Skip to content

Welcome to the SupplyOn Blog

Digitizing Repair Orders: a game-changer for efficiency and customer satisfaction in the aerospace industry

In a dynamic industry like Aerospace and Defense, where precision and efficiency are paramount, every process counts. And one of these processes is the management of non-operational parts that cannot be installed in an aircraft or helicopter due to a need for revision, repair, overhaul, or the like — the so-called Repair Orders & Overhaul (R&O).Leonardo, a major aerospace, defense and security company, set out to fill the gaps to efficiently manage the specifics of this process, seamlessly integrated into a digital platform. But what really sets this endeavor apart is the idea of community. As part of the BoostAeroSpace community, Leonardo and another major aerospace OEM joined forces to transform the repair and overhaul ordering process for the benefit of the entire community as a pioneering co-leadership initiative.We sat down with Angela Marotta, Project Manager for AirSupply at Leonardo, to learn more about this extraordinary initiative and how Leonardo is benefiting from the new process:Repair Orders — a critical process in the aerospace industryAngela, could you please describe the role that repair orders play in Leonardo's business, how they have been managed in the past and what the limitations have been?The Repair and Overhaul process is a critical part of our strategic management and our customer services business, especially in our Helicopters and Aircraft divisions. We handle around 7,000 Repair Orders for Aircraft and 32,000 Repair Orders for Helicopters (for 1 year), involving about 600 suppliers. The process has four key steps: publishing, collaboration, acceptance, and execution of Purchase Orders (POs).While it all boils down to PO management, the first three steps have some unique characteristics when handling POs for R&O. These specifics were not fully covered by our previous solution. As a result, we had to manage some or all of these process steps outside of the portal.With a new and dedicated R&O process we wanted to increase the traceability of logistical movement of unserviceable parts, track negotiations, incorporate supplier quotations and enhance the status visibility of the R&O flow in general.It's fascinating to see the scope of the challenge, Angela. Why did Leonardo choose SupplyOn to address these issues?Our decision is in line with our company-wide strategy to use a single portal to collaborate with our suppliers on supply chain processes. And since 2017, this portal has been AirSupply by SupplyOn, the leading solution in the aerospace industry.Joint project for an industry-wide issueHow did this initiative to transform the management of Repair Orders become a joint project with another major aerospace OEM?When we selected in 2016 and implemented AirSupply to harmonize and advance our supplier collaboration on a group level, we also joined the BoostAeroSpace community in 2017. All community members are like-minded, innovative aerospace companies using this comprehensive, industry-specific supply chain solution.So, naturally, we discussed with both, SupplyOn and BoostAeroSpace, how we could extend AirSupply to support this process, both for our existing suppliers and for new ones coming on board. After all, the Repair and Overhaul process is a critical aspect of aerospace and defense. It follows the same rules for customers and suppliers across the industry. Customer support and service are paramount, and efficiency is essential for all.During these discussions last year, in 2022, another major aerospace OEM expressed great interest in transforming and integrating this process into AirSupply. We decided to work closely together on requirements, solution design, cost and testing. The very first co-leadership project among the BoostAeroSpace community members was born! Our common goal was to add value to the platform by implementing this key functionality for the aerospace and defense industry.For us at Leonardo, this project was a great opportunity to demonstrate our community and collaborative spirit: Internally, by aligning all of our business units around the request and identifying