Srm 7.0 value of upgrading

The SAP® Supplier Relation-
ship Management (SAP
SRM) application offers a
fully integrated procure-to-
pay solution for automating
core procurement processes
– including services procure-
ment. You can optimize the
efficiency of your procure-
ment organization with cen-
tralized sourcing and con-
tracts, as well as obtain
unified access to function
ality and information across
SAP SRM and to relevant
data in the SAP ERP applica-
tion. The application provides
a customizable user inter-
face, flexible user-role defi
nitions, and clear insight
into spend and supplier data.
And you can keep upgrade
costs low by using enhance-
ment packs to access new
functionality.
SAP Value of Upgrade
SAP Supplier Relationship
Management
SAP® Supplier Relationship
Management 7.0

4 SAP Supplier Relationship
Management
5 New Business Benefits of
SAP Supplier Relationship
Management
5 Reduce Total Cost of Owner-
ship
5 Improve Enterprise Processes
and Visibility
5 Increase and Facilitate Contract
Compliance
5 Optimize Services Procurement
5 Streamline Sourcing Activities
6 Functional Value of SAP Sup-
plier Relationship Management
6 User Interface
7 Operational Procurement
8 Self-Service Procurement
9 Plan-Driven Procurement
10 Services Procurement

11 Catalog Management
12 Centralized Sourcing
13 Centralized Contracts
14 Supplier Collaboration
15 Supplier Evaluation
16 Technical Benefits of SAP Sup-
plier Relationship Management
16 Easier Upgrades with
Enhancement Packs
16 Harmonized User Interface
Across SAP SRM and Other
SAP Applications
16 Business Rule Framework
Workflow Technology
16 Shift to Web Dynpro for ABAP
16 Enterprise Services
17 For More Information
CONTENT
Preface
This document summarizes the key business benefits and new functionality
of release 7.0 of the SAP® Supplier Relationship Management (SAP SRM)
application. Written specifically for customers who are currently using SAP SRM
2005, it presents the reasons for considering an upgrade to the new release.
If you are currently using a release other than SAP SRM 2005, please contact
your SAP sales representative for information on the value of upgrading to SAP
SRM 7.0. Although this document gives you some insight into the benefits of
the new release, it does not describe all of its benefits and functions – only those
that result from the upgrade from SAP SRM 2005 to SAP SRM 7.0. Please refer
to www.sap.com/srm for a general description of SAP SRM 7.0.
This document cannot provide the detailed analysis you need to determine the
specific value of upgrading to SAP SRM 7.0 in your particular business situation.
It can, however, prompt a detailed discussion of your situation with an SAP
representative.

The latest release of the
SAP® Supplier Relationship
Management application
(SAP SRM), part of the
SAP Business Suite family
of business applications,
delivers a fully integrated
procure-to-pay solution for
automating core procure-
ment processes. In addition
to helping you optimize the
efficiency of your procure-
ment organization, the appli-
cation provides a customiz-
able user interface, flexible
user-role definitions, and
clear insight into spend and
supplier data.
SAP SRM 7.0 delivers exceptional
functionality enhancements as well as
reduced total cost of ownership (TCO)
going forward. Like the other SAP
Business Suite applications, future
functionality for SAP SRM will be
provided via convenient enhancement
packs.
Key investment areas of the SAP SRM
7.0 release include:
• Nondisruptive delivery of new func-
tionality – Offers a stable core and
reduced upgrade costs by using
enhancement packs for delivering
new functionality
• Enhanced usability through flexible
user interface technology – Provides
flexible user interface, roles, and work
lists across the SAP SRM and SAP
ERP applications
• Centralized sourcing – Provides
enhanced sourcing functionality
to support better negotiations with
suppliers and enable the initiation
of sourcing events directly from
SAP ERP
• Centralized contracts – Provides
centralized contract management
by offering a single contract as a
source of supply for SAP SRM and
SAP ERP
• Services procurement – Enables you
to source service requisitions created
in SAP ERP as well as facilitate ser-
vice-related supplier collaboration
SAP® Supplier Relationship Management
Efficient, Flexible, and Comprehensive
Procurement Processes
The SAP Supplier
Relationship Manage-
ment application, an
integral part of SAP
Business Suite, is
the foundation for
managing procure-
ment processes.
4 SAP Value of Upgrade – SAP Supplier Relationship Management 7.0

