Commerce today is more global than ever. And transportation and logistics has become increasingly complicated, as getting things from point A to B now typically spans several continents and involves several providers. NTT DATA is out to simplify this process. And it is teaming with SAP Ariba to do it. The company today announced that it is developing a digital solution to be delivered on the Ariba® Network that will enable companies to track and manage complex, global shipments in real time.

“Increased regulation, globalization, and changing competitive boundaries are redefining shipping and logistics as we know it – and in many cases, creating supply risk,” said Bhalchandra Bhosale, Senior Vice President, Global SAP Practice NTT DATA. “In leveraging SAP Ariba’s Open Partner Ecosystem, NTT DATA can deliver an innovative solution through which supply chain organizations can minimize this risk and optimize their business outcomes.”

SAP Ariba’s Open Partner Ecosystem is uniquely designed to drive the speed and innovation that companies need to do business in today’s digital economy by providing a powerful and secure platform from which companies can create dynamic business solutions and quickly deliver them to customers around the world. Through the ecosystem, companies can:

• Use standard based open APIs to extend SAP Ariba solutions
• Take advantage of pre-built solutions made available by SAP Ariba partners.
• Access self-service capabilities to create unique experiences

NTT DATA will use the SAP Ariba platform to deliver a digital solution that enables buyers connected to the Ariba Network to monitor global shipments in real time through a portal that is continually refreshed with information on the status of each shipment along with proactive notification of delays. Using the solution, buyers can gain clear visibility into potential supply chain disruptions and mitigate their impact.

“SAP Ariba is committed to delivering game-changing innovations that transform procurement and fundamentally change the way that business is done,” said Dinesh Shahane, Chief Technology Officer, SAP Ariba. “Through our open partner ecosystem, we can not only deliver these innovations faster, but empower our partners like NTT DATA to deliver new commerce services that drive value for their organizations, their customers and anyone connected to the Ariba Network.”