Ariba

“Clear tracking”

Pros

One thing that really works well with this software is the customer support. They reply quickly by email, give good guidance on how to resolve errors and often include screenshots that make the steps much clearer. I use the platform regularly for creating POs and invoices and it's very useful being able to see the status of submitted invoices and track when payments are due. Matching POs to invoices helps move payments through faster and reduces the chance of invoices being rejected. Our external auditors also appreciate the system because it provides a reliable time stamped audit trail. It's also helpful that there is both a buyer and supplier login option. The dashboard gives a clear view of where invoices are in the process and highlights any that need attention.

Cons

Getting started with the software involves a few tedious steps especially when input is needed from several different teams. You have to be careful that the identification number and description match correctly although customer support is available to help when needed.

“supplier management powerhouse”

Pros

Working with this tool has aligned really well with industry requirements in my experience. It comes with strong features like SBN, Ariba Risk and the Ariba Sourcing suite which together make it feel like a complete one stop solution for supplier relationship management and contract management.

Cons

Is a very strong product and honestly one of the best in terms of utility and overall purpose. The only downside is that navigation can be a bit tricky at times and not every product shares the same UI but the functions easily outweigh those issues.

“solid compliance and audit trail”

Pros

When compliance, approval tracking and year end audits matter, this software really comes through! You can see exactly who approved each step and when it happened. On the invoicing side once the approval workflows and routing are set up properly, the procure to pay process works very well. It helps reduce a lot of the manual data entry errors too. It also manages huge amounts of vendor information and contracts without struggling. It's clearly designed for large, complex organizations and that really shows.

Cons

At the same time the platform feels dated like software from 15 years ago. Training new employees takes much longer than it should because almost nothing feels accessible right away.