Reduce Total Cost of Ownership
SAP SRM 7.0 enables you to reduce
the TCO of your SAP investment. All
future functionality will be delivered
via convenient enhancement packs.
This approach gives you the flexibility
to select just the features required by
your business – rather than having to
include all available enhancements. As
a result, you can leverage innovation
without disruption to your business
environment, efficiently adapting your
business in response to change.
Improve Enterprise Processes
and Visibility
With SAP SRM 7.0, users throughout
your enterprise have access to all of
the information, insight, and processes
they need, which facilitates strategic
business decisions across the organi-
zation. A streamlined, intuitively navi-
gated user interface improves cross-
enterprise visibility, facilitates a wide
range of activities, and offers a common
look and feel for all users. You can also
personalize the user interface for specific
job and task demands – further increas-
ing efficiency and effectiveness and the
overall user experience.
With this release, you also gain unified
access to functionality and information
across SAP SRM and relevant data in
the SAP ERP application. The software
provides a single, consolidated view of
the procure-to-pay process; one view
for all purchase orders and queries;
and a comprehensive service access
area that consolidates access for each
user in a personalized dashboard based
on what’s relevant to that individual
regarding his or her role. This is driven
by harmonization of users and roles
across the entire SAP Business Suite.
Increase and Facilitate Contract
Compliance
SAP SRM 7.0 provides expanded func-
tionality that improves contract compli-
ance, control, and efficiency. Contract
management processes are integrated
end to end and enable you to set up
and maintain a single, global contract
as a source of supply within SAP SRM
and SAP ERP. This not only increases
efficiency but also eliminates the risk of
employees using out-of-date contracts.
In addition, you can enforce compliance
with contracts by giving global users
access to all of your operational con-
tracts through a central, online reposi-
tory. As a result, you can enjoy signifi-
cant savings through extended contract
enforcement. The application also facili-
tates better communication by using
collaboration rooms accessible to inter-
nal and external users.
Optimize Services Procurement
SAP SRM 7.0 supports services pro-
curement with improved, collaborative
functionality and enhanced integration
with SAP ERP. You can procure service
types commonly used in major industries,
such as time-based and deliverable-
based services.
Using a collaborative negotiation plat-
form for buyers and suppliers, you can
electronically request quotes for services
and related goods from various suppliers,
compare spot bids, and negotiate more
effectively. At the same time, you benefit
from enhanced sourcing functionalities
and supplier collaboration, which enable
you to define requirements more accu-
rately and align resources to those
requirements more closely. The appli-
cation helps you simplify compliance
enforcement and reduce dependence
on manual, offline, and otherwise ineffi-
cient processes, as well as better man-
age your total spend.
Streamline Sourcing Activities
SAP SRM 7.0 gives you improved con-
trol over bid and auction activities; this
is enabled by major enhancements that
bring greater insight and discipline to
your sourcing organization. The appli
cation includes enhanced bidding func-
tionality to facilitate easier comparison
and awarding of bids, such as expressive
bidding for suppliers, a bid comparison
view, and bid tracking, versioning, and
withdrawal functions. You can also im-
prove the speed and efficiency of auc-
tions by allowing the market to determine
final prices. And finally, because the
software improves accuracy, account
ability, and transparency throughout
processes, you benefit from more fair
and flexible sourcing.
You can also increase clarity in sourcing
processes with online chat functionality,
which enables you to instantly address
supplier inquiries.
New Business Benefits of SAP Supplier
Relationship Management
Delivering a Whole New Level of Business Value
5SAP Value of Upgrade – SAP Supplier Relationship Management 7.0

