Vendor Management

With everyone talking recession, I’ve been asking colleagues over the past couple of weeks whether they’d rather be Coupa or Ariba in this economic climate. Almost unanimously, my colleagues have said Ariba because it’s better to be a more well-known brand in a down-turned economy, but I’m not so sure. Like a body, when an economy is in pain, long term planning often takes a back seat to satisfaction of basic and immediate needs. In that environment, to most companies, I’d rather be selling lunch today than a feast tomorrow (apologies to both Coupa and Ariba for the glib characterisation).