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NEWS BITES - PRIVATE COMPANIES
Supply chains around the world have been disrupted by the COVID-19 crisis; however, supply chain applications are proving their worth in helping organizations weather the disruption.
In fact, supply chain applications that were valuable before the COVID-19 crisis hit have become critical players in securing needed supplies and keeping parts flowing for manufacturers.
ViaQuest, a home healthcare provider based in Dublin, Ohio, was desperately searching for personal protective equipment (PPE) and was able to secure several hundred protective goggles by using the SAP Ariba Spot Buy supply chain application.
ViaQuest found SAP Ariba Spot Buy through Premikati, an SAP Ariba partner that provides procurement consulting services for primarily small to midsize organizations that don't typically require their own in-house supply chain applications.
"Everybody in the medical field is trying to get their hands on PPE because you have to have new garb for every patient that you see," said Amanda Overmyer, vice president for sales at ViaQuest. "We tried to be preemptive and get ahead of the curve and put orders in, but everything was on back order. You're just in a queue and when it's your turn to get the delivery, you get the delivery."
Desperately seeking PPE Overmyer acknowledged that she knows nothing about SAP Ariba or procurement, but she was acquainted with Chad Buchanan, Premikati's COO.
Amanda Overmyer, vice president of sales at ViaQuestAmanda Overmyer "I knew that he got things for people when they needed it, and in an act of desperation I called him up and explained my problem and asked if he could help," she said. "He said he needed an email and a credit card, and 10 minutes later I had an account. Fifteen minutes later, I'd put in an order and he was able to find the goggles that we needed."
Premikati used an SAP Ariba application called Spot Buy to locate and procure the goggles. Spot Buy is a B2B marketplace that lets users search through millions of items from vendors vetted by SAP Ariba, along with negotiated prices.
Chad Buchanan, COO and general counsel at PremikatiChad Buchanan "They go through a search bar just like any other online shopping, type in whatever you'd like," Buchanan said. "Spot Buy will bring...