common requirements. And secondly, within the community, to verify how such a pioneering co-leadership initiative can become a great success. What are the essential elements required of a successful co-leadership project?Transparency in sharing information about common processes is key. But you also need an open-minded approach to solution design and a deep understanding of the impact of the process on all internal stakeholders. Last but not least, continuous collaboration with the procurement and customer support departments across all business units was critical to the success of the project.Project progress at LeonardoWhat is the current project status at Leonardo?The Repair and Overhaul Process solution has been released on AirSupply in April 2023 and is already up and running for the Helicopters Division since June 2023. We're currently working on the integration with backend of the Aircraft Division backend. This is set to be released in November 2023. The integration with the Electronic Division is then planned for 2024.Leonardo's onboarding policy is to enable all existing suppliers to use the new process and to take the opportunity to onboard new Repair Order suppliers.Can you tell us how this project has helped to address your initial issues, Angela?With the new Repair and Overhaul process, Leonardo aims to accelerate procurement time-to-market, ensure on-time payments, and improve cost efficiency in our Customer Services business. It aligns with our company's success drivers, which include digitalization, traceability, efficiency, standardization, and supplier collaboration. And what is next for this project, is there still work to be done?The solution released in April 2023 is only a first version. We have additional requirements planned for development in 2024. In the meantime, our goal is to expand the supplier perimeter and extend the solution to all Leonardo divisions.Community collaboration as driving force for innovationHow do you think you can influence your fellow community members to adopt this process in their organizations? What are your plans here?All BoostAerospace community members meet every year in a different location for a “Customer Day”. At last year’s Customer Day in Paris, we jointly presented our initiative together with the other participating aerospace OEM. During this presentation, we demonstrated how this solution enhances the AirSupply suite of functionalities.Technically speaking, we have implemented a set of enhancements that complement the existing Purchase Order process, allowing users to access dedicated screens to efficiently manage Repair Orders.This way of working has proven that new processes can be implemented efficiently while minimizing the risks of regression to the existing core process.Angela, looking back, how vital is collaboration in the community for a successful solution?Collaboration with the community and with SupplyOn is the key to success for Leonardo. The exchange of information, comments, and different perspectives ensured that we found an efficient and smart solution.Most importantly, this project has been a valuable lesson for the community in terms of working together on project management and addressing requirements in innovative ways. Are there additional points you would like to see the community tackle in the future?Yes, we'll be discussing additional requirements related to report management for the Repair and Overhaul process and to fine-tuning the solution for quote management. One last question, Angela: do you have any other plans for how you'd like to develop supply chain management at Leonardo that you can share with us?Absolutely. At Leonardo, we believe in sharing our needs with the community to further improve the platform. How to make it even more user-friendly and attractive for suppliers is an ongoing discussion, and we're eager to collaborate to achieve that. Thank you, Angela, so much for your valuable insights! Looking forward to seeing these plans come to fruition in the coming years. All the best to you and your projects.
Anja Weber · November 7, 2023 - reading time < 7 Min.
Digitizing Repair Orders: a game-changer for efficiency and customer satisfaction in the aerospace industry

