We are pleased to announce that MeRLIN version 21.0 is now live. This release introduces targeted enhancements across Supplier Management, Sourcing Events, and Platform capabilities, focused on improving configurability, supplier experience, and operational control. The updates below reflect customer-driven improvements and product engineering initiatives designed to simplify workflows and strengthen governance. MeRLIN now has AI-assisted supplier onboarding that enhances productivity and accuracy.
New Features
Supplier Management
Suppliers
Supplier portal login now displays a clear and explicit message when a supplier attempts to log in without completing the registration using “Set Initial Password” process, reducing confusion and failed login attempts.
Supplier Data
Partners can now define default field values based on supplier field data, simplifying supplier data entry and reducing manual effort.
Approval workflows can now be configured so that specific approver roles are triggered only when supplier bank details are changed, improving approval relevance and reducing unnecessary approvals.
AI-assisted document metadata extraction now allows MeRLIN to automatically read supplier documents and capture key information during upload, reducing manual effort and improving accuracy.
Supplier data can now be synchronised with SAP one supplier at a time, giving teams better control over updates.
Supplier Management
Reminder emails sent to suppliers now include direct action links required to complete the pending activity, eliminating the need to search for the original invitation email.
Vendor Masters can now initiate supplier records for approval, strengthening governance over supplier onboarding and changes.
Vendor Masters can now permanently delete suppliers who have no transactional history in MeRLIN, allowing accidental or unused supplier records to be fully removed.
Sourcing Events Management
RFQ
Partners can now control the visibility of the “Response Storage” field in RFQs through Partner Configuration, allowing it to be exposed or hidden as required.
Supplier filters in the Suppliers tab of RFQs are now dynamically driven by Partner Configuration, ensuring all relevant supplier attributes are available for filtering.
Multi-round RFQs are now supported, enabling iterative negotiation rounds with suppliers within the same RFQ.
An editable grid (Version 1) has been introduced for RFQ quote submission, providing suppliers with a faster and more intuitive quote entry experience.
UoM conversion factor now support two decimal places, with the option to make this configurable based on business needs.
Payment terms can now be defined at RFQ creation and cannot be modified by suppliers during quote submission, ensuring commercial consistency. Suppliers may submit quotes in alternative Units of Measure within the same UoM class, with conversion factors applied automatically.
RFI
Buyers can now amend RFIs after creation, enabling corrections or updates without restarting the process.
Platform
Maintenance
An “Under Maintenance” page is now displayed when the Buyer or Supplier portal is unavailable due to planned or unplanned maintenance, keeping users informed of system status.
UI / UX
The Collaborator interface has been improved to enhance usability and clarity when working with multiple users across modules.
