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SupplyOn Blog

Lena Zuber

Communications

As a member of the marketing team, in my posts I cover everything that's currently happening at SupplyOn: the latest developments, internal events, charity campaigns and much more.

Posts by Lena Zuber:

New features live: the results of Program Increment 2023-03 and 2023-04

May we present the new features that our developers have realized over the past months. These are the highlights from the different areas: Visibility & AnalyticsOur goal? Continuously increasing transparency for transports! In the Container Tracking Overview customers can now view the current position of the ships with their shipments on a map. The color scale shows whether the shipments arrive on time (green) or whether there are deviations (yellow or red depending on the length of the delay). Supply Chain CollaborationThere are many new functions to discover in Supply Chain Collaboration:In the order overview, a preview now shows orders in PDF format and allows to navigate through the list at the same time.Previously, collaboration within the solution could only happen between the customer and their suppliers. With "Extended Collaboration", the customer can now define an additional party (for example a logistics service provider) that performs certain tasks for one or more suppliers.The overview of call-offs (call-off preview, delivery call-offs, detailed call-offs) now also appears in a new and modern user interface.In the Capacity Management solution, our development teams have added an assessment-driven component. The customer can use it to carry out a structured evaluation of the supplier's capacity data. This is particularly helpfulin case of poor quality,in the start-up phase and for new developments,for strategically important parts,for new suppliers - or simply to reduce the general risk in the supply chain. Supplier Quality ManagementThe compact "All Questions" overview allows users to view all questions in the Technical Review solution and analyze their status at a glance. If required, users can also access a specific question directly from here. This function is very useful for both customers and suppliers, especially for complex questionnaires.In the Problem Solver solution, it is now possible to work with a database when manually entering material master data. This is particularly interesting for customers who do not use their own backend system. AirSupplyWithin AirSupply the Practical Problem Solver (9S) has also seen some changes:The new analysis solution with KPIs can be used to monitor the performance and number of 9S documents created over time.The "Quality Wall" is now also available as an additional tool for improving quality. The customer can activate it on a 9S document to carry out additional important checks.The customer can now also record identified quality defects - so-called non-qualities - and share them with the supplier.With the advanced search, users can create and save their repeated searches as individual profiles.  So many new functions! Stay tuned and discover the results of the current development phase!
Lena Zuber · February 9, 2024 - reading time < 3 Min.
New features live: the results of Program Increment 2023-03 and 2023-04

New features developed in Program Increment 2023-02

Time flies! Twelve weeks have gone by again: We present the work of our development teams in the solutions Supplier Quality Management, Invoicing and AirSupply. Supplier Quality ManagementThe goal of the last three months was to create more transparency for the customer and supplier in the Technical Review solution by means of a new status display in the navigation area: As a result, the users can now easily identify the categories in which questions have already been answered. They can also immediately check which categories contain questions that have been accepted, not accepted, or tentatively confirmed. InvoicingThe user interface of SupplyOn Invoicing has been rebuilt from the ground up — both in terms of design and functionality: Users can now see a lot faster which functions are available to them and how they can use them.Thanks to the revision of the invoice validation, it is now possible to identify and correct potential validation errors more easily.All lists, such as the invoice list, now have a full table view with extended display options. For example, the users can more easily show and hide columns, sort, move or filter them as needed.Even non-registered suppliers can now view the processing status of invoices in the Payment Status Overview. They no longer have to contact the customer's support team and get the information they need much faster.Find more information about the new user interface here. AirSupplyThe last few months have also been dedicated to making it even easier for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to use the AirSupply SCM solution. The Easy Starter Package includes process simplifications as well as a streamlined message format that can be implemented even without any mapping experience. The new preconfigured software enables a stable and encrypted exchange oforder data,order confirmation dataand forecast data. In the Scaled Agile Framework, one development period seamlessly follows the next. So stay tuned to find out which new features we will develop in the next Program Increment.
Lena Zuber · August 2, 2023 - reading time < 2 Min.
New features developed in Program Increment 2023-02

