Linz, Munich, 12th April 2010. AVL List GmbH is expanding its electronic communications and has decided in favour of using the sourcing and EDI solution from DIG digital-information-gateway for procurement of its production materials. AVL chose DIG’s e-sourcing platform, which is developed by Allocation Network, for the strategic-tactical procurement segment.

By using eSourcing/eRFx, supplier management and e-auctions, the tender procedure and the process for registering and selecting suppliers at AVL have been automated as far as possible and designed to be more efficient. The ASTRAS sourcing platform will communicate with the existing SAP system via interfaces as the project proceeds.

In the second phase of the project DIG will set up a specific EDI mailbox for AVL, via which overall electronic communications will take place with selected suppliers. The transmission of business documents to suppliers via EDI is concerned here. Purchase orders, order confirmations, invoices, delivery schedules, delivery schedule details and relevant attachments for documents like drawings and data sheets are to be transmitted and delivered via eRelation EDI. Procurement of low-value consumables (class C items) by AVL has already been organised using the DIG eRelation-PROCUREMENT platform since 2006. By extending it to electronic communications independent of catalogues by using EDI, strategic procurement at AVL can now be handled entirely by DIG’s solutions. Both components, the EDI and the sourcing solution, will be first installed for AVL as a pure ASP/SaaS model.

Both the best-practice applications eRelation and ASTRAS will communicate with each other in a project via interfaces or separate portal integration. This means an end-to-end process from selection of the supplier to the strategic catalogue/free text order can be carried out seamlessly and with operating expenses kept to a minimum. The result is transparent, fast procurement that takes up less time and uses less paper. Purchase requisitions are created from SAP via eRelation EDI to the sourcing portal to generate invitations to tender and the result of the invitation to tender (accepted bid) is transmitted back to SAP.

AVL acquires the best and most proven procurement solutions on the market with its link to eRelation and ASTRAS. The joint project between DIG from Linz and the Allocation Network from Munich thus guarantees the best-in-class solution for both the strategic and tactical purchasing processes as well as the operative purchasing processes in the company.

About DIG digital-information-gateway GmbH

DIG digital-information-gateway GmbH has established itself as an expert provider for business process outsourcing (BPO) since its foundation in 2001. In Austria DIG has advanced to become a market leader in the sector of e-business applications – e-procurement, e-billing, e-signature. With a market share of around 20 percent among the top companies in Austria, what the full service provider offers is impressive. Well-known customers count on DIG and already use the comprehensive solutions with eRelation - simplification and faster ordering, billing and approval processes are the main objectives here.

Press contact:
DIG digital-information-gateway GmbH
Katy Krebs
Groß-Berliner Damm 73d
D-12487 Berlin
Tel: +49 30 311 69 89 110
Fax: +49 30 311 69 89 199
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www.dig.at