SAP : Givewith Helps Buyers Find Socially Conscious Suppliers to Close Deals

Last week, I ran out to my local supermarket to buy more cranberry sauce for the impending wave of friends and family that will descend on my house for Thanksgiving.

At the checkout counter, the cashier asked me if I would like to donate to the non-profit displayed on their screen. Embracing the spirit of giving during the holiday season, I said yes and contributed to the charity listed.

As steward of Ariba Network, software-as-a-service evangelist, and all-around tech geek, I could not help but wonder how SAP could make it easier for buyers and suppliers on Ariba Network - where nearly $3 trillion in business commerce is conducted each year - to collaborate to support the greater good. If it could, what kind of impact could that have on our communities?

Enter Givewith, a social impact technology company helping to catalyze collaboration and support efforts. The company leverages everyday business activities to generate new funding for non-profits. As of this month, Givewith is an SAP Ariba application extension partner in the SAP ecosystem. Givewith Enterprise is available on the SAP App Center.

I was first introduced to Givewith at SAP Ariba Live in Barcelona. Givewith Founder and CEO Paul Polizzotto shared his company's vision and goals for the future with other corporate responsibility leaders. The buzz in the room was palatable and sowed the seed for Givewith's incorporation into Ariba Network.

I could not be more excited about this partnership. 'Procurement with Purpose' is in our DNA at SAP Ariba, and Givewith is going to help change how buyers and suppliers do business - for good.

Our partnership with Givewith reflects a desire to work with a new generation of problem-solvers and business leaders who understand that social impact and commercial gains are not mutually exclusive. Instinctively, we know that by doing good we do well, and we have the research to back this up. According to a global sustainability study from SAP Ariba, positive societal influence is almost two times more important to consumers when making purchases than other factors. Additionally, over 68 percent of consumers would be more favorable to a brand if they knew it was adhering to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

SAP works daily with buyers and suppliers across Ariba Network to address risks in their supply chain, suggest opportunities for sustainability, and point out challenges related to forced labor and other human rights violations. As an SAP Ariba application extension partner, Givewith will take 'Procurement with Purpose' initiatives to the next level. By creating compelling social impact incentives through sales proposals and procurement RFPs, Givewith will help customers drive business value at scale and with precision.

Earlier this month, Polizzotto and I talked about the potential we see in our partnership to have a real, measurable impact on how companies advance on their corporate social responsibility objectives. His remarks are true - if just eight percent of the nearly $3 trillion in transactions that go through Ariba Network annually were directed to non-profits, that would be more than $3 billion contributed to some of the most effective non-profit organizations that take on the pressing issues of our time.

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Givewith Partners with SAP Ariba

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We live in an era of economic and technological uncertainty with blurred lines around the uses of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Consumers continue to demand real action and measurable commitments in order to hold organizations accountable for their choices. Givewith is using that technology for good and helping companies rise to consumer standards.

Sean Thompson is senior vice president of Business Network and Ecosystems for SAP Ariba and SAP Fieldglass.

Tags: Ariba Network, corporate social reponsibility, Givewith, non-profit, SAP Ariba