Functional Value of SAP Supplier
Improving Core Procurement Operations
SAP has made substantial investments
to improve the overall functionality of
SAP SRM – for example, in terms of
the user interface and core functions
used to support daily activities, such as
sourcing and procurement. In addition,
substantial investments have been
made to further harmonize SAP SRM
with SAP ERP to achieve procurement
excellence. The following sections
summarize these enhancements and
their overall business benefits.
User Interface
The improved user interface in SAP SRM
7.0 includes an updated, user-friendly
work center. This can be personalized to
help make it easier for individual users
to navigate. New interface functionality
accelerates and automates supply man-
agement processes and helps deepen
supplier relationships. Leveraging this
better user experience, you’ll realize
benefits summarized in the following
table.
New or Enhanced Functionality Business Benefits
Personalized, intuitive user experience
• Common look and feel and consistent
navigation throughout the application
• End-user profiles that define role-based
access and enable users to see person-
alized information at a glance, trigger
actions, and easily access services and
documents
• Work center portal that gives buyers
access to well-organized and relevant
information, services, and documents
• Rapid user adoption through enhanced
user experience
• Increased productivity that results in
faster, easier access to information
• Reduced training time and costs
Greater user efficiency and faster task completion
• Enhanced task management through
improved access to the universal work
list for consolidated workflow items,
alerts, and notifications across all SAP®
applications, as well as a personal object
work list for activities specific to the
SAP Supplier Relationship Management
application – all with a single, click-to-
launch action
• Streamlined purchase-order, query, and
search processes
• Ability to define regularly used queries
and reports
• Streamlined shopping cart navigation and
single-screen information presentation
• Increased efficiency and productivity
of users performing daily tasks, such as
issuing purchase orders, confirmations,
invoices, and supplier performance
questionnaires
• Accelerated order processing and query
changing
• Rapid, personalized access to important
information, including tasks and relevant
data
• Faster shopping cart processes to support
a more efficient procurement process
SAP SRM provides a
single, consolidated
view of all purchase
orders and queries, with
personalized access
areas that consolidate
functionality for each
user via personalized,
role-based dashboards.

Operational Procurement
With SAP SRM 7.0, requisition and
purchase-order processes are faster,
more efficient, and less prone to error.
Advanced requisition functions enable
enhanced team purchasing, easier
configuration of delivery dates, and
multiple approaches to efficient handling
of general ledger accounts. Purchase-
order processing is enhanced through
convenient access to purchase orders
and related documents. The following
table outlines high-level functions and
benefits that are shared by all areas
of operational procurement, including
self-service procurement, plan-driven
procurement, and services procurement.
Enhanced requisition handling
• Team purchasing
• Delivery date configuration
• Multiple approaches to general ledger
account handling
• Line-item approvals
• User-friendly approach to finding default
account codes
• More-flexible accounting controls
• Shorter order cycles through the
reassignment of tasks
• Increased flexibility
• Support for sophisticated procurement
processes
• Greater compliance assurance through
more-specific approvals
• Streamlined requisitioning to efficiently
purchase goods and services
• Ability to meet varied corporate strategies
and facilitate compliance
Streamlined purchase orders
• Ability to quickly look up previously
generated purchase orders and other
documents
• Simple cut-and-paste functionality to
rapidly create new purchase orders and
other documents
• Quick access to past documents to
support replication of best practices
• Improved efficiency and time savings

