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SAP Markets on Wednesday unveiled the first product to be made available as part of parent company SAP AGs new technology platform.
The mySAP Supplier Relationship Management suite is built on the MySAP Technology platform that the software giant announced at its TechEd conference in Los Angeles last fall.
The platform consists of three parts: an exchange infrastructure, a portals infrastructure and a Web application server that incorporates Java programming along side SAPs proprietary ABAB language.
The mySAP SRM suite capitalizes on the new platform by providing a holistic view of all supplier-facing relationships through integration capabilities with both SAP and non-SAP supply chain management, product lifecycle management and enterprise resource planning applications, according to officials.
Similarly, suppliers can use the portal technology to connect more easily with their customers to conduct business.
The new SRM solution also takes over where SAP Markets eProcurement offerings leave off. Company officials said that as of Jan. 1 they would no longer market mySAP E-Procurement apps. Instead, the 1,200 current E-Procurement customers that may want to upgrade now need to look to mySAP SRM for solutions.
“Customers can still license exactly the same technology as a subset of SRM, that brings the new capability of supplier collaboration,” said Faheem Ahmed, senior manager of global solutions marketing for SAP Markets, in San Jose, Calif. “This is a big step forward in simplifying the message. We are no longer offering things under different brands. SRM is built by SAP Markets and sold by SAP worldwide.”
Like mySAP E-Procurement, which offers integrated purchasing processes, spend analysis and catalog content management, the new SRM solution covers all categories of a companys spending across the supplier life cycle – be that spending for indirect or direct materials, or be it for procuring commodities, engineered goods or services.
The mySAP SRM suite also offers supplier qualification, contract negotiation and management and a new application called supplier self service, whereby companies can enable suppliers to process orders, generate invoices and update specifications.
MySAP SRM is available now.