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Ketera Supplier Connect is comprised of several configurable core capabilities. Each is designed to complement Ketera or 3rd party sourcing and procure–to–pay applications by enabling the rapid on–boarding and integration of suppliers into key business processes. The major components of Supplier Connect are described below.
Trading Partner Directory
Ketera Trading Partner Directory is a full service community for trusted suppliers, delivered over the Internet as a service via an innovative on demand architecture. It provides tools for buyers and suppliers that automate core supply base management processes, freeing up scarce resources from mundane tasks and allowing focus on value–added business functions.
The directory leverages connectivity with “vendor master” systems of record such as 3rd party eProcurement, ERP and master data management systems to seed supplier profile enrichment campaigns designed around specific organizational and buyer needs. The campaigns are communicated electronically to suppliers as a tailorable invitation to register various details such as their product / service categories and their diversity and certification status in areas such as MWBE, safety, and environmental compliance. Once this information is collected, customers can utilize optional bi–directional integration with other enterprise applications to continually synchronize vendor details across the enterprise.
Enablement Workflows
The enablement workflow capability supports buyer and supplier processes via extensible electronic workflows and provides easy to use role–based dashboards to instantly view supply base metrics, drill into details and manage specific enablement activities.
Buyers can utilize advanced search capabilities to target and invite specific categories of suppliers to participate in their procurement programs. For example, buyers can search by diversity or certification status, supplier rating or by suppliers that support hosted or punch–out content. Buyers can then tailor invitation and registration processes to include elements such as specific term and conditions and program instructions. Buyers can additionally leverage the Campaign Management capabilities to manage and track their supplier enablement initiatives or campaigns.
Supplier Profile Management
Suppliers with access to Ketera Supplier Connect via the Supplier Portal can self–administer areas of their profile to which they have appropriate access authority. While buyers can tailor supplier profiles as per their organizational needs, suppliers are free to link multiple transaction accounts for ease of administration. This supplier relationship management system enables buyers to retain control over key elements of their buying relationships such as their ERP / Procurement Vendor master references and preferred order routing, while at the same time making it easy for suppliers to maintain core data in one place. Ketera Supplier Connect layers the supplier organization on top of the buyer–specific supplier relationships providing both suppliers and buyers visibility to parent–child relationships.
Supplier Portal
Suppliers utilize a convenient Ketera Supplier Portal for all supplier relationship management needs including self–service profile administration, visibility to purchasing transactions and history, and the ability to initiate an inquiry or transactions such as an order acknowledgement, advanced shipping notice, or invoice. Additionally with Ketera Supplier Catalog Management, suppliers have the ability to manage their catalogs. Supplier Portal also provides suppliers a mechanism to communicate requests or questions to buyers and provides them notices and alerts for buyer assigned tasks.
During supplier registration and throughout their entire supplier relationship lifecycle, the Ketera Supplier Portal enables users to review and accept buyer terms and conditions, manage certification details, attach documentation and step through a commodity classification structure to identify the products and services they can provide. By providing buyers consistent information and visibility across all their supplier interactions it accelerates the flow of information with suppliers and helps reduce process cycle time.
At any point in a business process, Ketera Supplier Connect can support effective bi–directional communication (via messages, attachments and email) between Ketera, our service partners, our customers and their suppliers. This supplier relationship management system enables efficient delivery and management of value–added services by any participant in the supply chain.
Supply Base Management Reporting and Analytics
Supplier Connect provides role–based dashboards with drill–down reporting supported by embedded Hyperion analytics. This supports exception–based management at a high–level (e.g., department) and the ability to perform root–cause analysis at lower–levels (e.g., campaign, supplier). This supplier relationship management system helps measure the success of procurement initiatives and enables effective supply base management by providing a feedback loop based on execution.
Standard reports in this supplier relationship management system include information on suppliers invited and enabled by diversity, enablement type (e.g.,cXML, EDI etc.), and the specific electronic transactions supported. They also provide historical transaction counts or value. Standard views also provide a snapshot of supplier participation and enablement metrics including cycle times for various enablement activities. Users can also view their assigned tasks and view open, overdue and pending task status. For organizations aiming to drive significant spend through catalogs with negotiated prices, complete visibility into catalog development activities is provided through metrics and activity tracking. All these capabilities supplemented with Supplier Performance deliver a full 360–degree view of suppliers for actionable supply base business intelligence.
Document Exchange
Document Exchange supports the translation and communication of documents with application–specific connectors via an Enterprise Application Integration bus developed to provide a simple but effective SOA middleware framework that allows flexibility without dictating the need for a particular middle–ware technology stack. Document Exchange processes requests, performs any required data transformation, and communicates with client systems via various protocols including:
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HTTP |
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XML |
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EDI |
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SMTP (email) |
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SFTP |
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