In the technological jungle that many companies seem to be lost in today hiring an SAP Ariba consultant could absolutely be the best decision, a business could makeWhen it comes to digital transformation it has to be done the right way or there could be big problems.

• Security problems
• Efficiency problems
• Technical problems
• Integration problems

The best way to ensure that your platform is properly set up is to hire a consultant and let them show you how to get the most out of your investment and be as successful as possible.

What is an SAP Ariba Consultant?

The SAP Ariba platform is a powerful application that was developed in order to bring businesses into the technological world without the traumatic effects that can happen during a typical digital transformation.

In addition to transforming the mundane pieces of a company into the brilliant digital world, the platform has a plethora of functions that pertain to the procurement side of the business.

• Source management
• Procurement strategies
• Contract management
• Spend management
• Financial supply chain

The role of the consultant is to guide the business through the transformation process and educate the employees on how to use and navigate the platform.

Why Hire a Consultant?

Too many businesses would rather save money by not hiring a consultant and trying to figure out how it all works on their ownRealistically, it is possible because SAP Ariba has excellent customer service and also has a plethora of resources for peole that invest in the platform.

The reason why many companies hire a consultant after they try to do things without one is that they have no idea of what they are doingThere is only so much that a person can learn from Google searches and YouTube videos.

The consultant can help with the implementation of the software and:

• Setting up administrative permissions
• Configuring the settings
• Strategizing the source functions
• Programming the app to the unique needs of the business

An SAP Ariba implementation is not a simple task, and it costs a lot of moneyThe best way to make up for the money spent and the time that it takes to get it up and running is to hire a consultant to help you get the most out of the implementation and channel the funds back into the business instead of out of it.

Before it Ever Even Happens

In all honesty, the very best time to bring in a consultant is as soon as the first discussion about SAP Ariba happensBefore you even go forward with purchasing anything you should have a consultant sit with you and explain to you the good things and the bad things that go along with an implementation.

Although SAP Ariba is good at explaining things and making sure that the company that is investing in the application is aware of the potential outcomes of an implementation, a consultant can come to you and get an understanding of your business, in particular, so that they can best guide you through the purchasing process and into the implementation of the platform.

Beyond the initial implementation, there will still be many questions from everybody that is going to be affected by the implementation.

If you meet with a consultant before you have the installation you will have a better understanding of how the software works, and what components of it will be best for your business needs.

Training and Education

Every business will be at a different stage of its digital transformation journeySome companies will be starting from scratch and not have anything digitized, while other companies will be in a place where they have been using technology for their primary business operations since Windows first came out.

In any event, when the SAP Ariba platform is installed it will touch every part of the business that is hooked up to the networkPoint of sales equipment, company computers, company cellphones, company software applications, and even company communications.

People that are not ready for these types of changes may need a little help becoming acquainted with the new way of doing things.

This is one of the biggest roles of the consultant, to teach and guide the people that have no idea about how to use the platform towards becoming experts at it.

Whether it is for the heads of the team or the workers that are on the front lines of the job every day the consultant will teach and inform all the people that are going to be part of the platform how to use it and how to get the most out of it.

The fact that everybody in the company may need to be trained and educated on the use of the new platform means that the earlier that there is a consultant to be there who shows the ropes, the better off everybody will be.

Strategic Sourcing

For most businesses, the flow of the money that comes into and out of the business is the heartbeat of the enterpriseWhen more money goes out of the company than comes in there are big problems.

One of the amazing talents that SAP Ariba consultants have is that they know how to manage the flow of money through the company with the application.

For example, if a business thrives when they are in high supply of an item that is constantly necessary a consultant can show the software what to look for when it searches for the best sources for the company.

Since the consultant understands the science behind sourcing and procurment, they will also know how to tell the application what to look for during queries for great sources.

The software is capable of finding the exact sources that the company needs in order to get the most out of the relationshipSearching for and finding discounts for various options and buying situations are an ideal way for a company to find sources that not only save money but can also keep the revenue of the company higher than the spending.

When it comes time to instruct the application on what to look for while searching it will take somebody with experience and knowledge to correctly specify the needs of the company and what to look for that will be the best option for savings and returns.

Automated Procurement Solutions

Think about how much time, energy, and money a company could save if all of its procurement tasks were to become automatedAutomating sophisticated functions such as procurement is not a simple task, nor is it any place for someone to make mistakes.

Although automating procurement is possible with the SAP Ariba platform, setting up the software in a way that is most efficient and smart enough to deal with problems if they ever come along is an altogether function of its own.

The only way for the automated portion of the software to work the way that it is intended to is if the person that sets it up in the first place sets it up correctlyThis is where a skilled consultant comes in handy.

The Time is Now

If you have not already hired a consultant to help you with your implementation you should just do it right nowThe clock is ticking and if your application is not set up correctly, it could end up costing the company a lot of time and money.