The 5 building blocks to deliver the ROI of your digital transformation

In the dynamic business landscape, digital transformation has emerged as a game-changer. As organizations try hard to stay competitive and relevant, it's no longer a question of if but how and when they should embark on their digital transformation journey. However, achieving a return on investment (ROI) from these efforts is not a given; it requires a strategic approach. Here is a brief summary, after 14 years in the industry, of the five building blocks to consider when embarking on a digital transformation initiative to ensure and deliver the ROI you expect.1. The right scopeOne of the fundamental drivers of digital transformation ROI is defining the right scope. Without a clear understanding of what needs to be transformed and why, your efforts can become unfocused and wasteful. Start by identifying specific pain points, goals, and the expected outcomes. This will allow you to prioritize and allocate resources effectively, ensuring that your digital transformation initiatives align with your business objectives, and most importantly, it allows you to track where the ROI is coming from.2. When the decision is made: go all in!Digital transformation isn't just about embarking on the journey; it's about ensuring you reach the destination successfully. One critical driver of digital transformation ROI is completing the transformation and fully digitizing the processes.When a project remains incomplete or certain processes aren't fully digitized, companies often find themselves in a challenging situation. They end up managing both the old, legacy systems and the newly digitized processes simultaneously. This not only leads to operational inefficiencies, but also dilutes the potential ROI.To maximize your digital transformation ROI, it's crucial to ensure that the transformation journey is comprehensive and delivers on the defined scope. This will not only streamline operations, but also allow your organization to fully leverage the benefits of digital technology, ultimately delivering the desired return on investment.3. If you don’t get started, you’ll move backwards: pilots as a means to test, learn and capitalizeDigital transformation doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing endeavor. A successful approach often involves starting with pilot projects. These smaller initiatives provide a testing ground for new technologies and processes, allowing you to test your assumptions, learn, and capitalize, before scaling up. Pilots also demonstrate the benefits of digital transformation to stakeholders, building trust and buy-in across the entire organization.4. Change management: bringing new solutions into usageSuccessful digital transformation is as much about managing people as it is about implementing technology. Change management is a critical driver of ROI because it ensures that your workforce is equipped to adapt to the new digital environment. Effective communication, training, and support mechanisms help employees to make a smooth transition and become advocates for the change rather than resistors.5. Managing the change: bridging the old and the newWhile change management sets the stage, ongoing management of the change is essential and requires a delicate balancing act. Digital transformation is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process. It's not just about defining the new processes post-digitization, but also about handling the past activities that were managed with the old processes.This includes defining the new processes, managing the legacy processes/non-digital methods, continuously monitoring the transition, and ensuring that value is delivered, even after the digitization project is finished.By successfully managing the change and bridging the gap between old and new processes, your organization can make the most of its digital transformation efforts and achieve a higher ROI, even when dealing with legacy activities. This holistic approach ensures that no stone is left unturned on your journey toward a more efficient and digitally empowered future. In conclusion, delivering ROI through digital transformation is attainable, but it demands a strategic and comprehensive approach. It starts with defining the right scope, gaining full commitment, and initiating pilots to validate your efforts. Effective change management ensures that your workforce is aligned with the transformation, and ongoing management keeps your initiatives on the path to success. By embracing these five drivers, your organization can not only navigate the challenges of digital transformation but also reap the rewards of a more efficient, competitive, and innovative future.
The 5 building blocks to deliver the ROI of your digital transformation