Supplier Community Event: sustainability and ecosystems shaping the near future of supply chains

A network in a world of networks: the latest Supplier Community Event revolved around supply chain ecosystems, digital twins, circular economy and much more: It's all about sustainability and our responsibility to the younger generation — in his keynote, Stefan (Executive Board, SupplyOn) described the change of consciousness that is currently happening in everyone's minds.The approach for the implementation of climate strategies? Moving away from all the individual concepts by large companies. Instead, striving for a common open and standardized approach along the multi-tier chains.And how? Together with some of our global customers, we have designed a solution based on two pillars:Connecting the supply chain ecosystems of the OEMs with all business partners along the supply chain all the way down to raw material suppliers, taking into account new industry standards such as Catena-X.And thereby making use of the concept of the digital twin.In this video, we explain how these two variables - supply chain ecosystems and digital twins — are related to each other: Our next speakers Brynja (Portfolio Manager Sustainability) and Tim (Product Manager Carbon Footprint) addressed the topic of decarbonization. They first presented a joint initiative of some of SupplyOn's customers on the Company Carbon Footprint. The idea is to gather supplier data on companies' CO2 emissions.But it is not only the company level that is of interest here. Brynja and Tim showed how customers can share carbon emissions on products level in a standardized way with the new Product Carbon Footprint solution. A sustainable supply chain must also be resilient to potential disruptions: Michael (Product Owner) went on and presented his Capacity Management solution. He showed how the supplying companies can use it to see the customers' future demands and planning. This way, they identify bottlenecks much earlier than in the past and avoid interruptions in supply.Just like resilience, the digital twin plays a part in Stefan's path to end-to-end sustainability along the multi-tier chain. The Parts Traceability solution works according to this exact principle. Daniel, (Vice President for Transport Management & Analytics Solutions) presents how customers collaborate with their business partners in the solution on twin related data. This transparency of production on both the customer and supplier side (Manufacturing Visibility) also significantly minimizes delivery and quality risks.However, nothing beats concrete use cases. That's why our guest speaker Mallik (Senior GM) reports on how Schneider Electric is tackling the challenge of end-to-end traceability with the help of SupplyOn Parts Traceability. Thank you for your valuable contribution, Mallik!SupplyOn: an open platformThomas (Vice President for SRM & Portal Solutions) continued with a special announcement: Currently, suppliers can only use SupplyOn by invitation from their customers. This is the case, for example, in the Supply Chain Collaboration solution: Customers typically invite their business partners to electronic data exchange here. The focus is also on direct, so-called single-tier exchange; the integration of sub-suppliers only comes into play in exceptional cases.With regard to ESG, however, we have to think in a new way. Because all tier levels have to be involved here - and with as little effort as possible. SupplyOn will open up the platform in the future so that suppliers can start independently. On the one hand, this means that it will be easy for suppliers to register sub-suppliers as well as for suppliers to register their customers. In addition, suppliers can also exchange data via interfaces with business partners who use a different ESG tool. The only prerequisite is that the exchange of ESG data must take place in a standardized manner.For many of you, this approach of open platforms and ecosystems surely reminds you of Catena-X — and with good reason! Because that is exactly the vision behind it — the connection of individual data rooms to a network of networks.And how does SupplyOn fit into the Catena-X landscape? Florian (Portfolio Manager Ecosystems) told the audience in the next agenda topic. He presented three options for this:Portal-to-portal integration (log in with SupplyOn credentials and use Catena-X applications) Certified data exchange (collaborate with business partners using other Catena-X applications in the three SupplyOn solutions already presented:)CO2/Product Carbon Footprint (PCF)Parts TraceabilityDemand & Capacity ManagementPortal integration of 3rd party software from Catena-X directly in SupplyOnSupplyOn in ShortYou don't speak to several hundred supplier users every day! That's why trainer Regina took the opportunity to use the last few minutes of the event to present her new training initiative "SupplyOn in Short". Every month, she takes a close look at a different SupplyOn solution together with interested suppliers. She answers questions from the audience and shows how to use the solution most efficiently.An event full of reveals and new impulses! We hope our viewers enjoyed it as much as we did.Did you miss the event? No problem! Here you can watch the recording of the event:
Lena Zuber · July 3, 2023 - reading time < 5 Min.
Supplier Community Event: sustainability and ecosystems shaping the near future of supply chains

