov 2019

What are the advantages of collaboration? ›

Collaboration improves the way your team works together and problem solves. This leads to more innovation, efficient processes, increased success, and improved communication. Through listening to and learning from team members, you can help each other reach your goals.

What are the risks of SCM collaboration? ›

If your company relies upon global supply chain partnerships, then it is constantly vulnerable to external end-to-end risks such as natural disasters, political instability, and cybersecurity breaches; supplier risks such as production problems; distribution risks such as lack of capacity or cargo damage; and internal ...

What roles do collaboration and trust play in the practice of supply chain management? ›

What roles do " collaboration" and " trust" play in the practice of supply chain management? This is essential for process integration. Sharing information and determining joint strategies is part of the integration/collaboration process, and to do this, trust must be present between the customer/focal firm/supplier.

What is the best relationship that ensures supply chain success? ›

How to Build Strong Relationships across the Supply Chain
  • Get to Know Your Suppliers Better. Your suppliers are your partners. ...
  • Pay Attention to the Details. ...
  • Implement Robust Technologies. ...
  • Focus on Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), Not the Price.

What is the difference between horizontal and vertical collaboration? ›

vertical collaboration which includes collaboration between suppliers and customers, horizontal collaboration which includes collaboration with competitors and other supply chain actors, e.g. in sharing manufacturing capacity.

How do you achieve horizontal collaboration? ›

Below are 7 steps you can take for better horizontal collaboration:
  1. Create a sense of shared vision. ...
  2. Brief down and laterally, often. ...
  3. Get together regularly. ...
  4. Adopt collaborative approaches to address common issues. ...
  5. Get social. ...
  6. Incentivize the right behaviour. ...
  7. Adopt strategic approaches to the movement of resources.
26 May 2020

What is coordination in supply chain? ›

Supply chain coordination (SCC) is an effective approach to improve supply chain (SC) performance. The coordination can be achieved when interdependent entities work together by sharing resources and information to achieve common objectives aligned to maximise customer value for the entire SC.

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