Ad hoc, dynamic — yet efficient: automating outbound transports

Transport bottlenecks, delivery delays, and volatile logistics costs have put more than just the inbound supply chain to the test in recent years. Outbound logistics faces the same challenges. But the solution has to be different. The actual outbound processes have their own specific characteristics. They typically run on different technical systems and are often less automated overall.But how can you handle outbound shipments efficiently and automatically? And are there potential benefits to managing inbound and outbound from a single system?Service parts: the challenge of ad-hoc transportationWhile inbound logistics is based on long-term planning, consolidation, and optimization, outbound logistics processes are much more dynamic. A classic example is the supply of spare or service parts: When a customer calls to report a broken machine, the replacement part needs to be shipped and arrive at the customer's facility as quickly as possible.Time pressure is high. The volumes to be transported are rather small. And the required master data is often missing from the ERP system. Ad-hoc shipments, varying materials, fluctuating quantities, different packaging, and constantly changing points of origin and destination make it difficult to automate processes. In addition, carriers and CEP service providers vary from shipment to shipment.As a result, logistics managers typically have to manually enter all the necessary data into multiple carrier portals to determine the most cost-effective transportation. A tedious and error-prone process!Shipment Data Entry mask: efficient support for ad-hoc shipmentsIn response, SupplyOn offers a Shipment Data Entry mask directly in the Transport Management System (TMS). This enables efficient digital processes even without a direct ERP connection or in cases where the master data for the transport order is not or only partially available in the ERP system.The integrated syntax completion function makes recording of ad hoc transport requirements quick and easy. Thanks to the master data stored in the TMS, information such as addresses, packaging or items can be dynamically retrieved via an intelligent search and automatically populated. In addition, users can enter master data directly into the TMS, for example via Excel uploads. The system also remembers routes and orders that have already been processed and suggests the relevant data for a recurring operation.Once entered, the information is sent to the carrier with a single click. This accelerates processes, eliminates sources of error, and saves resources — especially in situations where speed of response is critical.Digital and automated scheduling of regular outbound transportsHowever, the efficiencies that Shipment Entry brings also help to forward plan traditional outbound shipments. In the past, many plants sent their transport orders as PDF attachments via email to the carriers. The carriers in turn need to manually enter the data into their own systems. This can easily lead to errors. By using digital data transfer for shipment entry, these potential errors can be easily eliminated.The carrier to transport the shipment can either be determined by load building rules, or it can be predefined. The latter, known as forced carrier process, reduces the complexity of the transportation network and enables cost savings through economies of scale.Companies can also define load building packing instructions that are automatically used when creating the shipping notification or forwarder pick-up advice (FPA). The information from the FPA is then automatically incorporated into the label creation process. Label integration ensures that the transport labels to be printed meet all design and content requirements to ensure fast and smooth transport. Depending on the process, the TMS can also return the generated labels to the requesting system, such as the warehouse management system, or send them by email. Similarly, labels for the transport order can be requested directly from the carriers.Overall, outbound transport processes can be made much more digital, automated, and efficient. Companies benefit even if individual plants do not have an ERP connection to the TMS due to heterogeneous system landscapes. The same is true if the quantities to be loaded and the associated loads fluctuate greatly. All of these cases, in which automation was previously only possible to a limited extent or involved considerable additional manual effort when creating loads, are now covered by a single solution: master data as well as shipments can be created quickly and easily; individual orders can be entered easily. The system automatically recognizes recurring processes and accelerates them with its completion suggestions.All in all, this enables companies to digitize and automate their outbound transport processes and make them more efficient. Companies benefit even if individual plants lack an ERP connection to the TMS due to heterogeneous system environments. The same is true if there are strong fluctuations in the quantities to be loaded and in the associated loadings. All of these cases, in which automation was previously limited or required significant additional manual effort to create loads, are now covered by a single solution. It is a solution in which the creation of master data and the entry of individual orders is quick and easy. The system automatically recognizes recurring processes and accelerates them with its completion suggestions.Powerful combination: handling inbound and outbound in a single systemHowever, the greatest gains in efficiency are achieved when inbound and outbound shipments are handled in one system. This provides companies with an end-to-end logistics data chain, always with material references, from their own requirements to the goods receipt at the customer's premises.Moreover, you gain transparency at higher levels. This applies in particular to the volumes to be transported, regardless of the direction, whether outbound or inbound. This enables further economies of scale when selecting carriers.At the same time, organizational visibility is achieved when, as in many companies, different departments or individuals are responsible for inbound and outbound. By using a unified solution, internal optimization potential can be identified and processes improved accordingly.In addition, you can now identify opportunities to combine inbound and outbound transportation. For example, you could combine a plant-to-plant transport with a milk run or an inbound flow to save on additional routes. By overlapping inbound and outbound chains in this way, network planning can become much more intelligent and achieve highest levels of efficiency.Overall, you can monitor all aspects of transportation and carrier management in the TMS, evaluate them through analytics, exploit synergies, and continuously optimize processes and costs on both sides of the logistics chain.
Ad hoc, dynamic — yet efficient: automating outbound transports

“Vrooom“-tastic: SupplyOn 4 Children 2023 brings an unforgettable experience to kids in need

