Case Study: Boston University achieves informed, efficient spending and streamlined procure-to-pay with SAP Ariba

How Does Digital Procurement Help Users Make Informed and Efficient Spending Decisions

Boston University, one of the largest private research institutions in the U.S. with 33,000 students and 10,000 faculty and staff, faced an aging, cumbersome procure-to-pay system that hindered productivity for more than 2,000 users who submit thousands of requisitions annually—challenges made more urgent by a largely remote workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Working with SAP and Deloitte, BU implemented SAP Ariba Buying, Contracts, Invoicing, and Sourcing (with guided buying and ERP/Ariba Network integration) to digitize and streamline procurement. The rollout—completed remotely—created near-seamless requisition-to-payment workflows, digitized 60,000 outbound POs and 90,000 invoices, accelerated processing to capture early-payment discounts, and empowered users to make faster, more informed spending decisions while improving supplier management.

Boston University

Randall Moore

Chief Procurement Officer