Self-Service Procurement
Procurement departments are often
burdened by the administrative tasks
involved in the procurement of routine
maintenance, repair, and overhaul items
and services, such as office supplies,
machine parts, janitorial goods, repairs,
and professional services. Centralizing
the purchasing process means that your
procurement department will likely get
bogged down in organizing and process-
ing requisitions and answering queries
about the status of transactions. These
routine tasks prevent your staff from
focusing on strategic issues. At the same
time, paper-based processes are slow,
error prone, and costly. Transaction
costs are often extremely high in com-
parison with the value of the goods and
services purchased. And they impede
transparency, preventing corporate
decision makers from understanding
the impact of purchasing choices and
making it difficult to consolidate pur-
chasing power across the enterprise.
Self-service procurement functionality
within SAP SRM 7.0 empowers your
employees to create and manage their
own requisitions. The application pro-
vides a convenient procurement environ-
ment, enabling every employee in the
enterprise to search for and buy items
while helping to ensure that transactions
comply with corporate purchasing poli-
cies and internal controls. Costs are
cut, cycle-time delays are shortened,
and errors that arise from paper-based
processes and inefficient communica-
tion with suppliers are reduced. Equally
important, decentralization of the trans-
action processing enables you to reduce
overhead and allows purchasing pro-
fessionals to focus on managing rela-
tionships instead of transactions.
New features and innovations support-
ing self-service procurement are sum-
marized in the table above.
• Enhanced authorization concept, invoice
accuracy, and support of flexible integration
scenarios
• Storage of transactional data and other
related procurement documents (pow-
ered by the SAP® Records Management
application) in one central folder
• Automatic back-end enterprise resource
planning purchase order or contract
creation based on an accepted quote in
the SAP Supplier Relationship Manage-
ment application
• Ability to use alternate items to fulfill
purchase requisition orders
• Increased level of compliance across
all sourceable products and services
• Improved availability and quality of
purchasing documents, reducing
maverick purchasing
• Support of simplified, integrated
processes to streamline the entire
procure-to-pay cycle
• Flexible purchasing processes to meet
demand
SAP SRM 7.0 helps
reduce the TCO of your
SAP investment. All
future functionality will
be delivered via conve-
nient enhancement
packs – an approach
that gives you the flexi-
bility to select just the
features required by
your business, rather
than having to include
all available enhance-
ments. As a result, you
can leverage innovation
without disruption to
your business environ-
ment, efficiently adapt-
ing your business in
response to change.

Plan-Driven Procurement
Plan-driven procurement supports
the automated procurement of goods,
which is especially important for the
procurement of direct materials. In a
highly integrated procurement process,
demand for materials can come from
several different planning applications
that reside outside of SAP SRM.
These applications may include material
requirements planning applications
for production planning; automated
production systems for advanced,
constraint-based planning; project
applications for project planning; or
plant maintenance applications for
maintenance and repair planning.
SAP SRM 7.0 supports a plan-driven
procurement scenario that links and
uses many processes in the value
chain. It integrates requirements with
sourcing, order management, contract
management, collaboration, costing,
and payment. Demand from production
is transferred to SAP SRM through an
open XML interface. And you can auto-
matically assign contracts to demand,
trigger, and send out a purchase order.
ing plan-driven procurement are sum-
marized in the table above.
• Better identification and automated
handling of exception situations
• Improved ability to effectively source a
competitive offer and maintain quality
standards – even in a rush-order situation
• Ability to transfer SAP® ERP application
purchase requirements containing attach-
ments to the SAP Supplier Relationship
Management application
• Enhanced integration with SAP ERP
regarding text transfers, revisions, and
PO transfer consistency checks
• Increased scope and depth of compli-
ance, even as exceptions occur
• Ability to speed up the sourcing process
during material shortages
• Improved quality of products purchased
• Increased delivery reliability for customer
orders

