We are pleased to announce that MeRLIN version 23.0 is now live. This release introduces enhancements across Supplier Management, Sourcing Events Management, Direct Sourcing, Requisition Management, Procurement, Invoice Management, and Platform capabilities. The updates below reflect customer-driven improvements and product engineering initiatives designed to simplify workflows and strengthen control.
New Features
Supplier Management
Supplier Information
To convey the most appropriate purpose and meaning, the ‘Our Information’ tab is now named after the buying organization, using the short name of the organization followed by Internal Information. The tab holds information that is maintained internally by the buying organization, and the name now states this directly.
Banking data integration has been added for Supplier records.
Supplier Management
The responsible Buyer is now shown in the same format in every location in the approved and unapproved Supplier lists: first name, last name, and email address in brackets.
A Vendor Master can now initiate a change to Supplier information for approval. Previously only Users with Buyer role alone could perform this action.
A Master Data Manager can now add plants and locations that are visible in the RFQ but not in the Supplier Management module.
Sourcing Events Management
RFI
The sequence of the tabs in the RFI has been changed to bring them similar to RFQs.
RFQ
The list of active RFQs has been rebuilt to provide better User experience and UI level capabilities. Buyers can filter on any column. Columns can be resized and moved into a different order. The layout each Buyer selects is saved automatically and applied at the next login.
Buyers and suppliers can now see a complete RFQ on one page and scroll down to read it using View RFQ. Previously the information was divided across several tabs, and the user had to open each tab separately to see the complete event.
Items can now be added to an RFQ using a simple tabular User Interface resembling Microsoft Excel. The Buyer selects Add New Row, chooses the item type, and enters the details in the same row. Four item types are available:
- Catalogue
- Non-Catalogue
- Service Item
- Non-Catalogue Item Group
Catalogue items are selected from a list, and Non-Catalogue items are entered manually. A row can be deleted directly in the table. Previously each item was added using a separate pop-up window requiring more clicks and navigation
Buyers can now combine several items into one group, also called a lot. Buyer can choose to ask the Suppliers to quote for the lot instead of quoting for each item separately. This is useful when items belong together commercially, for example a set of parts that should be awarded to one Supplier. The Buyer sets a quote constraint for each group. The quote constraint defines how suppliers are allowed to respond:
Anything: the Supplier can quote for any number of items in the group.
All or Nothing: the Supplier must quote for every item in the group. Partial quotes within the lot are not accepted.
Anyone: the Supplier can quote for one item only.
Group Level: the Supplier submits one price for the complete group. The group is evaluated as one package.
Evaluation and award can take place at group level as well as at item level depending on the Quote Constraint. Groups are currently created as Non-Catalogue Item Groups. A group can contain both Catalogue and Non-Catalogue items.
Quote submission has been rebuilt as a sequence of steps. The Supplier opens the RFQ under Active RFQs and moves through the steps in order: terms and conditions, items, questions, prices, documents, and a final summary. Buyer attachments can be downloaded at the item step. Each item shows the quote constraint that applies to it. If a quote does not meet the quote constraint, the Supplier is informed before submission. Previously the Supplier moved between tabs and pop-up windows, and errors were often found only at submission.
Suppliers can now state their intention as soon as they receive an RFQ, before preparing a quote. Three responses are available: Not Interested with reasons, Conditionally Interested with conditions, and Agree, which continues to quote submission. For a conditional response, the quote status is updated and the selected reasons and comments are saved. Previously the Buyer could not see whether a Supplier was still preparing a quote or had decided not to participate.
A Supplier can now mark a single item as Not Interested in the quote table and still quote for the other items. Previously this was possible in the Form View, which is the alternative way of entering a quote, but not in the table. Any item submitted without a price is marked as Not Interested automatically.
The Supplier selection and award screens have been rebuilt. The Buyer can award one Supplier or several Suppliers on one screen. A reason can be recorded for each award. The Buyer reviews an award summary before sending the award for approval. The reason is stored with the award and remains available for later reference.
RFQ templates can now be deleted by certain roles. A Buyer can delete only the templates that the Buyer created. A Sourcing Master can delete any template, including templates created by other Buyers.
Sourcing
Sourcing
Express Sourcing is a shorter version of the Sourcing process for simple purchases. Version 22 introduced the option to create a purchase order directly from the RFQ evaluation results, without an award package and without a contract. In version 23 the Buyer selects this option at the start of the event instead of at the end. After the Supplier selection is approved, the purchase order is created automatically. MeRLIN creates required Award packages and Contracts automatically and gets them auto-approved.
Express Sourcing is activated for the organization in Application Configuration by setting Express Sourcing to Yes. The Buyer then applies it to a single event in the Stakeholders tab during RFQ creation, where the Buyer is confirmed as the commercial evaluator for the event. A confirmation message explains the process. The Buyer can confirm or choose to proceed with Standard Sourcing.
Requisition Management
Requisition
The requisition process has been simplified.
Procurement
Purchase Order Management
Buyers can now see the shipment status and the receipt status of each line item on a purchase order. This gives an overview of shipments and receipts at purchase order level.
Invoice Management
Invoices
MeRLIN can now read a Supplier invoice automatically and extract the data it contains. The extracted data is compared with the Shipment receipt and purchase order data already held in MeRLIN, and any differences are highlighted for the user.
Platform
Integration
A purchase order that reaches MeRLIN from an external system is now published automatically. The default number of days allowed for a Supplier to acknowledge a purchase order is set in Application Configuration.
Purchase order screens now show the Epicor purchase order number and the Epicor purchase order type where the Epicor integration is in use, so that the two systems show the same reference.
Appovals
Approvers now have a separate portal. Previously an approver logged in to the complete MeRLIN application, although only the approval functions were required, and menus and screens that were not relevant remained visible. Approvers now log in with their email address and a one-time password. The portal shows only the approval requests. The approver reviews each request and approves or rejects it on one screen.
Business Administration
Application Configuration
The Application Configuration screen has been rebuilt to be more intuitive.
