We are excited to announce that the version 16.0 release of MeRLIN is now live! The updates have been compiled into release notes below, providing an overview of the enhancements and fixes in our product that the users anticipated, ensuring that they are up to date with the latest developments.
Supplier Management
Supplier 360
Supplier 360 now offers a complete view of all supplier activities, including POs, RFIs, and RFQs, both current and historical.
Supplier Onboarding
Suppliers can now view their qualification, onboarding, and compliance survey status and scores. This feature is optional, allowing them to review their information as needed.
Supplier Information
Supplier data can be exported in an external format for suppliers who can’t use the system. Buyers can download and send an Excel registration form for completion, then upload the verified data. MeRLIN can email the form directly to the supplier, who will complete and return it. The buyer will then verify the data and upload it into the system.
A new process now allows buyers to download a supplier registration form in Excel and send it to suppliers who prefer not to use the system. The supplier completes the form and returns it via email for the buyer to verify and upload into the system.
The DUNS number has been incorporated into the Supplier 360. This enhancement aims to improve supplier identification and facilitate better data management within the system.
Responsible Buyers will now have the ability to change the Payment Term from the default setting using the Edit Supplier option. While Suppliers will not have the capability to modify this term, this functionality allows Buyers to assign payment terms based on their specific requirements.
Buyers will now have the ability to receive notifications regarding any changes in the Creditreform data of Suppliers.
Supplier Management
Mandatory documents for suppliers will now be based on their category, streamlining the onboarding process and ensuring the right documentation is collected.
Documents can be organized into groups based on their types, allowing for easier management of large volumes of documents.
A new functionality has been introduced that allows buyers to search for suppliers by specifying their names. This search feature can be accessed within the Onboard Suppliers sub-menu under Supplier Management, enhancing the ease of locating suppliers.
An improvement has been made to the organization of the action menu for approved and unapproved suppliers to streamline the management of supplier lists, making it easier for users to navigate and take action on each category.
Supplier Scorecard
A new scorecard now displays key metrics like Compliance, Paydex, ESG, and SCoC, offering a comprehensive view of supplier performance for better decision-making and risk management.
Sourcing
Sourcing Events
A new fast lane feature has been introduced to facilitate quicker participation of unregistered suppliers in Requests for Quotations (RFQs), Requests for Information (RFIs), and auctions.
Compliance
Audit
A new requirement for an audit schedule has been introduced. This schedule will provide a comprehensive overview of all audits, visible and verifiable on the dashboard as part of the yearly plan. The audit manager will also have the ability to amend this schedule as necessary.
Compliance
The new feature offers flexible questioning, directing users to relevant questions based on their answers, with optional intermediate questions that can be skipped. If users select “no,” they will skip to a later question, bypassing intermediate ones. These questions are optional, so users can choose not to answer them even if the first question is addressed.
Surveys
Compliance Officers will now have the ability to download a Survey Template in Excel format, facilitating the import of the Excel template into another environment for creating new surveys and streamlining the compliance process.
Analytics
Widgets
Suppliers will now have access to a list of compliance surveys, with scores displayed in the adjacent column. This feature is optional, allowing suppliers to choose whether to view their scores while still maintaining clarity on their compliance status.
A new widget on the SRM dashboard shows the total number of suppliers and their compliance status (compliant, partially compliant, non-compliant) with percentages. Users can click on sections to explore compliance trends and insights.
The new widget for tracking the total number of completed and pending (open) compliance surveys and audits throughout the year is now available. This widget provides a visual curve to illustrate trends over time, allowing users to easily monitor performance and identify periods of high or low activity.
The new widget displaying the total number of suppliers, categorized into blacklisted, archived, invited, active, inactive, approved, and unapproved, is now available. This widget provides a comprehensive view of the supplier status distribution, allowing users to quickly assess supplier engagement and compliance levels.
A new widget that shows the total number of suppliers, including the count of blacklisted suppliers, is now available. This addition provides a clear overview of the supplier landscape, enabling users to easily track overall supplier numbers and identify those that are currently blacklisted.
Users can now access the open auction packages widget and receive accurate data, improving their ability to manage auction awards effectively. This update enhances the overall reliability of the system.
The RFQs Published, Open RFQs, and Open Auctions widgets are now active in both the buyer and supplier portals. These widgets allow users to access and manage RFQs and auctions seamlessly.
Platform
Emails
IT Administrators will now have the ability to view the list of outgoing emails from MeRLIN. This feature facilitates the investigation of any discrepancies in email delivery, enhancing overall communication oversight and efficiency.
Notifications
A new notification feature has been implemented for buyers regarding supplier policy acceptance. Buyers will be notified if a supplier does not accept the supplier policy statement. Both email and bell notifications will be provided to ensure prompt awareness of this status.
The notification system in MeRLIN now includes bell notifications for feedback surveys. This ensures users receive timely alerts about survey feedback.
Suppliers will now receive a bell notification and email after completing the qualification or onboarding survey, ensuring prompt updates on their submission status.
UI / UX
The Notification Hub has been redesigned to enhance user experience and improve the accessibility of notifications.
Widgets
The new widget displaying the total number of suppliers in the SRM, categorized by type, is now available. This widget provides a clear breakdown of supplier types, helping users easily understand the composition of their supplier base.