Services Procurement
Services procurement is often seen as
complex and not standardized, because
the requirement of a service is typically
undefined in quantity, duration, and
price at the point of purchase. This
assumption implies that the service is
not specified until the supplier confirms
it. This ambiguity is one reason that,
while other categories of spend have
uncovered significant cost-saving
potential in the purchasing process,
services have generally not been con-
sidered part of cost-saving measures.
With SAP SRM, you can manage
resources and monitor costs over the
entire range of services. The software
supports analytics, sourcing, contract
management, and supplier collabora-
tion so you can optimize services pro-
curement processes. Functionality cov-
ers a wide range of procured services,
such as planned and unplanned mainte-
nance, temporary labor, and construc-
tion. New features and innovations are
summarized in the table above.
• Support for service types commonly used
in major industries, such as time-based
and deliverable-based services
• Support for complex nature of services,
including model specifications and service
hierarchies
• Ability to leverage information contained
in contracts to help ensure compliance
with approved suppliers
• Specialized service-delivery management
within supplier self-service, enabling supplier-
initiated service entries, lump-sum services,
and tracking of contractual limits
• SRM-MDM catalog access for purchaser
and bidder as a repository for service
specifications
• Greater control and visibility over total
spend
• Advanced demand aggregation and
spot-bidding capabilities
• Simplified compliance enforcement
• Enhanced supplier collaboration
• Centralized repository of services
capabilities for improved process
efficiency and accuracy

Catalog Management
In SAP SRM 7.0, enhancements to
catalog management functionality allow
you to quickly load files directly from
suppliers or from the SRM-MDM cat
alog repository. You can also import
content such as purchase records,
contracts, and other related material
masters from SAP ERP – quickly and
efficiently. The software also makes it
easier for you to interface with supplier
contracts, manage images, consolidate
and approve content, and publish on
the Web. Once catalog content is pub-
lished, users enjoy a best-in-class per-
formance and search experience.
ing catalog management are summa-
rized in the following table.
Easier loading of catalog files from suppliers and SAP® applications
• Ability to import content from the SAP ERP
application, such as purchase information
records and contracts
• Enhanced contracts interface in the
SAP Supplier Relationship Management
application
• Simplified image management for catalog
items
• Ability to publish content on the Web
• Easier content consolidation and approval
• More-accurate and timely catalog content
• Superior management of catalog data
that saves time and lowers costs
• Enriched product content that offers
users clear, accurate choices
• Ability to provide wider access to catalog
items through Web publishing
• Enhanced catalog content management
Support for master data management hierarchies
• Support for services-related hierarchies
• Corresponding changes to the Open
Catalog Interface for supplier-provided
content
• Extended support for the complexities
of services procurement
• Lower cost of creating and maintaining
catalog data
Enhanced user interface
• Running total for shopping cart included
on all screens
• Improved message handling, including
status and warning messages
• Customizable user interface (empty tabs
and fields are automatically hidden when
not required by user, and images can be
displayed or hidden)
• Advanced search functionality
• Increased user productivity and efficiency
• Faster issue resolution
• Faster user access to information, data,
and views that are relevant to them
• Ability to provide better access to goods
and services for purchase
SAP SRM 7.0 sup-
ports a plan-driven
procurement scenario
that links and uses
many processes in
the value chain. It inte-
grates requirements
with sourcing, order
management, contract
management, collab
oration, costing, and
payment.

