Schweitzer Goes Digital with Ariba

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

eCommerce isn't just a faster, more convenient way for consumers to get the things they need to manage their personal lives. It's the way companies want to buy the goods and services needed to keep their operations humming too. Recognizing this trend, Schweitzer FachInformationen, a knowledge resource management provider, has enabled its web catalog on the Ariba^® Network. And it is leveraging the world's largest, most global business-to-business trading platform to connect and transact with its customers more efficiently and boost its sales in the process. On June 10, Schweitzer will share the story of its success on the mainstage at Ariba LIVE Munich, the premier business commerce event to be held at The Westin Grand Munich.

Like many companies, Schweitzer was initially skeptical of doing business online. But when a customer requested that all of its transactions be managed electronically, Schweitzer began to explore options so as not to lose the account. "Our motivation was simply to keep the customer," recalls Alexander Graff, head of corporate business at Schweitzer.

As a medium-sized enterprise, Schweitzer needed to find a cost-efficient way to accommodate its customer's request and implement a solution that was scalable and future-proof. And it found one in Ariba, an SAP company.

Schweitzer began by launching an eCommerce site on the Ariba Network. The company created a punch-out catalog through which its customers could more effectively manage the increasingly complex flow of knowledge and content within their organizations. "We were able to quickly and easily get the infrastructure we needed in place and essentially built a one-click to connect to the customer system," Graff said.

Then the company implemented a standard, automated process to manage everything from orders through invoice. And doing so really changed the game for Schweitzer and its customers. More than just fulfilling a customer's demand, the eProcurement capabilities of Schweitzer became both a unique selling point and a lever to streamline business processes on both ends.

"Companies spend at least as much on professional information as they spend on office-supplies – often more. But they often don‘t know how much and what for what," Graff says. "With Schweitzer being their one and only source and the transparency and real-time data that our network-based catalogs and procurement processes provide, they know every minute."

Today, more than half of Schweitzer's sales are driven by eProcurement. And through Ariba Discovery, a service delivered on the Ariba Network that automatically matches buyer requirements with seller capabilities, Schweitzer is on its way to increasing these numbers even further.

"The drivers of today's digital economy are global buying organizations that are eager to make business commerce more collaborative by connecting with their trading partners electronically," said Alex Atzberger, President, Ariba. "And the winners are selling organizations like Schweitzer who are harnessing the power of business networks to remove complexity and help their customer run simple."

Ariba offers a wide-range of solutions designed to help selling organizations create effective eCommerce strategies that fuel business innovation and growth. Click here to learn more about these offerings and the value they can deliver to your selling organization. Or register today to attend Ariba LIVE where you can experience them in person at: www.aribalive.com

About Ariba, an SAP Company

Ariba is the world's business commerce network. Ariba combines industry-leading cloud-based applications with the world's largest web-based trading community to help companies discover and collaborate with a global network of partners. Using the Ariba^® Network, businesses of all sizes can connect to their trading partners anywhere, at any time from any application or device to buy, sell and manage their cash more efficiently and effectively than ever before. Companies around the world use the Ariba Network to simplify inter-enterprise commerce and enhance the results that they deliver. Join them at: www.ariba.com

About SAP

As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP SAP helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable more than 291,000 customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com.

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