TECHNOLOGY
opinion State of Flux
The market for SRM software has been dominated by solutions which are designed to create one-stop-shop for procurement, but which mainly focus on sourcing and P2P and only address SRM as an afterthought. As a result, they also force too many compromises.
At the same time, procurement software is often only an add-on to ERP. The result has left many procurement departments with uncooperative and unloved systems. Even applications that support SRM focus their usability on procurement roles, when people from across – and outside – the business often perform tasks relevant to SRM. But procurement technology is changing. Cloud- based applications can stitch together data from many systems, making the one-stop-shop approach seem
Technology can boost SRM outcomes – including reducing risk and nurturing innovation – but only if organisations are willing to invest the time and resources.
arcane. Technology should help all those involved in managing supplier relationships – including suppliers themselves. Solutions should enable supplier management processes, not dictate a rigid approach that works well for one part of the organisation. Technology can boost SRM outcomes – including reducing risk and nurturing innovation – but only if organisations are willing to invest the time and resources. We believe now is the time to implement technology before another function takes the lead in this area. Don’t wait to choose the perfect end- to-end procurement system, as most modern systems including our own SupplierBase are nimble enough to integrate with almost all the other business software. There is a huge opportunity to improve SRM performance with technology. Organisations that take it will get greater returns from their supplier relationships, and at the same time boost the procurement team’s business value.
2019 GLOBAL SRM RESEARCH REPORT
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