Centralized Sourcing
Support for centralized sourcing helps
procurement professionals find the best
source of supply – for example, through
spot bidding, reverse auctions, and
demand aggregation activities. Suppliers
are invited to sourcing events (such
as requests for quotation and reverse
auctions) to exchange information, col-
laborate on documents, submit quotes,
and negotiate terms. Completion of the
sourcing process results in the creation
of operational contracts or purchase
orders for procurement execution.
SAP SRM 7.0 provides live-auction func-
tionality and brings insight and discipline
to sourcing practices. For example, the
software supports “request for” docu-
ments and competitive bidding events.
And new functionality facilitates improved
competition and flexible sourcing, which
increases accuracy, accountability, and
transparency throughout the sourcing
process, as shown in the following table.
Efficient request-for-x (RFx) bid processing
• Response modification within RFx docu-
ments, such as suppliers suggesting
alternate, supplemental, or substitute
items down to the line-item level
• Enhanced analytics to support bid selec-
tion, such as a bid comparison view and
weighted scoring
• Creation of a temporary contact person
for a bidding event
• Chat functionality between buyers and
suppliers
• Enhanced bid tracking, versioning, and
withdrawals
• Ability to limit bids to one per company
• Electronic confirmation of bidder’s
participation
• Online, offline, and surrogate bid
submissions
• Bidding in alternative currencies
• Award, contract, and PO integration
• More-efficient and fair bidding process
• Faster, easier viewing and comparing of
bidding-process results
• More agile, adaptive sourcing
• Enhanced supplier and buyer communica-
tion and internal and external collaboration
throughout the negotiation process
• Fewer errors and incorrect bids
• Support for companies’ specific sourcing
strategies
• Access to an auditable trail of supplier
participation for internal and external
compliance activities
• Widening of the competitive market by
enabling varied bid submissions
• Support for sourcing events for a geo-
graphically dispersed supply base
• Shorter supply cycle times and reduced
process costs
Enhanced auction management
• Real-time auction monitoring and bidding
• Creation of temporary contact person
• Dutch auction functionality
• Ability to view all award-relevant informa-
tion and actions on a single screen
• Faster auction resolutions for sourcing
events
• Flexible auction management
• Faster auction resolutions or lower prices
for sourcing events
• Enhanced usability through a streamlined
user interface
Deeper integration
• Integration of demand requirements and
contracts in multiple back-end applications
• Single contract as a source-of-supply
between the SAP® Supplier Relationship
Management (SAP SRM) and SAP ERP
applications
• Simplified global sourcing through unified
information
• Reduced procurement costs through
tight integration between SAP SRM and
SAP ERP

Centralized Contracts
SAP SRM provides you with tools for
centralized, systematic contract man-
agement. Through tight integration with
SAP ERP, you can use a single contract
as the source of supply for your pur-
chases. Based on the purchase require-
ments, SAP SRM identifies the optimal
contract to fill the need while taking into
consideration such factors as price,
delivery times, and location. It can also
account for different types of discounts,
such as value discounts, quantity-based
stepladder discounts, group discounts,
or rebates based on released values.
These functions are used together to
automate contract compliance, helping
you extract the most value from expertly
negotiated agreements.
New functionality regarding centralized
contracts is summarized in the table
above.
• Single, central contract in the SAP® Supplier
Relationship Management application that
is shared via integration with the SAP ERP
application
• Multiple alert thresholds, such as expiration
date, target value, and target quantity
• Ability to determine payment terms on a
line-item level
• Ability to determine currency on a contract
distribution level
• Contract cockpit that enables efficient
searches for existing contracts
• Support for greater compliance between
negotiated terms and operational contracts
• Improved visibility into and management
over contracts
• Flexible contract management
• Enhanced global supplier negotiations
• Fast, more-efficient access to relevant
contract information
SAP SRM supports
an efficient procure-
ment organization
with end-to-end pro-
cess support, flexible
user interfaces and
role definitions, and
clear insight into
spend and supplier
data.

Supplier Collaboration
The supplier self-service functionality
built into SAP SRM enables suppliers
to access supply-side transactions and
other relevant information. They can
also update their catalog data, process
acknowledgments, track payment
status, suggest changes to orders,
and receive information on inventory
and supply-and-demand plans. The result
is reduced process costs, increased
automation, and transparency into the
procurement process. Suppliers can
also respond to services procurement–
related requisitions.
New features supporting supplier collab-
oration are summarized in the table
above.
• Ability to submit services procurement
requisition responses, confirmations,
and invoices
• Supplier-provided catalog content
• Enhanced supplier collaboration
• Assurance of up-to-date, accurate catalog
items

