Supplier onboarding is a key process for systematically integrating suppliers into many supply chain business processes so that they can manufacture and deliver accurately per the agreement and specification, and get paid in an efficient manner. The onboarding workflow can be used on its own or it can follow the supplier qualification process. Depending on the type of supplier and region the process can be quite extensive requiring orchestration of internal workflows, getting information from the supplier, risk assessment, as well as bi-directional integration with multiple internal and external systems. An example process designed with ZMDM is show below.
The key aspect of onboarding for many organizations is also to properly create Supplier Master Data in multiple systems.
Supplier Master Data
Supplier master data is an important aspect of New Supplier onboarding and effective working relationship with the customer. Generally the main and critical master data for supplier can include the following
- Business Information
- Contact Information
- Banking Information (for payment)
- Payment Terms
- Quality and Related Certifications
- Compliance Information
- Qualifications
- Plant specific information (for plant-specific certifications, logistics, supply chain risks, etc.)
- Partner Functions (SAP specific)
Supplier Master Data (SAP Specific)
Below shows an example workflow designed in ZMDM for creating a supplier in SAP. SAP specific workflows tends to be a little specialized because of the need to handle various configured partner functions, tax related information, and other blocking/unblocking needs.
