SAP Business Network


SAP Supply Chain: Business Network

The challenges in today’s supply chains can be overwhelming. Immerse your organization with agility, speed, and resiliency by increased collaboration in real time for business continuity and growth.

Business Network Simply Defined

A business network allows collaboration with all partners in the supply chain to accomplish strategic and operational objectives. It can include suppliers, logistics, service providers, asset operators, contractors, or other partners. A business network empowers uniform interactions and integration, allowing faster movement than ever before with unparalleled visibility and ROI.

Key capabilities include:

  • Leverage supplier collaboration regardless of size or type by a flexible and scaled network.
  • Execute with confidence by sharing important information to improve forecasting and avoid supply disruptions.
  • Drive supply chain resiliency through tight coordination among suppliers and logistics teams to reduce risks.
  • Utilize resources strategically by digitalizing manual supply chain, asset maintenance and procurement processes.

SAP Supply Chain: Business Network

The challenges in today’s supply chains can be overwhelming. Immerse your organization with agility, speed, and resiliency by increased collaboration in real time for business continuity and growth.

Business Network Simply Defined

A business network allows collaboration with all partners in the supply chain to accomplish strategic and operational objectives. It can include suppliers, logistics, service providers, asset operators, contractors, or other partners. A business network empowers uniform interactions and integration, allowing faster movement than ever before with unparalleled visibility and ROI.

Key capabilities include:

  • Leverage supplier collaboration regardless of size or type by a flexible and scaled network.
  • Execute with confidence by sharing important information to improve forecasting and avoid supply disruptions.
  • Drive supply chain resiliency through tight coordination among suppliers and logistics teams to reduce risks.
  • Utilize resources strategically by digitalizing manual supply chain, asset maintenance and procurement processes.

For example, topics in supply chain like sustainability and circular supply chain need rapid, creative collaboration. Organizations need to be current by brainstorming and making a commitment to re-use, refurbish, remanufacture, and recycle. A business network is a powerful tool for groups to work together in real time. Tie the value chain together for the delivery of goods and services. Each entity is connected to the other creating ever-evolving flexible relationships.

10 benefits for every business in the network include:

  1. Accelerate time to market
  2. Focus on core competencies
  3. Enhance customer service
  4. Communicate in real time
  5. Predict risks and opportunities
  6. Introduce seamless role-based collaboration
  7. Leverage collative intelligence
  8. Act on real-time insights
  9. Discover new partners
  10. Work toward common goals and metrics.

Vendor partners offering powerful digital software solutions are: SAP, Dell, HPE.

SAP offers three solutions — Ariba Network, SAP Logistics Network, and SAP Asset Intelligent Network.

Key highlights of how these can help your business are:

  • Procurement: Buyer and supplier collaboration for standardized workflows.
  • Manufacturing: Manufacturers and contractors can drive process automation and collaboration.
  • Operations: Asset operators and service providers collaborate on end-to-end maintenance activities.
  • Logistics: Shippers and carriers jointly oversee the transportation lifecycle.

It is important to note that SAP has unified existing networks into one. Ariba Network is now called SAP Business Network. The name change can be seen in the portal. It does not change any login credentials, transactions, or network configurations.

Key Considerations for SAPinsiders

  • Navigating Supply Chain Disruptions with SAP Logistics Business Network. Learn how to get real-time insights by collaborating efficiently to mitigate risks.
  • Increase Supplier Compliance with Sustainable Business Networks. Read the article by William Newman about maintaining accurate records of supplier compliance with efficiency.
  • How to Leverage SAP’s Digital Supplier Network to make Fulfillment Smarter and Simpler. Watch this webinar to learn how to optimize procurement processes through digital transformation.

900 results

  1. A Simplified Approach to Archiving Your Data

    Reading time: 12 mins

    Learn to set up an easy process to remove data that is no longer needed from your SAP system. It keeps your system space free for new data and improves performance without the need to add system resources. Key Concept You use archiving objects to archive files. The archiving object provides the data structure and...…

  2. Fine-Tune Your Safety Stock Calculations

    Reading time: 8 mins

    Minor daily fluctuations in safety stock requirements, while they may be accurate reflections of forecast demand and other factors, have no practical significance and may create extra work and confusion in production planning. Learn how to use macros to smooth out the unnecessary bumps in your safety stock calculations. Key Concept Companies keep safety stock...…

  3. Scale Up in Retail with SAP’s SCM 4.1 Inventory Collaboration Hub

    Reading time: 11 mins

    Although it was first introduced with SCM 4.0, few users have leveraged SAP Inventory Collaboration Hub (SAP ICH) to take control of large inventories in numerous locations. Those in retail and other industries with such requirements will find they can manage large operations more easily. Key Concept SAP ICH is heralded as SAP’s strategic supply...…

  4. Mobilize Your Technicians with Mobile Asset Management

    Reading time: 14 mins

    SAP Mobile Asset Management can enhance maintenance processes through distribution of data to technicians and engineers in the field. If you are planning to implement it, your project strategy should take some key points into account. Key Concept Preventive and corrective maintenance are basic best practices for a supply chain. SAP Mobile Asset Management (MAM)...…

  5. Customize SNP Interactive Planning to Better Display Critical Conditions

    Reading time: 21 mins

    You can modify the standard Supply Network Planning (SNP) interactive planning page to better support end users. Here’s how to improve the way that data is displayed so that users can quickly identify critical conditions. Key Concept The interactive planning table in SNP is the primary interface planners use to monitor their supply chains. It...…

  6. APO’s Capable-to-Match Functionality Eases Multi-Site Supply Planning

    Reading time: 8 mins

    The Supply Network Planning (SNP) module in SAP Advanced Planning and Optimization (APO) technology allows organizations to plan for sourcing, production, distribution, and purchasing. Use the SNP Capable-to-Match (CTM) planning tool to maintain inventory levels across the supply chain and to eliminate procurement shortfalls. Key Concept The Capable-to-Match (CTM) planning algorithm in SNP supports rule-...…

  7. New mySAP SCM WM Features Support Rapid Turnover of Materials

    Reading time: 7 mins

    Three new features delivered with SAP R/3 Enterprise SCM Extension 2.0 are designed to help you increase the turnover of goods in your warehouses. Yard Management lets you manage inbound and outbound carriers. Cross-Docking allows you to direct inbound goods straight from goods receipt to goods issue, and value-added services help you capture value-adding costs....…

  8. Achieve Increased Efficiency through the Integration of Maintenance and Production

    Reading time: 15 mins

    Learn the steps to build the integration between maintenance activities and production planning/detailed scheduling in SAP Advanced Planning & Optimization. See how integration between these areas and departments creates more visibility over common processes to help alert planners to possible downtimes and lack of materials. Key Concept Many companies rely on SAP Production Planning (PP)...…

  9. SAP SCM 7.0: What’s New in SAP APO?

    Reading time: 52 mins

    Find out about enhancements in SAP SCM 7.0 in the areas of demand planning, supply network planning, and Capable-to-Match. Learn about characteristics-based planning, Customer Forecast Management (CFM), and other functionalities and process improvements in SAP Advanced Planning & Optimization. Key Concept A new SAP SCM release, SAP SCM 7.0, has been recently shipped. Supported by...…

  10. Safety Stock: Which Method Is Right for You?

    Reading time: 141 mins

    Learn about various methods of safety stock supported by standard SAP Advanced Planning & Optimization (SAP APO), including a new method that provides a more cost-effective way of managing safety stocks in a supply chain. Key Concept Supply chains are exposed to multiple uncertain influencing factors, such as demand upsurges or production disruptions. Safety stock...…