Br Supply: Achieving strategic goals for sustainable growth by digitalizing indirect purchasing management
Agile and adaptable supply chain operations
When office supplies company Br Supply Suprimentos Corporativos sought to automate procurement processes and foster deeper collaboration with customers, it joined SAP Business Network and took advantage of the PunchOut feature. By integrating with buyers on the network, it improved the speed and transparency of business transactions.
| Industry | Region | Company Size |
| Consumer products | São Leopoldo, Brazil | >1,000 employees |
major buyers integrated on SAP Business Network.
annual growth since joining SAP Business Network.
of its customers to be integrated with it on the network.
Director, Br Supply Suprimentos Corporativos
Gaining real-time visibility to respond quickly to market changes
Br Supply Suprimentos Corporativos specializes in corporate supplies. Founded in 2007, the Brazil-based company offers a comprehensive range of office supplies and computer software, coffee and disposables, uniforms and personal protective equipment, custom products, and equipment rentals.
Since its foundation, the company has been at the forefront of changing the way indirect supplies are procured. Because its offerings are categorized as class B (recurring and strategic) and class C (nonrecurring and nonstrategic) purchases, the company created its Supply Manager Procurement Portal. This makes it easier for customers to manage purchasing transactions related to these products.
Committed to further streamlining and optimizing procurement processes, the company sought a modern solution that would help it foster collaboration with its customers and improve operational efficiency. It was equally important for this solution to facilitate visibility and control over the organization’s transactions, allowing Br Supply to achieve its strategic goals for sustainable growth.
Director, Br Supply Suprimentos Corporativos
Reducing friction in the buying process
To achieve its strategic goals around simplification, efficiency, and sustainable growth, Br Supply made the decision to join SAP Business Network. The network integrates business transactions, purchase orders, invoices, and payments in a single continuous automated flow, allowing Br Supply to streamline direct and indirect materials procurement and transactions.
In parallel, the company adopted the PunchOut feature that’s available through SAP Business Network, enabling buyers to directly access Br Supply’s catalogs and making the purchasing process more efficient and transparent. The feature facilitates communication and information flow, reducing errors and increasing the visibility of purchasing processes.
Adriana Pan, director at Br Supply, comments: “Using SAP Business Network, we can work more efficiently and with less waste, supporting our sustainability initiatives. Real-time visibility and automation help reduce unnecessary resource consumption and improve the traceability of our materials by aligning operations with more responsible and sustainable practices. The PunchOut feature allows customers to directly access our catalogs from their procurement system. This not only reduces friction in the buying process but also delivers a more intuitive user experience, with purchases made more accurately and with fewer errors.”
To adopt the digital tools, Br Supply took advantage of an ongoing partnership and dedicated support from the team for SAP Business Network. Pan explains, “Our relationship with the team for SAP Business Network has been extremely productive and collaborative, helping us with ongoing guidance to streamline our processes and integrate new solutions. This support has been essential for configuring SAP solutions to meet our specific needs and drive greater value for our business.”
Director, Br Supply Suprimentos Corporativos
Combatting disruption with agile and adaptable supply chain operations
Since joining SAP Business Network, Br Supply has dramatically improved the efficiency of procurement processes and collaboration with customers. Use of the PunchOut feature with SAP Business Network has automated previously manual tasks, significantly reducing the time spent on these processes while increasing transaction accuracy.
In addition, adoption of the SAP Business Network Discovery solution has helped Br Supply generate new business and consolidate valuable partnerships by identifying opportunities for collaborating with new customers.
Pan says that the overall impact of joining SAP Business Network is reflected in reduced operating costs and an increase in the speed and transparency of its business transactions. She comments, “Automation and visibility through SAP Business Network enable us to make faster, more-informed decisions, reducing risk and operational costs. On SAP Business Network, onboarding new customers is much simpler and more agile. With PunchOut, we can easily onboard new customers without technical complications or the need for large infrastructure investments. Buyers can access custom catalogs directly from their corporate procurement system, simplifying the ordering and approval process.
“In addition, automation of workflows within SAP Business Network enables our company to eliminate manual tasks and reduce errors. This accelerates order fulfillment, invoicing, and contract management, and facilitates real-time transparency and control. By making these processes faster and more efficient, our business can focus on growth and innovation while maintaining a stronger, more collaborative relationship with our new customers.”
Director, Br Supply Suprimentos Corporativos
Looking to integrate with all its customers on SAP Business Network
Over the next five years, Br Supply expects digitalization to enhance its ability to innovate and collaborate, supporting sustainable growth and even greater competitiveness. The company’s goal is to expand its participation on SAP Business Network by integrating 100% of its customers and further strengthening strategic partnerships.
When reflecting on its decision to join SAP Business Network, Pan offers this thoughtful advice to other suppliers planning to operate on the network: “My primary recommendation would be to get started with SAP Business Network and explore PunchOut. Integration with buyers and automation of transactional process are key to ensuring that you are building an efficient, scalable system that aligns with your business needs.”
Reiterating the point about real-time visibility and collaboration, she adds, “Take full advantage of integration functionality and be open to collaborating transparently with your customers. Automating transactions and accessing a global network of partners will accelerate your growth and improve your competitiveness.
“Integration with our customers has been an important differentiator for delivering a more agile and efficient service. And our customers constantly highlight our ability to deliver fast, transparent, and high-quality solutions, thanks to our close collaboration through SAP Business Network.”