SupplyOn Beefs up e-Procurement Solutions

German provider adding functionality to Sourcing, Performance Monitor and Document Manager apps

German provider adding functionality to Sourcing, Performance Monitor and Document Manager apps

Hallbergmoos, Germany — November 16, 2005 — German solution provider SupplyOn is due to roll out new functionality in its e-procurement applications at the end of this month, with updates to its Sourcing, Performance Monitor and Document Manager solutions set to debut.

Founded in 2000, SupplyOn has a large presence in the German automotive sector, although it says that thousands of companies from more than 30 countries are using the its services, including BMW, Bosch, Continental, Siemens VDO Automotive and ZF. SupplyOn currently employs 65 people.

The provider said that the new versions of the solutions will make the electronic handling of inter-company business processes in procurement, supplier evaluation as well as document management more efficient.

Supplier companies with details of their company listed in the Business Directory, the international directory of suppliers on the Internet, will now be able to provide their quality and environmental management certificates as PDF documents. In this way, buyers will have a better overview of their business partners' current certification, according to SupplyOn.

Elsewhere, SupplyOn announced updates to its Performance Monitor solution. This application supports up-to-date and transparent supplier evaluation, the provider said. Suppliers automatically receive an e-mail as soon as a buy-side company has entered new data on current quality performance.

In the upcoming version, electronic notification will include a note of whether it is of a critical nature. In this way, the supplier can react to problems even more quickly, counteract negative trends and initiate improvements, SupplyOn said. Thanks to commentary fields extended to several thousand characters, as of the end of November detailed qualitative notes on evaluation can also be presented.

Finally, the SupplyOn Document Manager allows the exchange of documents outside the four walls of a company. In addition to the current functions, it will now be possible to specify a contact person for documents included in the Document Manager. Should suppliers have any questions regarding the electronically transmitted documents, such as regarding standards, construction drawings, parts lists and specifications, they can now make specific inquiries. Furthermore, the new version offers an overview of all sources of important public standards, such as the DIN.

"The functionalities now implemented are largely based on suggestions from suppliers who use the system," said Dr. Stefan Brandner, director of product management at SupplyOn AG. "Therefore, the new versions ensure that medium-size enterprises above all benefit greatly from using SupplyOn."


Additional Articles of Interest

— When propane company Blue Rhino says it's serious about automating inventory procurement and ordering processes, that's not just a lot of hot air. Read "Taking Business Process Automation by the Horns," a Best Practices article in the October/November 2005 issue of Supply and Demand Chain Executive.

— A logistics team is called upon to craft supply chain processes that update logistics and inventory management at the growing retail chain Michaels Stores Inc. Read more in "The Art of Supply Chain Optimization," a Best Practices article in the October/November 2005 issue of Supply and Demand Chain Executive.

— SAS audits can help ensure that your supply base doesn't trip up your Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Read about SAS audits in "Supplier Compliance: The Responsibility Lies with You," the Final Thoughts column the October/November 2005 issue of Supply and Demand Chain Executive.


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