Philip Stehlik, CTO Taulia Inc, shares his experience with different approaches to supplier self-services at SAP Clients. He looks at the benefits of providing supplier self-services, examines the pros and cons of various existing implementation possibilities, and introduces the idea of providing such self-services through a hosted (software-as-a-service) solution.

1. A High‐Tech, Yet Low‐Cost Approach to
Supplier Self‐Services for SAP Clients
Philip Stehlik ‐ CTO Taulia Inc.
philip.stehlik@taulia.com
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2. Agenda
• Challenges of buying organizaGons
• Current soluGons
• What are Supplier Self Services
• Demo ‐ IAPP Vendor Portal
• Benefits of Supplier Self Services
• Different Approaches
• Best pracGces
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3. Current pain points
• One Buyer vs. thousands of suppliers
• CommunicaGon over phone, email, fax
• Many different documents/problems
• Supplier Master
• Invoices
• Payment Details
• ...
Processes not op+mized
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4. What suppliers say
We moved to a new office. Which invoices did you pay
Here is my new address... with check No 12345678?
Θέλω τα λεφτά µου νωρίτερα!
When are you finally
going to pay me?
Did you get my invoice?
But you said PO 4500077386
was sGll open!
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5. Where AP spends Gme
7% 6%
12%
21%
6% Employee Payments
9% 12% SupplierMaintenance
9%
Payment Management
32% Data Entry
13% 13%
Supplier Queries
21% Exception Handling
32% 7% Other
Source: Bearing Point
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6. Buyer ‐ TradiGonal approaches
• Voice Mail (Just don’t answer)
• SGcky notes
• Emails forward, save, reply‐all, print
• Manually fix data
• Dedicate one person to deal with it
These methods don’t scale
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7. Supplier ‐TradiGonal approaches
• Who do I ask for what?
• ‐ Just call...
• ConversaGons not traceable
• Manually fixing data
• Hunt down informaGon
• No single point of contact
These methods don’t scale
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8. Portal as a single point of access
• Invoice details, PO details, Payment details
• Visibility of the communicaGon process
• Supplier can provide informaGon directly
• Bank informaGon
• Address change
• Invoice submit
• Early Payments
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9. Vendor Portal Demo
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10. Benefits from Supplier Self Services
• Save Gme
• Higher visibility
• Data consistency
• Audit trail
• Supplier opt‐in for addiGonal features
• Offer automated early payments
Save money
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11. Where AP can SAVE Gme
Online Dispute Management Let Supplier Maintain
7% 6%
12%
21%
6% Employee Payments
9% 12% SupplierMaintenance
9%
Payment Management
32% Data Entry
13% 13%
Supplier Queries
21% Exception Handling
32% 7% Other
78% Can be op+mized!
Invoice Status
Payment Info
E‐Invoicing & PO Flip
Source: Bearing Point
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12. AddiGonal value besides saving Gme
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13. Supplier Self Service approaches
• Supplier Network
• Vendor Portal
• On Premise
• Sofware as a Service
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14. Different soluGons are available
SaaS
Single Purpose MulG Purpose
Supplier Network
Vendor Portal
On Premise
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15. Supplier Self Service approaches
• Supplier base • Portal for YOUR vendors
• Proven onboarding • Offer other services (dynamic
• Suppliers have 1+ reason to join discounGng)
• SaaS provided • Your portal + Your ERP data
• Specialized on their network = Gght integraGon
• ERP agnosGc • MulG purpose portal
• Suppliers pay • TradiGonally on‐premise
• Your portal = your problems
Supplier network Vendor Portal
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16. Supplier Self Service approaches
• Full control • Running ‘somewhere’
• Tighter ERP integraGon • Loosely coupled system
• Local hardware • Future oriented
• Local knowledge • Less control
• High cost of ownership • Low cost of ownership
• Value added services
On‐premise SoDware as a Service
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17. Interoperability
Supplier Network
+ Vendor Portal
On Premise
+ Sofware as a Service
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18. ERP integraGon is crucial
Correct invoices, vendor
master, ... Supplier benefits
Data Working with real data
quality Rely on displayed data
Real time interaction from
within SAP Submit documents directly
Instant feedback
Single point of contact
On-boarding based on vendor
master
On‐boarding Measure success in SAP
& Tracking Messaging from within SAP
Audit trail inside SAP
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19. Conclusion
• Underlying technology
• Cost of ownership
• ImplementaGon cost
• ERP integraGon
• MulG purpose portal
• Value‐add for you & your suppliers
Thank you very much
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20. A High‐Tech, Yet Low‐Cost Approach to
Supplier Self‐Services for SAP Clients
Philip Stehlik ‐ CTO Taulia Inc.
philip.stehlik@taulia.com
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