Celonis launches Networks to revolutionise process collaboration

Celonis has introduced Networks, a new feature aimed at improving process collaboration across different companies.

Celonis Networks not only enhances Process Intelligence by facilitating connections among businesses, but it also aims to optimise processes by providing a shared view beyond individual organisational boundaries, with a particular focus on the supply chain where supplier and customer collaboration is essential.

"With Celonis Networks, for the first time, businesses can exchange intelligence relevant to their shared processes, in near real-time and at scale," Eugenio Cassiano, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at Celonis, said.

He emphasised that unlike traditional data exchange methods such as electronic data interchange (EDI), APIs, and email, which are used for transactional data, Celonis Networks offers continuous, fresh process insights.

"With this shared actionable truth, businesses can actively collaborate to identify and fix cross-company process breakdowns, streamlining operations and minimizing risk," added Cassiano.

Several businesses, including Conrad Electronic, Schukat electronic, and TD SYNNEX, have adopted Celonis Networks to create transparency in their joint Order Management and Procurement Processes.

These companies have already been employing EDI technology but encountered issues with outdated pricing or delivery dates. By integrating Celonis Networks, they now share approximately 5,000 order updates daily in real time, which includes updates on order status, delivery dates, and shipment details.

Axel Wieczorek, Head of Sales at Schukat electronic, explained the benefits, stating, "Celonis Networks eliminates the need for most of our manual work with EDI orders. Whether it's an update or a customer inquiry from Conrad Electronic, Celonis Networks allows their Procurement team to update orders directly, resulting in quicker responses."

Pablo Fernández, Process Innovation and Transformation Director at TD SYNNEX, highlighted the necessity of rapid and accurate data sharing, saying, "The market requires us to act fast and provide up-to-date data. This is only possible when all elements of the supply chain share data in a standard, open, and efficient manner. That's why Celonis Networks has the potential to be a game-changer in cross-company process optimization."

Jörg Frenzel, Director of Operational Excellence at Conrad Electronic, also spoke on the impact of the system.

"Celonis Networks allowed us to leverage a common data structure across the three companies. This is critical for optimizing our end-to-end supply chain, ensuring we all speak the same process language," he said.

"Conrad's purchase order can be 'translated' into a Schukat electronic or TD SYNNEX customer order and back again. With this common data model, we've achieved a new level of understanding in our shared processes."

Frenzel further noted the advantage of the system's ease of use, elaborating that Celonis Networks allows for data sharing configurations to be managed by business users, making it more straightforward compared to traditional EDI configurations.

"Once configured, new data and partners are seamlessly integrated into the system—making the setup far easier than traditional EDI configurations," he said.