New SupplyOn features developed in Program Increment (PI) 2023-01

Our development teams have been working at full power over the past three months. Check out the results in the areas of Visibility & Analytics, Supply Chain Collaboration, Invoicing and AirSupply: Visibility & AnalyticsAt the end of the latest development phase, we are introducing new options in the Product Footprint solution: From now on, it includes a comment function that facilitates the collaboration on the platform. Added to this is the new "Create parts" function. This allows the user to easily create the parts that are not existing in the list of parts. Supply Chain CollaborationFresh breeze also in the area of Supply Chain Collaboration. New, modern user interfaces now offer even faster orientation in the following overviews:Orders and Line Items Overview (new: streamlined way to confirm orders)KanbanGoods ReceiptDue DeliveriesFor shipping notifications, there is now the possibility to prevent early creation of ASNs, as well as to reduce the manual effort required to maintain the smallest packing unit.The new "Issue Center" functionality shows where a user needs to take action to ensure a smooth business process. In the first step, inconsistencies in the delivery forecast process are provided. InvoicingIn many Chinese regions, an additional option for creating Fapiaos (domestic Chinese invoices) using the Golden Tax System has now been established. The so-called "Fully Digitalized e-Fapiao" is currently in pilot phase. Suppliers located in these regions might be obliged to use Fully Digitalized e-Fapiao instead of traditional paperbound Fapiao.Invoicing now supports the necessary download format in addition to the known transfer options. All other steps in the Golden Tax workflow remain unchanged. AirSupplyThe new Repair Order process in AirSupply allows customers to place repair orders for suppliers. This new process is based on the existing order process, but supports some specifics of repair processing:The customer can inform the supplier of the date of dispatch and the expected date of arrival.The supplier or repair center confirms receipt of the parts and, after evaluation, can upload a cost estimate in AirSupply, which is immediately sent to the customer.The supplier specifies the expected repair duration and costs. This allows the customer to schedule and agree on the date and price with the supplier - all steps can be carried out  seamlessly in AirSupply. Did you like the features presented? Stay tuned to find out what enhancements our development teams will introduce in the coming months.
Lena Zuber · June 1, 2023 - reading time < 3 Min.
New SupplyOn features developed in Program Increment (PI) 2023-01

The first Supplier Community Event for suppliers in the Aerospace industry

In addition to numerous events about various SupplyOn solutions, we also hosted one for our aerospace suppliers.News, tips and tricks on SupplyOn solutions were on the agenda — this time for AirSupply and Invoicing.Christian, our Vice President SCM & Finance Solutions, gave an exciting keynote speech, which was then followed by our product experts providing insights into the solutions.How can I customize my AirSupply dashboard according to my needs?How can I decide which email notifications I receive, how often they are sent to me and when?How can I schedule my downloads in the future?Saskia and Wolfgang answered these questions all about the AirSupply solution.Ludwig then showed the suppliers how the Invoice Clearance process will be supported in Invoicing in the future and how suppliers in France and Spain will be able to send their invoices to the central government agency via SupplyOn.In the second part of the event, we moved from the product demo into practice: representatives from two companies discussed the usage and benefits of AirSupply in their processes - and how the benefits can be further increased. Why was this so exciting? In the panel discussion, we looked at both sides of the coin - the customer's view as well as the supplier's view.One of the invited companies - Airbus Aerostructures GmbH (formerly PAG) - fulfills both roles and uses SupplyOn on both the purchasing and selling sides. That's why two representatives from Airbus Aerostructures - Jan-Hendrik Drees, Supply Management in the role of the "buyside" and Christoph Bertz, HO Ordering Process & DP Account Management, in the role of the "sellside" - met Benjamin Klotzbücher, Sales Manager at Georg Martin GmbH, an innovative supplier to Airbus Aerostructures, in the SupplyOn Studio.All three panelists agreed on the quintessence of the discussion: AirSupply offers the great advantage that any company, regardless of size and IT resources, can use the solution and benefit from it. However, it is also clear that the benefits increase with the depth of the integration of AirSupply into the company's own processes, and that a back-end integration, such as the one implemented at Airbus Aerostructures, is only worthwhile above a certain order volume. Nevertheless, even for smaller companies, a potential for added value can be identified and leveraged with less effort, for example by exploiting the greater transparency or by making intelligent use of the structured digital data with as many customers as possible on the same platform.Airbus Aerostructures has written a remarkable success story in this regard by approaching its customers with the clear intent to collaborate via AirSupply in the future or to expand the scope of its usage. As a result, Airbus Aerostructures is now using SupplyOn AirSupply very successfully with 20 customers.We would like to thank all contributors for a highly rewarding event with interesting outlooks, helpful information on usage and an exciting panel discussion with a wide variety of viewpoints and insights into the everyday life of a customer and supplier! Stay tuned and find out everything about the next events with new guests and topics here.
Lena Zuber · March 29, 2023 - reading time < 3 Min.
The first Supplier Community Event for suppliers in the Aerospace industry

