Stay Clean for SAP Business Partners: Fix it before it costs you money

In today’s fast-paced world, change is inevitable. Companies frequently move, update their names, or even close their doors. It’s crucial for businesses to stay aware of these changes to maintain accurate and up-to-date business partner data.

However, keeping track of these changes on a global scale can be a tremendous and daunting effort.

But what if you could go beyond mere maintenance and proactively receive updates and insights on your business partners, directly within your SAP system? Imagine the transformative impact on your operations as you stay ahead of the curve with real-time data. Yet, there’s an abundance of trusted data from open sources and authorities waiting to be harnessed.

What if you could integrate this valuable information into the proactive approach?

Don't wait until bad data impacts your processes – fix your SAP Business Partners proactively, immediately when changes occur in the real world.

The High Cost of Bad Business Partner Data

Accuracy of your partner data can make or break your bottom line. Inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated records can lead to a myriad of financial consequences, impacting various aspects of your organization. Just a few examples:

• Missed VAT reimbursements: Invalid tax numbers can lead to unclaimed Value Added Tax (VAT) reimbursements, resulting in substantial revenue losses.
• Shipping errors: Incorrect or incomplete shipping addresses can cause costly delays, failed deliveries, and customer dissatisfaction, negatively affecting your company’s reputation and profitability.
• Compliance penalties: Inaccurate data related to sanctioned or insolvent companies can expose your organization to legal risks, resulting in fines or penalties.

The Hidden Price Tag of Manual Maintenance

Manual maintenance of business partner data can be a significant burden on organizations, leading to substantial hidden costs and resource allocation inefficiencies. Some examples:

• Labor-intensive data entry: Manual data entry not only consumes valuable employee time but is also prone to human errors, which can result in additional costs to correct mistakes and reconcile discrepancies.
• Time-consuming research: Verifying and validating external references can be a laborious process, requiring employees to spend considerable time searching for and cross-referencing data from various sources.
• Increased risk of outdated data: Manual processes can lead to delays in updating business partner data, making it more likely for critical information to become outdated and negatively impact business decisions or operations.

Implementing the "First-Time-Right" approach during business partner creation can reduce errors and lead to better accuracy and smoother operations.

Proactive Fix Proposals, directly in SAP

Adopting a streamlined integration of updates from various data sources directly into your SAP system offers a powerful solution for maintaining accurate business partner data. This proactive approach allows for seamless and automated updates, reducing manual intervention and minimizing the risk of errors.

A prime example of continuous monitoring and proactive fixes in action is the verification of VAT numbers against tax authority sources. By implementing a solution that automatically checks and validates VAT numbers against official databases, you ensure that your business partner data remains accurate and compliant.

In addition, this process provides Request IDs, which are essential for maintaining audit trails and demonstrating due diligence in your data management practices. By incorporating such a proactive approach within your SAP system, you can bolster your organization's compliance efforts and enhance overall operational efficiency.

Business Case

Creating a business case for maintaining accurate business partner data is essential, especially for organizations managing a significant number of records over an extended period of time.

For example, by quantifying direct and indirect benefits for managing 100.000 business partner records over five years, organizations can demonstrate the value of investing in advanced data management solutions.

Direct benefits include reduced labor and resource allocation costs, while indirect benefits include improved efficiency, decision-making, and business relationships, as well as cost savings from avoiding low data quality issues. Leveraging advanced data management solutions ensures accurate business partner data, leading to long-term success and growth.

Tailoring the numbers to your situation can help to create a strong business case for investing in proactive data management solutions.

Conclusion

Embracing a proactive approach to data management is essential for building stronger and more meaningful business relationships and achieving long-term success. By adopting proactive data management solutions and leveraging trusted external data sources, organizations can streamline operations, reduce costs, and stay ahead in today's competitive business landscape. With the right tools and strategies, organizations can unlock the full potential of their business partner data and make data-driven decisions that drive growth and success.

The sooner you fix your SAP Business Partners the lower the process-related risks.

***This article was originally published on LinkedIn. Follow Kai for more insights on data quality!***