Supplier Evaluation
SAP SRM enables you to better manage
suppliers – the key to improving quality,
enhancing collaboration, and reducing
supplier risk. The software eases clerical
and administrative burdens with numer-
ous supplier evaluation methods, such
as event-triggered surveys, ad hoc sur-
veys, and quantitative questionnaires.
Flexible reporting and response moni-
toring enable you to improve operations,
which ultimately reduces costs and
improves efficiency.
New features supporting supplier eval-
uation are summarized in the table
above.
• Multiple supplier evaluation methods,
including event-driven, ad hoc, and
quantitative evaluation surveys
• Predefined key performance indicators
(KPIs) and evaluation templates
• Grouping and weighting function for score
analysis based on commodity type and
participating internal department
• Alerts for low supplier performance scores
• Integration with the SAP NetWeaver®
Business Intelligence component for data
consolidation and reporting
• Effective tracking of numerous KPIs
related to supplier performance, such
as on-time performance, quality, and
user-determined qualitative items
• Support for standardized, best-practice
supplier evaluations
• Sophisticated performance analysis
• Risk mitigated by enabling immediate
corrective action plans for low-performing
suppliers
• Consolidated view of supplier performance
The improved user
interface in SAP SRM
7.0 includes an updat-
ed, user-friendly work
center. This can be
personalized to help
make it easier for us-
ers to navigate. New
interface functionality
accelerates and auto-
mates supply man-
agement processes
and helps deepen
supplier relationships.

From a technical perspective, the latest
release of SAP SRM offers substantial
benefits over previous releases,
including:
• Easier and less costly upgrades
• A new user interface that’s consis-
tent with all other SAP Business
Suite applications
• Support for flexible workflow
processes
• An architecture based on Web
Dynpro development environment
for ABAP
• Support for enterprise services to
support key interfaces with other
SAP applications
Easier Upgrades with
Enhancement Packs
As part of the SAP Business Suite, SAP
SRM 7.0 will deliver future enhancements
via enhancement packs that are readily
consumed. You can leverage new func-
tionality and SAP innovations without dis-
rupting existing functionality or investing
in costly upgrades that reduce total cost
of ownership. When you activate an
enhancement package, you can choose
the specific functions you want to
implement.
Harmonized User Interface
Across SAP SRM and Other
SAP Applications
SAP SRM 7.0 offers a harmonized
user interface across multiple SAP
applications, including SAP ERP. The
application includes a universal work
list that users can configure and use
to retrieve data within SAP SRM and
other SAP applications. For example,
a buyer can query purchasing data
across the SAP SRM and SAP ERP
applications from a single launch point.
Additionally, users gain access to
purchasing-related activities within
SAP SRM through a personal object
work list. This is made possible through
a homogenous user interface for object
work lists across application roles.
Key benefits of this harmonized user
interface include:
• Improved usability and process
efficiency enabled by a common
procurement user interface and
cross-application search functionality
• Faster access to – and a comprehen-
sive overview of – the work environ-
ment and all related business objects
• Easy access to up-to-date information
Business Rule Framework
Workflow Technology
SAP SRM 7.0 contains new Business
Rule Framework workflow technology.
This provides you with the flexibility
to create workflow processes specific
to your business needs. If necessary,
you can maintain your former business
workflow solution even when you
upgrade to the SAP SRM 7.0 release.
Shift to Web Dynpro for ABAP
SAP SRM 7.0 contains new architecture
based on Web Dynpro for Java, which
gives you the ability to readily make
changes to the user interface. For
example, you can edit field names and
locations, and you can hide entire areas
of a screen. You can even make certain
fields read-only for specific users. By
modifying the user interface, you can
customize the user experience and
improve usability.
Enterprise Services
Enterprise services make it possible to
transfer data smoothly from one appli-
cation to another. The result is an unin-
terrupted flow of information and accu-
rate and timely access to data. SAP
SRM 7.0 supports enterprise services
to enable the following data transfers:
• Transfer of an SAP ERP purchase
request to SAP SRM
• Creation of an SAP SRM sourcing
request from an SAP ERP purchase
request
• Distribution of a central contract
between SAP ERP and SAP SRM
• Transfers relating to services pro-
curement activities between SAP
ERP, SAP SRM, and supplier self-
service functions
Technical Benefits of SAP Supplier
Simplifying Upgrades and Harmonizing User
Interfaces, Data Exchanges, and Workflows