Inspired by the charity project "Münchner Geschenkeregen" in 2020, our marketing colleagues Anja and Lena, together with us vocational trainers, Marco and myself, founded the "SupplyOn 4 Children" initiative last year. We raise money internally to fund a special event for the kids at the Children's Home in Feldkirchen which takes place each year on World Children's Day, September 20. Last year the kids could jump around in the Maxxarena, a huge trampoline park in the east of Munich. This year's plan: go-karting and bowling at the GoKart Arena in Neufinsing.The fundraising platform: a very special trainee projectA fundraising event of this kind needs to be well prepared. After all, our employees can either support a child directly by paying . Or they can make a flexible donation of their choice for food and beverages. All of this is handled through a dedicated platform. Charlotte from our UX team designed this year's website. Our trainees Christos, Lukas, Paul and Tim did all the programming and testing.As part of their vocational training to become IT Specialists, our first- and second-year apprentices took this project completely on their own and even added their own ideas. For example, Paul came up with a feature allowing donors to add their personal greetings to the children. These very touching words were then printed on the children's personalized tickets.All in all, a lot of hard work went into the platform, front-end and back-end were diligently coded—and the result was really something to be proud of: appealing design, user-friendly forms, PayPal connectivity, email notification and reporting were all implemented by the four of them.The response was simply incredible: the same day the web page went live, 80 percent of the planned trip had been funded by donations already. In total, we raised more than 1,800 euros. Thanks to this generous support from SupplyOn employees, the kids of the children's home had a memorable trip full of fun and adventure on World Children’s Day 2023.Go-karting: a fast-paced start to the adventureShortly after three o’clock, the SupplyOn delegation, consisting of the trainers Marco and myself as well as the two trainees Christos and Paul, arrived at the GoKart Arena in Finsing and were welcomed by Nici, Division Manager of the children’s home. She and a colleague were on site there with some of the kids. Outside the entrance was a discarded go-kart where the children took their first souvenir photos. The children's faces were already filled with anticipation. A little later, all the other children and caregivers arrived, and registration for the go-kart race could begin.After the children had registered for their driver's license, the instructions for the upcoming go-kart race were supposed to follow. But first, the children wanted to thank the SupplyOn employees, whose donations made this wonderful day possible. They presented us with lovingly designed cards and boxes of chocolates as a thank-you.Then the go-kart race began. The two trainees also joined in. The first laps were for getting familiar with the karts and you could feel the ambition in everyone. The smallest girl had great respect for the speed, but still she bravely managed lap after lap. Again and again, she waved excitedly and proudly to her caregiver. After the warm-up, the race was on! On the scoreboard, the lap times improved steadily. There was a fierce battle for places. From time to time there were small touches on the barriers, and it was often very tight in the corners. When everyone crossed the finish line, it didn't matter who had the best time. They were all fearless racers and winners! "Let's do it again! That was so great!" they exclaimed enthusiastically.Bowling: simply smashingBut there was no time for another round because the next adventure was waiting: bowling. The kids picked out shoes, found the right sizes, and headed downstairs to the bowling alley. Not one, but three lanes were reserved for the children. The rules were quickly explained, and the appropriate balls were selected.At first, the shots were a little tentative. But with a little practice, the first pins fell. The children became braver, stronger, and more accurate in their throws. Every hit was cheered and celebrated. Another hour with a lot of fun, but also physical exertion, passed and hunger began to set in. This was also taken care of, and we headed to dinner together.Action makes hungry: a delicious end to an eventful dayThe friendly staff at the GoKart Arena had prepared a long table for everyone. Soon, large plates of chicken cutlets and generous portions of French fries were being served. Everyone was obviously enjoying the food. When everything was completely devoured, the landlady returned with two more large portions of fries and a lollipop for dessert for everyone. Even the older "kids", the interns, got one each 😉Three and a half hours passed quickly, and it was time to go home. But not without once again thanking the SupplyOn employees for such an exciting day. "Can we please do this again? It was so much fun!" they asked longingly. So, we were all the more delighted to be able to tell them that we will soon start planning for World Children's Day 2024. In the meantime, thanks to the many generous donations this year, we have a surprise for the backyard of the children's home. What that surprise will be is still under wraps. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a surprise, would it? All we can say is that the children will have a lot of fun with it for a long time to come.
“Vrooom“-tastic: SupplyOn 4 Children 2023 brings an unforgettable experience to kids in need

