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WALLDORF, Germany -- SAP AG today announced that an increasing amount of global companies in the manufacturing, oil and gas, and consumer products industries have integrated and automated their supplier-facing processes using mySAP(TM) Supplier Relationship Management (mySAP SRM). mySAP SRM is the only solution that covers the full cycle of supplier relationship management -- from strategy to execution -- with comprehensive functionality for strategic sourcing, operational procurement, supplier enablement and content management. mySAP SRM, which leads to significantly reduced procurement and sourcing costs and improved relationships with suppliers, is powered by SAP NetWeaver(TM), SAP's open integration and application platform. Manufacturing companies such as Blanco and Sappi, global energy company Royal Dutch/Shell Group, and consumer products leader British American Tobacco are among the companies that have deployed the latest version of mySAP SRM, which features live auctions, supplier portals and services procurement. As a testament to the increasing popularity of mySAP SRM, international growth consultants Frost & Sullivan recently awarded SAP the 2003 Market Recognition Award for being the most cited vendor in the European supplier relationship management (SRM) market. SAP also announced the upcoming First European mySAP SRM Congress, which will be held in Berlin, Germany on October 7 and 8, 2003. "Our goal is to enable companies to gain complete transparency and control of their supplier relationships, but to do so without investing in costly technologies and custom development that will inhibit future growth," said Shai Agassi, executive board member, SAP AG. "Sourcing and procurement are crucial business processes that can no longer be overlooked by today's global enterprises. We designed our SRM solution to address the most pressing business pain points in the supplier-buyer relationship and to enable companies to maximize return across all categories of spend. At the same time, we built mySAP SRM on top of our SAP NetWeaver platform to provide strong integration with any other system inside the organization and across company boundaries." Blanco Blanco is one of the world's leading suppliers of system solutions for the domestic kitchen, catering and medical areas. The company has implemented mySAP SRM at its headquarters in Germany in order to integrate and automate communications with its suppliers. "Due to cost pressures and the strong need to streamline our internal processes, we were looking for an effective way of optimizing our purchasing processes both across and beyond the company's boundaries," said Bernd Schutz, head of IT services, Blanco. "With mySAP SRM, we found a solution that fit our requirements. On the one hand, it relieves our purchasers from day-to-day operational work and, on the other hand, it is the base for efficiently processing delivery notes and invoices. The time saved, from both a process and user standpoint, becomes a strategic and competitive advantage for us." British American Tobacco British American Tobacco is the world's second largest quoted tobacco group manufacturing tobacco products in over 60 countries. As one of its main goals is to build relationships of trust with suppliers, distributors and partners, the company turned to mySAP SRM for a complete supplier relationship management solution. British American Tobacco will implement the strategic sourcing, self-service procurement and catalog management capabilities of mySAP SRM. "As a global consumer products company with an active business presence in 180 markets, we interact with hundreds of suppliers on a daily basis," said Andrew Brock, global indirects programme manager, British American Tobacco. "We needed a supplier relationship management solution that would enable us to engage in cross-border transactions seamlessly and without requiring our partners to alter their IT infrastructures. We look to mySAP SRM to be a reliable, cost-effective and comprehensive solution for our supplier relationship needs." Sappi Sappi is the world's leading producer of coated fine paper, the fastest growing sector in the paper industry. The company's implementation of mySAP SRM is part of a global procurement re-engineering project. "As a global company with 15 fine paper mills across Europe, North America and Southern Africa, seamless communication among partners and suppliers is of paramount importance to our business," said Victor Kamm, purchasing director, Sappi Fine Paper Europe. "With the implementation of mySAP SRM, we are aiming at significantly reducing the time spent on our purchasing practices and have increased cost savings across the enterprise. This solution from SAP is crucial to the overhaul of our supplier relationship management processes." Market Recognition from Frost & Sullivan International growth consultants Frost & Sullivan announced in August that SAP has received the 2003 Market Recognition Award for being the most cited vendor in the European supplier relationship management (SRM) market. Responses collated from leading SRM competitors and customers revealed that SAP garnered the highest number of references in the industry. "SAP's obvious inherent strength is its dominant position as the market leader in the European enterprise application industry," said Andrew Ball, research analyst, Frost & Sullivan. "SAP, however, has not relied simply on its market dominance. As it has a long-established tradition of partnering with its customers for longer-term success, customers have a higher degree of confidence in its solution than other vendors in the market." First European mySAP Supplier Relationship Management Congress For the first time, SAP will host a congress dedicated exclusively to mySAP SRM on October 7 and 8, 2003 at the Estrel Convention Center in Berlin, Germany. Focusing on creating more transparency in supplier selection and purchasing, the congress will provide attendees with a broad range of perspectives and presentations on supplier relationship management in general and mySAP SRM in particular. In his keynote, Henning Kagermann, chairman of the SAP executive board and CEO of SAP AG, will share SAP's vision and strategy around mySAP SRM within the context of today's business challenges. The event will also feature industry, analyst, academic and market research thought leaders who will present their views on SRM and share real-life examples of how procurement and sourcing transform a former back-office operation into a strategic corporate function. To participate in the First European mySAP SRM Congress, please visit http://www.sap.com/solutions/srm/newsevents/srmcongress/ . As part of mySAP SRM, SAP NetWeaver is the natural solution for customers to integrate business processes, information and people across heterogeneous systems both within their companies and with suppliers. More information on mySAP SRM can be found at http://www.sap.com/solutions/srm .