Program Increment (PI) 2022-04: New features in SupplyOn solutions

We kick off the new year with a look at the achievements of the past development phase (Program Increment 2022-04). Here you will find an overview of the most important innovations in the SupplyOn solutions: Visibility & AnalyticsThe development teams have done a great job in the area of Visibility & Analytics in designing the new solution "Product Footprint".The introduction of the Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains shows that it is becoming more and more important to determine and prove the ecological footprint of the own products. We have implemented two sections in the new solution for this purpose:The "Actual Footprint" determines the footprint of all parts that are already produced in series. It is possible to request the required certificates from the supplier.If a component is still being developed or has not yet been ordered, meaning there is no part number for it yet, the "Planned Footprint" function determines a rough indicator of its future CO2 impact through production and transport.Besides the implementation of this new solution, there is another innovation: the Flexible Survey solution has been integrated into Strategic Risk Management. Such linking of the solutions creates a seamless user experience.From now on, there are three possible ways to select suppliers for the survey:draw a "Circular Area" on the map and select all suppliers in the marked zoneuse the "Polygonal Area" to draw a polygonal area and thus define the suppliers to be addressed even more preciselyselect suppliers regardless of their location using various filter criteriaThe email addresses of the recipients of the survey are drawn from the Business Directory and thus do not have to be entered manually. Supply Chain CollaborationIn Supply Chain Collaboration, we start off 2023 with three new features:From now on, individual supplies can be tracked at the level of purchase order delivery schedules across all processes — from demand to goods receipt booking. This also simplifies the connection to customers with Oracle ERP systems.When creating transport and advance shipping notifications for the loading address, the supplier can now create an address book and this way increase data quality.If a supplier user only works with selected customers via SupplyOn, he can now individually adapt and restrict the e-mail notifications to the customers he is responsible for. Supplier Quality ManagementIn the Technical Review solution, the user now has more options for selecting the system status and for displaying longer texts. In addition, a comment function has been added to the measures overview. This makes it even easier for the customer and supplier to exchange information on a measure level.When managing objects in SupplyOn Project Management, the selection of objects to be revised has been considerably simplified for administrators: the additional upload function speeds up the process significantly. InvoicingThere are also some new enhancements in the area of invoicing. To better support the individual workflows of suppliers, it is now possible to manually close billable items (without generating invoices within SupplyOn). This allows suppliers to close items that have been invoiced outside the platform and to keep their list views up to date or adjust them at a later date.The second innovation is designed for Mexican suppliers, as they must have domestic invoices and credit notes approved by a state authority (Servicio de Administración Tributaria "SAT") before they can be forwarded to the customer (so-called "clearance procedure"). Invoicing will also support this process in Mexico in the future and thus optimally accompanies the prescribed workflow. AirSupplyIn the last Program Increment, a helpful feature was implemented in 9S Practical Problem Solver (PPS): Within the PPS document, the supplier can now assign the added problems to the root cause entries under "Step 4 - Identify root cause(s)".The customer has the advantage that he can see at a glance which problems contribute to the root causes. He thus helps his supplier to process the PPS document quickly. So many innovations! Stay tuned for the next update on SupplyOn's new features that will be available in three months.
Lena Zuber · January 25, 2023 - reading time < 4 Min.
Program Increment (PI) 2022-04: New features in SupplyOn solutions

