Procurement Goes Digital at Konica Minolta Business Solutions

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) has always been on the cutting-edge of technology. From its       founding in the 1800s, the company has been delivering innovative solutions that help organizations around the world optimize their performance and stay ahead of the curve. So it’s no surprise that today, the company announced it will tap solutions from Ariba, an SAP Company, to enable a next-generation procurement process that drives savings, efficiencies and innovation across its own operations.    

“Document Imaging Solutions Line of the Year”

“Innovation, technology and improving customer experience form the basis of everything we do at Konica Minolta,” said John Thielke, Chief Financial Officer, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. “Cloud and business networks are among the most innovative technologies of our day, and, in embracing them, we can transform our procurement into an automated, efficient and collaborative process that enables us to improve our productivity and performance and ultimately, better serve our customers.”    

Plugging in to the Networked Economy    

Like many companies, Konica Minolta relies on an extensive global network of partners. To connect with them and execute critical business processes, Konica Minolta will utilize the Ariba^® Network. Used by more than 1.6 million companies in 190 countries to  discover, connect and collaborate around more than half a trillion dollars in commerce on an annual basis, the Ariba Network is the world’s       largest web-based trading community.    

Using the network and a range of the cloud-based applications delivered       on it - including Ariba Sourcing, Ariba Contract Management, Ariba^® Procure-to-Pay^™, Ariba Invoice Management^™, Ariba Invoice Professional^™, Ariba Spend Visibility^™, and Ariba Supplier Information and Performance Management^™ - Konica Minolta can fuel a more efficient and collaborative procurement process from sourcing and orders through invoice and payment.    

Building a Better Mousetrap    

Take sourcing. With operations that stretch around the globe, Konica Minolta needs to buy lots of things from lots of different suppliers. Because it uses different systems and processes to do this, there are a lot of transactions to track and contracts to negotiate. With Ariba  Spend Visibility and Ariba Sourcing, Konica Minolta can easily see all these transactions in one place, thereby creating an automated and       standard process for sourcing. This allows the company to easily identify opportunities for savings and drive them to the bottom line. 

When it comes to filling customer requests, Konica Minolta receives orders for products, then sources them from other vendors. Orders are often placed manually, and vendors ship the products directly, leaving Konica Minolta with a large number of transactions to monitor and manage. Leveraging the Ariba Network, Konica Minolta can create a  consumer-like experience through which goods and services can be ordered with just a few clicks in compliance with corporate agreements and       processes and tracked through delivery.    

Konica Minolta also has vast amounts of paperwork, from contracts, to corporate purchasing and customer agreements. Whether hard copy or electronic, these contracts must be monitored to ensure everything from  the right goods and services are purchased from the right suppliers to expiration dates are tracked and renewals are executed. With Ariba Contract Management, Konica Minolta can store and manage all of its contracts in a single cloud based repository that can be accessed       anywhere, anytime from any device.  

“In their initial phase, business networks were all about connecting companies more efficiently to perform a discreet process,” said Chakib Bouhdary, President, Business Networks, SAP. “Now, innovative companieslike Konica Minolta are leading the way to the next frontier, harnessing their connectivity to optimize their spend and supply chain and enable new processes that can transform their business.”    

To learn more about the Ariba Network and the results it can deliver, visit www.ariba.com    

About Konica Minolta    

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is a leader in advanced document management technologies and IT Services. The company focuses on complete business solutions including production print systems, digital presses, multifunctional products (MFPs), managed print services, vertical application       solutions and related services and supplies.Konica Minolta has won numerous awards and recognition including being recognized as the#1 Brand for Customer Loyaltyin the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for six consecutive years, and “A3 MFP Line of the Year” award winner from Buyers Laboratory LLC for four consecutive years. In 2012, Konica Minolta received “Document Imaging Solutions Line of the Year” recognition from BLI. Konica Minolta, Inc. has also been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for two years in a row. For more information, please visit www.CountOnKonicaMinolta.com and follow Konica Minolta on Facebook,        YouTube, and Twitter.    

About Ariba, an SAP Company    

Ariba is the world’s business commerce network. Ariba combines industry-leading cloud-based applications with the world's largest web-based trading community to help companies discover and collaborate with a global network of partners. Using the Ariba^® Network,  businesses of all sizes can connect to their trading partners anywhere, at any time from any application or device to buy, sell and manage their cash more efficiently and effectively than ever before. Companies around the world use the AribaNetwork to simplify inter-enterprise commerce and enhance the results that they deliver. Join them at: www.ariba.com    

About SAP    

As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable more than 263,000 customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com. 

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