Today I’m joined by innovative software brand, Relish. They’ve done the development, so you don’t have to; and they’re asking you to say ‘no’ to expensive middleware, because they’ve got the connection ready to go!
Relish apps strategically extend enterprise applications to maximize investment. With an understanding of enterprise software gaps and challenges, Relish is obsessed with building a scalable solution to remedy them, to simplify the complex and bridge those gaps.
Today, Jeremy Reeves, Senior VP of Product at Relish, and Matt Montgomery, Senior Director of Product Marketing at SAP, join me to talk all about how technology can automate supplier data validation and mitigate risk. We’ll be diving into what our supplier data end game should be, and how we get there; the role of technology and AI in the future of this space; allowing suppliers to be active participants in the conversations around supplier risk; and exactly how SAP and Relish are successfully automating supplier data validation.
Guest bios:
Jeremy Reeves, Senior VP of Product at Relish. With over 20 years’ experience, Jeremy leads product teams in the B2B Enterprise space. He is passionate about identifying and solving problems, and loves to collaborate with departments across the globe in order to build great software solutions. During his time at TradingDynamics, a start-up building e-auction technology for the fast growing e-marketplace space, Jeremy launched the first Ariba On-Demand application and saw revenues grow from $7M to $41M. More recently, he launched Relish’s direct spend solution for sourcing and retail for direct spend, resulting in more than $300M in annual revenue. Jeremy has also led more than 5 different software application mergers from different companies, and developed a product management on-boarding program for all new hires.
Matt Montgomery, Senior Director – Product Marketing, FedRamp, Supplier Lifecycle & Third Party Risk Management at SAP. An experienced and dynamic global leader in Procure to Pay (P2P) management and operations, Matt has significant experience establishing global shared service center organizations for Procure to Pay operations. He is regularly asked to speak at industry conferences and webinars on topics such as managing shared service center operations, procure to pay maturity models, best practice metrics/analytics, and process automation based on six sigma and lean principles. Matt is recognized for his ability to align cross-functional organizations to streamline business processes and technology. In his current role as a senior solution consultant for SAP Ariba, he works with customers to implement best practices of technology and process.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
[07.15] Introductions to today’s guests and what they do.
[08.59] An overview of the landscape of supplier data and the challenges of validation.
“Supplier management needs to be thought of as the foundation for everything. It’s knowledge that you need to have for every single decision you’re making.”
“As we look at solutions and talk about supplier data, we can’t just talk about ‘company name and address.’ We have to think: What do you need to know to make the choice to use that supplier, to make a better decision, to streamline processes? … How do you collaborate and drive efficiency so you can spend more time on the good decisions versus data collection?”
[13.25] The supplier data end game – what supplier data should look like, and what it should do for their businesses, if organizations have the right solutions to their challenges.
“Speed and efficiency are the name of the game.”
[17.11] How businesses should be measuring and validating supplier data, and the different techniques and strategies they can use to do it.
“You first have to understand where the problems are lying within the overall process, so measuring that information is key.”
[20.52] The role of technology in automating the supplier data validation process.
“Speed becomes a competitive differentiator.”
[23.26] Whether process drives technology, or technology drives process.
“Technology can really optimize that knowledge of region, industry, commodity, business unit… but as much as the technology can optimize, it becomes much more efficient when you can trust the data source.”
[28.27] How technology can help suppliers be active participants in the risk management process.
[32.51] The hidden prevalence of AI; where the industry is at on its AI journey; and what the future of supplier data validation and risk mitigation is going to look like.
“The term is overused – it means everything! People think Siri, ChatGPT – people’s perception of AI is the microcosm of how they’re experiencing it.”
[36.53] How SAP and Relish are automating supplier data validation, and what we can learn from their approach.
[43.44] The future for Relish and SAP, and for the industry, as we look towards 2025.
“The ability for technology to automate the speed of development – we’re going to see a lot more capabilities, delivered faster.”
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:
Head over to Relish’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Relish and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, YouTube and X (Twitter), or you can connect with Jeremy or Matt on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more from Relish, check out 408: Strategically Extend Your Enterprise Applications, with Relish or 416: Uncover the Top Supplier Management Challenges of 2024, with Relish.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
