The most interesting ones are:

SAP Ariba Sourcing

• There will be a new possibility to modify the duration of sourcing events and search for sourcing requests by using AI copilot Joule. You can extend or reduce the time for RFP and RFI events that are in the open state using the Joule digital assistant. The duration of auction events cannot be modified using Joule.

• A new feature enables buyers to create a configuration to ensure that ad hoc tasks are not included when copying data from a baseline contract to a supplier contract as part of the pre-award negotiation workflow.

• In the manual award scenario within Guided Sourcing, users can now open the Allocate Award pop-up to specify award allocation details for suppliers more efficiently.

• Money-type pricing condition terms can now be validated when importing sourcing event data from or exporting it to Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. The Pricing Conditions worksheet enforces numeric validation for all money-related terms entered by suppliers.

• An Item Reference Number is now added to the Items and Questions, Requirements & Attachments tables in Guided Sourcing events. The Item Reference Number is a unique identifier automatically assigned to event content, enabling buyers and suppliers to collaborate using a shared reference number.

• Buyer users can now use custom off-line response sheets in multi-round bidding. If event content changes in any round, users must upload a new custom off-line response sheet specific to that round. Each sheet is validated to ensure it contains only the content relevant to that particular round.

SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance

• Integration support function for qualification status enables access up-to-date qualification information directly in the ERP system. It adds support for synchronizing supplier qualification to integrated ERP systems using custom generic fields. This change allows you to access up-to-date qualification information in the ERP system, facilitating automated decision-making processes such as blocking suppliers with expired qualifications. Supported ERP systems, including SAP ECC, SAP S/4HANA, and SAP MDG-S, can automatically receive final qualification statuses from SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance.

SAP Business Network

• Customer group (buyers) management feature in new generation (NextGen) introduces a new cloud platform for SAP Business Network. The updated interface enables users to create buyers groups and edit or remove members for the group.

• Mapping enhancement to support consignment purchase orders integration with SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud – this feature enables support for consignment purchase orders in integration between SAP S/4HANA Public and SAP Business Network for Supply Chain Collaboration customers.

• You can communicate with trading partners through online messages or email, depending on user preference and business context. Users can send and track messages related to specific business documents, such as purchase orders or invoices, or initiate general, document-independent conversations. Conversations can be started in the portal and continued off-line via email.