Career development through Agile Learning: Angila’s experiences

Angila Paikar-Megaiz has been working at SupplyOn for five and a half years as a Scrum Master for Invoicing / Procure to Pay (P2P). She not only works in an agile manner - she also learns in this way: Angila continuously builds up her knowledge via digital learning platforms. In this interview, you can find out about the advantages of self-organized learning and which courses she recommends: How does self-organized learning via digital learning platforms effectively support you in advancing your professional development?I think platforms like LinkedIn Learning and Udemy are amazing because they help me save a lot of time: Instead of reading a lot of books and researching topics in detail first, they allow me to watch the video recordings that are relevant to me in a flexible and condensed way.It allows me to adjust my learning pace, stop or repeat the videos and study when, where and as much as I want. The recordings contain both a theoretical and a practical part. They convey knowledge in a very compact way. Which is very helpful for me at work.What tangible benefits do you see in allowing employees to learn on their own and in an agile way, rather than waiting for formal training programs?Especially in IT software development, today's content will be outdated tomorrow. The latest content on learning platforms is modern and up to date. This helps me stay updated.Continuing standard education programs sometimes contain outdated content. In addition, formal training programs may not be specific enough.Learning platforms allow me to search agilely for the knowledge I need now and retrieve it in a targeted manner.Could you share some of your favorite courses or topics that you've discovered through LinkedIn Learning that have been particularly inspiring to you?I enjoyed the technical courses on Docker and Kubernetes. But there are also some great soft skills courses. Rhetoric classes, for example, that I can recommend to others.How do you integrate self-organized learning into your daily work and how do you find the right balance between learning and your daily tasks?I set appointment blockers for this in my calendar. I actively register for some training sessions and receive appointment invitations. But I also have regular, self-set appointment blockers and learn on an individual basis.Furthermore, my managers support me very much in this. On the one hand, I have annual development meetings in which we set further training goals. On the other hand, they support my method of adding appointment blockers to my calendar.Of course, it's also challenging keeping to my own deadlines and not continuing to work, which I enjoy doing. And there are also phases that are so stressful that I don't attend the learning sessions.However, it has proven successful for me to continuously build up my knowledge in this way, and to acquire knowledge for my work in such a demand-oriented way that I always return to my routine of learning. This way I always stay up to date.Are there particular successes that you can directly attribute to your self-organized learning?Definitely! In my role as Scrum Master, there have been situations where I wanted to know specifically how I can react even better to certain feedback, for example.This is where I did a specific search via LinkedIn Learning and found soft-skill training that helped me with my issue. I immediately put my knowledge into practice, and it worked well.On the technical side, I took self-study courses on DevOps and was able to apply my knowledge here directly for SupplyOn and therefore drive the topic of DevOps forward internally.Thank you, Angila, for the great insights and tips! Angila's report has piqued your interest and you would also like to join a company that promotes self-organized learning? You are committed, curious and want to use your potential and continuously develop personally and professionally? Find out about our current open positions here: SupplyOn Group
Career development through Agile Learning: Angila’s experiences

SupplyOn live in Japan: navigating the future at Aeromart Nagoya 2023

Nagoya, Japan – Following our jubilant celebration of SupplyOn China's 15th anniversary, we wasted no time in setting up shop at Aeromart Nagoya, a leading aerospace event taking place from September 26 to 28, 2023. Aeromart Nagoya holds great significance for Japanese aerospace OEMs, their suppliers, and the broader Asia-Pacific region.A showcase of aerospace excellenceThe event kicked off on day one with presentations and workshops at the Nagoya Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Days two and three saw a flurry of B2B meetings and additional workshops at the Nagoya Trade & Industry Center. The evening of the second day was graced with a captivating cocktail reception at the Aichi Museum of Flight, where industry leaders gathered for relaxed networking.Aeromart Nagoya is more than just an event; it's a nexus for industry leaders, suppliers, and experts to explore the latest aerospace technologies and supply chain trends, fostering continuity and enhancing manufacturing competitiveness. AirSupply: elevating the aerospace supply chainRecognizing Japan's growing importance in the aerospace market, SupplyOn seized the opportunity to present our AirSupply solution, which plays a pivotal role in optimizing supply chain management within the aerospace sector. In an industry where precision and coordination are paramount, AirSupply facilitates seamless collaboration between customers and suppliers. It aligns with the aerospace industry's intricate processes, enabling proactive capacity planning, real-time adjustments to delivery quantities and dates, and comprehensive tracking of orders and deliveries through a common web platform.AirSupply doesn't just strengthen relationships between manufacturers and suppliers. It also improves communication throughout the supply chain, creating more resilient supply chains through early detection and response to potential disruptions.The solution being the industry standard in Europe, we are now taking it to Japan. We are committed to deepening our presence in the Asia Pacific region. Our goal is to enhance collaboration, innovation, and supply chain efficiency in the global aerospace industry.
SupplyOn live in Japan: navigating the future at Aeromart Nagoya 2023