SAP SRM 7.0 enables you to integrate
and optimize procurement processes
across the enterprise. With its new and
enhanced functionality, you can inno-
vate and grow your business, as well
as expand and deepen your supplier
relationships.
The new functionality available in SAP
SRM 7.0 facilitates communication
within your enterprise and across your
supplier network. This enables you to
improve sourcing strategies, accelerate
and automate processes and cycle times,
unify disparate data and applications,
evaluate and track suppliers, reduce
costs, and improve performance. You
can also realize sustainable results in
reporting, supplier management, invoice
management, centralized sourcing,
operational procurement, centralized
contract management, and catalog
management functions.
With SAP SRM 7.0, you have an
enterprise-wide solution that closes
the loop on supplier relationship pro-
cesses in an end-to-end manner – and
ultimately transforms purchasing and
supplier management operations and
organizations. For more information
about SAP SRM, please contact your
SAP customer engagement manager
or visit us online at www.sap.com/srm.
For More Information
Learn More About SAP SRM

Quick facts www.sap.com/contactsap
50 084 193 (08/10)
©2008 by SAP AG.
All rights reserved. SAP, R/3, xApps, xApp, SAP NetWeaver, Duet,
PartnerEdge, ByDesign, SAP Business ByDesign, and other SAP
products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective
logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in
Germany and in several other countries all over the world.
Business Objects and the Business Objects logo, BusinessObjects,
Crystal Reports, Crystal Decisions, Web Intelligence, Xcelsius, and
other Business Objects products and services mentioned herein as
well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks
of Business Objects S.A. in the United States and in several other
countries all over the world. Business Objects is an SAP company.
All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks
of their respective companies. Data contained in this document
serves informational purposes only. National product specifications
may vary.
These materials are subject to change without notice. These materials
are provided by SAP AG and its affiliated companies (“SAP Group”)
for informational purposes only, without representation or warranty of
any kind, and SAP Group shall not be liable for errors or omissions with
respect to the materials. The only warranties for SAP Group products
and services are those that are set forth in the express warranty
statements accompanying such products and services, if any. Nothing
herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty.
Summary
The SAP® Supplier Relationship Management (SAP SRM) application helps you improve
supplier communications, streamline operations, and enhance cost management. As a
result, you can reduce costs while maintaining access to high-quality products and a reliable
supply base.
Business Challenges
• Achieve greater visibility into supplier relationships and performance
• Generate sustainable savings through sourcing
• Eliminate risk of procurement noncompliance
• Standardize and centralize processes
• Manage invoices
Supported Business Processes and Software Functions
• Operational procurement – Accelerate processes, shorten the order cycle, and foster
standardization
• Catalog management – Avoid maverick buying, improve compliance, and allow users
to search among millions of items in seconds
• Centralized sourcing – Reduce costs and cycle times, improve sourcing process trans-
parency, and facilitate bidding competition among suppliers
• Centralized contracts – Extract maximum value from negotiated agreements by enabling
better contract compliance and execution
• Services procurement – Manage resources, monitor and reduce costs, and improve
procurement processes
• Supplier collaboration – Link suppliers to your purchasing processes, collaborate with
suppliers throughout the life cycle, and enable integration with suppliers of all sizes
• Supplier evaluation – Better manage suppliers and improve quality
• Reporting and analysis – Capture, consolidate, and present data across the enterprise
Business Benefits
• Reduce process costs and lower purchasing prices by building collaborative supplier
relationships
• Accelerate cycle times and supply management activities by automating procurement
processes
• Unify disconnected, disparate applications and data sources with a flexible platform
• Evaluate suppliers, streamline the procurement process, and achieve data visibility
with an integrated, end-to-end solution
For More Information
Contact your SAP representative, or visit us online at www.sap.com.

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