Customer Connection
Slingshot Adds “Supplier Portal” Capabilities to eBuy
The supplier portal allows your company’s authorized suppliers to access your web site and provide product, pricing, shipment status and other information. The portal enhances collaboration providing many benefits. The accuracy of information on which procurement decisions depend is improved. Shipping schedules are more accurate, reducing product shortages. Purchasing efficiencies are gained; reducing labor costs and allowing purchasing personnel to focus on high value tasks. Here are some of the tasks suppliers can perform in the portal.
Maintain the product catalogue – Suppliers can add or remove products offered. Prices can be adjusted. Current prices can be copied into future prices and amended – providing a history of all price changes.
Acknowledge purchase orders – Suppliers are automatically sent purchase orders via email. The email message provides a link allowing the supplier to confirm receipt and acceptance of prices, terms and delivery schedules. The supplier receives email reminders if they are late accepting a purchase order. Buyers receive alerts if suppliers decline a purchase order or do not accept it in a timely manner.
Confirm shipment – Suppliers can enter the portal and confirm shipment or revised promised delivery dates. Purchasing schedules are updated automatically. The buyer is notified if schedules slip.
Respond to RFx Documents – Slingshot’s strategic sourcing module distributes requests for information, proposal or quotation to a list of suppliers. This request can include survey questions, required terms of sale and a list of products requiring a price quote. Suppliers respond to RFx documents in the portal. The response is automatically graded. The winning response can be turned into a purchase order or a supplier contract.
Accept invoices – Slingshot’s purchasing system will forward to suppliers a valued receipt (receipt quantity times PO price) for acceptance. The supplier can apply an invoice number to this document and accept. The invoice is automatically routed to accounts payable for acceptance and payment processing. Manual invoice matching is a thing of the past.
View invoice payment status – Authorized supplier personnel can view outstanding invoices with the expected payment date for each. Recent payments are also available. This is convenient for your supplier and saves time for your Accounts Payable personnel.
Automatic supplier qualification – Your Company can establish minimum qualifications for each supplier. These can include company size, years in business, financial stability etc. The qualification status of each supplier is maintained automatically. Suppliers can be required to maintain their qualifications in the portal. Changes are forwarded to your supplier support representative for review and acceptance.
Maintain profile information - Name, address and contact information can also be maintained by the supplier in the portal. Here again, changes are forwarded to your supplier support representative for review and acceptance.
The supplier portal is an optional extension of Slingshot’s eBuy purchasing application. For more information, or to arrange a product demonstration, contact your Slingshot sales representative.