Can you relate to the following?

Your goal is to make sure that the items you purchased will arrive on time. To do so, you must make sure your suppliers acknowledge, up front, the PO sent to them.

Solutions such as:
– Supplier portal costs the company dearly and yields burden over the supplier. suppliers need to log-on to the company’s supplier-portal whenever interaction is needed.
– E-invoicing services are expensive and still force the suppliers to key-in everything twice. Supplier onboarding involves money transactions and is time-consuming.
– EDI screens out those not sophisticated-enough suppliers who do not have the required infrastructure.
– Calling suppliers by phone is time-consuming and the supplier acknowledgment could not be authenticated.

How does PO collaboration for SAP solve it?

When a PO assigned to the PO-Collaboration process, is released (T-code ME9F – Message Output: Purchase Orders), an email is sent to the corresponding supplier. The mail contains:
HTML Message asking the supplier to take action along with a table describing the PO items,
The PO layout is attached to the mail
An HTML form with the list of items enabling the supplier to split lines and update delivery dates.

In most cases, the supplier approves the PO content – both quantities and delivery dates. In this case, the Confirm button should be pressed sending back to SAP the authentified supplier’s acknowledgment. Back in SAP, this reply is registered and the PO confirmation tab is filled accordingly.
Should the suppliers request to change the PO terms (quantities/delivery dates), the HTML form is to be invoked. Using the split button together with the date/quantity pickers, the request is formalized. Remarks at item level could be entered as well. Pressing the Send button, ship the request back to SAP.
The buyer will review the supplier request in the PO Collaboration Monitor. In case the request is acceptable, the data will be, yet again, registered in the PO confirmation tab.

Reverse Advance Shipping Notice (ASN)
Couple of weeks ahead of the shipping date (configured at SAP side per supplier/material), the PO Collaboration will send the supplier an email. In this email, the supplier is requested to re-confirm the delivery dates as appeared in the PO. By pressing the Confirm button, the supplier confirmation is logged into the buyer’s monitor.

See it in action!

• Upon PO approval, auto-send of PO relevant data to Supplier along with other related stakeholders
• In case Supplier approves the PO, the confirmation will be automatically loaded onto the PO confirmation tab in SAP
• Any  Supplier’s  changes  (in terms of dates and quantities) will be loaded to SAP upon buyer’s approval

Connect your suppliers, instantly, and have them keep your SAP up-to-date.

No effort and No Data entry