In addition, with the right cloud-based application in place, buying organizations can drive a more efficient settlement process by delivering purchase orders electronically and automating two- and three-way matches before posting for payment.

Businesses have spent the past 20 years deploying ERP and other enterprise applications to streamline processes and improve information flows within their own four walls. To reach the next level of productivity, they must extend these investments to improve process efficiencies and collaboration among external trading partners.

Cloud applications combine a community of digitally connected buyers and sellers in a many-to-many format with multi-enterprise process automation to make this possible.

Ariba is a provider of cloud-based collaborative commerce solutions.

in Network World's Infrastructure Management section.