New event series available: SupplyOn in Short

Two years ago we founded the Supplier Community initiative: It stands for innovation and mutual learning. And after all, it's not just our development teams that work in an agile manner. Within the Supplier Community, we are also constantly improving our offering towards suppliers on the platform. As a result, we recently launched a new series of events called "SupplyOn in Short". Let me tell you how it came about.Turning feedback into actionSince May 2021 we held various events on different supplier topics. And we always asked the audience: what did you like most about the event? The clear winner? The tipps & tricks demonstrated in the application. 😊 As a trainer I loved that result!We took this feedback and thought about how we could continue.Our idea: offering a 45-minute high-level demo on a different SupplyOn solution every month – “SupplyOn in Short” was born.No sooner said than done!We have already held six SupplyOn in Short events since March this year:Vendor Managed Inventory,Order and Line Item Overview,Document Management,Business Directory / Certificate Management,Project Management,Invoicing,… and have already reached over 4,000 users. Insane!We always offer two sessions per topic in order to be able to cover as many time zones as possible. In addition, participants receive the recording of the event afterwards and can share it with their colleagues.Come and join usIf you want to know more about the upcoming SupplyOn in Short sessions, activate the Supplier Forum in your privacy settings. Within the new founded Supplier Academy, you will find all upcoming events. Register for the session on your SupplyOn solution. We are convinced you’ll learn one or another trick.Psst, if you send your topic-related questions upfront, we will ensure to answer them proactively during the session. We look forward to see you soon!
New event series available: SupplyOn in Short

