SAP Spend Connect Live: Valerie Blatt on Innovation at SAP
Staged at The Venetian Convention & Expo Center in the heart of Las Vegas, SAP Spend Connect Live saw SAP showcase a number of exciting updates to its spend management solutions.
Supply Chain Digital sat down with Valerie Blatt, Chief Revenue Officer for SAP Business Network, to discuss some of the innovations that highlight SAP's commitment to driving meaningful digital transformation in procurement and supply chain.
SAP's groundbreaking solutions
Central to SAP's portfolio of spend management solutions is SAP Spend Control Tower, which provides unprecedented visibility into organisational spending.
"A lot of our customers are talking about how they can see all their spend and data across all applications and solutions," explained Valerie, underscoring the platform's ability to consolidate complex financial information into a unified, accessible format.
The company is also breaking new ground with open intake management, a solution designed to empower end users by allowing them to interact more directly with technological platforms.
"We see a big market need here and we're getting some really great feedback from our customers," Valerie noted, highlighting the importance of user-centric design in modern enterprise solutions.
Saving "the best for last", Valerie highlighted the announcement of the Promote package within SAP Business Network, a strategic initiative aimed at supporting supplier growth and connectivity.
"Our suppliers on the network are always saying 'help me grow'," she shared.
The package addresses a critical challenge by helping suppliers connect with potential new customers through a sophisticated certification system that provides buyers with transparent insights into supplier transaction histories.
Val added: "It’s something very new and innovative we’re doing on the Business Network and we’re really excited to launch that in Q1 of next year."
An innovation leader
Reflecting on SAP's position at the forefront of innovation, Val pointed to Ariba and the way it changed the face of spend management and procurement more than a quarter of a century ago.
She said: "Becoming a partner and being integrated into SAP has only allowed us to innovate that much faster and become closer to those really critical business processes that our customers talk about in their direct spend supply chains."
Val also expressed excitement about the potential of today's combination of SAP, Ariba and the Business Network.
"It’s our competitive differentiator and our customers feel that as well," she added.
The Business Network's CRO went on to spotlight a key philosophical underpinning of SAP's approach: flexibility.
"The amazing part is you don't have to boil the ocean – you can land where you need to land in your business processes and grow from there," Val summarised, emphasising the organisation's commitment to scalable, adaptable solutions that meet business needs."
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