SAP Ariba Among 2018 Pros to Know

Modern supply chains are the key to driving success and transparency in business. And with its business network, cloud-based applications and deep domain expertise, SAP Ariba is a driving force in enabling them. Supply & Demand Chain Executive Magazine recognized this today, naming two of the company’s leaders to the 2018 Supply & Demand Chain Executive Pros to Know, an annual listing of exceptional corporate executives who are helping companies effectively manage the supply chain challenges they face today and prepare them for the future.

“Supply & Demand Chain Executive Pros to Know embody the commitment to transformative supply chain tools and processes and we commend this year’s recipients for their achievements in paving the way for the next generation of exceptional supply chain execution,” says John Yuva, editor of Supply & Demand Chain Executive.”

Among the SAP Ariba leaders named to the 2018 list: Keith Baranowski, Global Vice President and General Manager of the company’s direct spend solutions, and Aarathi Vidyasagar, Global Vice President, Head of Strategic Procurement. Both were selected on the basis of their efforts to help companies reimagine their supply chains and provide new processes and tools that transform the way they work.

Today’s consumers want products with the latest innovations customized to their needs. And they want them now. Procurement plays an important role in bringing these products to market quickly, but with hundreds or thousands of high quality components that need to be sourced at low cost to build them, it isn’t an easy task. SAP Ariba is helping to simplify it and Baranowski and his team are leading the charge, helping companies procure direct materials with the same simplicity and speed as indirect goods and services.

Research shows that the average procurement organization spends more than half its time on transactional activities such as managing purchasing orders (POs), sourcing events and contracts, reconciling invoices and tracking payments. In digitizing such tasks, they can shift their focus away from tactical work to more strategic initiatives such as supplier development and co-innovation. And in infusing them with things like artificial intelligence, machine learning and cognitive capabilities, they can make smarter, more informed decisions that beyond savings and efficiencies, deliver broad business value. Under the leadership of Vidyasagar and her team, SAP Ariba is delivering these and other innovations that are opening the door to new ways of thinking, connecting and acting that makes the entire source-to-settle process run smarter, simpler and faster.