Join forces and fight climate change

Beginning of July, SupplyOn hosted a Supplier Community Event on the topic of Company Carbon Footprint (CCF) to promote the importance of measuring and reducing carbon footprints within the supply chain. The event was a collaborative initiative of Continental, Bosch, Schaeffler, and Vitesco Technologies, and was run and supported by SupplyOn.The event focused on encouraging suppliers to accurately measure and report their carbon emissions. The tool to do so is provided by SupplyOn through a survey, which allows the information to be obtained very efficiently. The data collected that way is crucial in determining the environmental impact of the supply chain and can help identify areas for improvement. The event aimed to raise awareness about the importance of carbon footprint measurement and provide guidance on calculating and tracking emissions.Throughout the session, experts from the participating companies emphasized the necessity for sustainable business practices. Andrej Antipov from Bosch highlighted the alignment between all companies involved, emphasizing the shared goal of implementing CO2 reporting and reduction measures across the supply chain. As part of Bosch’s climate action activities, the company keeps an eye on emissions in the upstream and downstream stages of its value chain (scope 3). Bosch has the goal to cut such CO2 emissions by 15 percent in absolute terms by 2030 compared with the baseline year 2018.Veronika Leutgäb from Continental discussed their commitment to renewable energy and the importance of suppliers having a roadmap toward using electricity from renewable sources. Continental has joined the global RE100 initiative committing to using green electricity and expects its suppliers to do the same. By increasing the use of renewable energy, CO2 emissions can be significantly reduced throughout the supply chain.The event provided a platform for companies to learn from each other and exchange best practices for measuring and reducing carbon footprints. It was an opportunity for suppliers to understand the expectations of their customers in terms of environmental impact and to work towards aligning their practices with sustainability goals.A major step in driving environmental awareness among business partnersSupplyOn's CCF event marked an important step in promoting environmental consciousness and sustainability within the supply chain. By encouraging suppliers to accurately measure and report their carbon emissions, companies can work together toward creating a greener and cleaner supply chain for a sustainable future.Continental further emphasized its commitment to sustainability and indicated that they are working on enhancing its supplier evaluation process to give greater weightage to sustainability aspects, including carbon neutrality and responsible value chains.Markus Oberender also emphasized that Vitesco Technologies is interested to learn about the general strategy and roadmap of suppliers, e.g., when will they start using only renewable energy and when do they plan on becoming carbon neutral.The Schaeffler Group set itself the goal of achieving climate-neutral operations and reducing CO2 emissions in both in-house production and the supply chain by 2040 – for example, by using renewable energies. Sophia Schmid, from Schaeffler, expressed the importance of the CCF survey in gaining transparency from their suppliers. The survey results will be considered in future supply chain evaluations, underlining their commitment to sustainable sourcing decisions. Vitesco Technologies supported that expression by emphasizing the seriousness of the topic. For them, this will be one of the major issues for the next years. Therefore, the sooner the suppliers start the better.Overall, the event was a huge success, showcasing not only the collaboration of industry leaders in promoting sustainable business practices but also the commitment of their suppliers to support this joint effort. The collaborative endeavor of SupplyOn, Continental, Bosch, Schaeffler, and Vitesco Technologies highlights the importance of measuring and reducing carbon footprints in creating a more environmentally conscious supply chain.
Join forces and fight climate change

SupplyOn Channel Partner Ecosystem helps Chinese manufacturing companies achieve digital transformation

In the current economic predicament, one of the ways out for manufacturing companies is through supply chain thinking, research and practice. For more than 20 years, SupplyOn has not only provided leading supply chain solutions for intelligent collaboration and visualization in the industrial sector, but also has a leading global customer base in the industry and the best industry ecosystem with more than 140,000 active suppliers.From SupplyOn's point of view, the successes and awards that have been and are being achieved cannot be separated from the various forces behind the company, including a progressive corporate culture, executives with forward-looking strategic thinking, excellent teams and so on. SupplyOn aims to build a "Channel Partner Ecosystem" in China by sharing our many years of success and experience with our partners, and the participation of our partners will also become an irreplaceable source of strength behind SupplyOn's continued success.The so-called "Channel Partner Ecosystem" is initiated by SupplyOn, which fully considers the interests of the channel and utilizes the "Channel Leading Strategy" to vigorously promote and provide effective suggestions to partners, aggregate services, complement capabilities, and achieve mutual benefit and a win-win situation. In short, based on the general environment of digital transformation, SupplyOn will actively share expertise and experience in supply chain solutions with partners, and both parties will cooperate to develop and further expand their business scope.Stronger together: mutual benefits and win-win results are the key to successSupplyOn will continue to expand and support its channel business in China, provide high-quality services to customers, accelerate the promotion of SupplyOn solutions and services, and actively support more Chinese high-quality manufacturing enterprises in their global layout.SupplyOn is always actively seeking like-minded partners. If you want to take advantage of digital transformation to embark on a journey of intelligent solutions, we welcome you to join the SupplyOn Channel Partner Ecosystem. SupplyOn will help you build a professional team, support your customer practice and connect efficient empowerment markets through online and offline channels. The first channel partner meeting will be held in October in Shanghai.If you would like to become our channel partner, please click here.
Qian Yang · August 10, 2023 - reading time < 2 Min.
SupplyOn Channel Partner Ecosystem helps Chinese manufacturing companies achieve digital transformation

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