Supplier Community Event: relevant CO2 information for suppliers — for the first time live from the studio

Our Supplier Community Events are highly appreciated by suppliers. High attendance figures and constant positive feedback from the audience have now prompted us to give it an even more professional touch: Our new SupplyOn Studio debuted at the last Supplier Community Event — and it was a complete success! Read all about it here for yourself...Not only do we have cutting-edge equipment, but also guest speakers from Schaeffler and Continental Automotive:Prof. Dr. Florian Schupp, SVP Purchasing & SM Automotive at Schaeffler, provided deep insights into Schaeffler's climate neutrality targets in his keynote speech. He reported on the "Supplier Sustainability Innovations Automotive Europe Summit", introduced the concepts behind the action areas Green Materials, Green Production, Green Energy, as well as Green Data, and demonstrated how CO2 values influence the selection of new suppliers and thus Schaeffler's sourcing process. Also, the collaboration with existing suppliers is changing at Schaeffler as they are expected to hand over CO2 values together with the ASN (Advance Shipping Notification) in the future. In addition, certificates will be requested in order to be able to ensure that ESG* targets can be met. A 25 % reduction of Scope 3 emissions seems to be a quite ambitious, but feasible target for 2030, that builds also on the contribution of our suppliers. Therefore, the focus is on suppliers and the purchasing function to make a significant contribution to achieving the sustainability goals.Prof. Dr. Ing. Florian Schupp, SVP Purchasing & SM Automotive at Schaeffler.Insights for suppliers after the eye-opening keynote: With regard to sustainability in supply chains, there are many new aspects to consider in the future. Communication between customer and supplier will be intensified - and also this exchange between Schaeffler and its business partners will take place via SupplyOn. Corporate Carbon Footprint Readiness SurveyVeronika from Continental Automotive Purchasing took over next. In the first step, she illustrated Continental's CO2 targets and strategies. Together with Wolfgang, Director Consulting North America, from SupplyOn, she presented a joint project between Bosch, Continental, Schaeffler and Vitesco: The Corporate Carbon Footprint Readiness Survey via SupplyOn.The jointly developed questionnaire is designed to provide customers with insights into their suppliers' CO2 data.Our goal is to create 100 % carbon neutrality along our entire value chain. As a first step, we will request our suppliers to switch to 100 % renewable energy by 2030. In addition, the availability of reliable carbon footprint information on both on company as well as on product level will become essential in the future.Veronika Leutgäb, Sustainability Management at Continental Automotive Purchasing A SupplyOn PCF tool for suppliersBut we didn't just have information on corporate carbon footprint for the audience. Korbinian, Vice President Portfolio Strategy and Marketing, gave exclusive insights into the development of a new SupplyOn solution for product carbon footprints. This will help suppliers to manage and share requested data with their customers. Michael, the lead Product Owner shared specific use cases of the planned solution and encouraged attendees to participate in testing and designing it. Top 5 SupplyOn features for suppliers in 2022Saving the best for last, our trainer Regina demonstrated the top five supplier features in 2022 on the platform, click by click:Dashboard / Navigation DrawerE-Mail NotificationOrder Line Items OverviewFormat DescriptionsCertificate Management We hope that suppliers were once again able to take away valuable information - on both SupplyOn solutions and on the subject of CO2 — and we are already looking forward to the next Supplier Community Events! * ESG: Environment, Social, Governance
Lena Zuber · November 11, 2022 - reading time < 4 Min.
Supplier Community Event: relevant CO2 information for suppliers — for the first time live from the studio