Welcome to the World of BSM Apps!

Avijit Mukherji
Avijit Mukherji
Head of CoupaLink Solution Consulting, Coupa Software

Avijit Mukherji is Head of CoupaLink Solution Consulting. He is passionate about Technology, Business Spend Management and making customers and partners successful.

Read time: 5 mins
Welcome to the World of BSM Apps!

Gone are the days of monolithic, on-premises enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions tasked with managing, maintaining, and monitoring all business spend operations for organizations. Now, companies recognize the benefit of a multi-function, multi-cloud, multi-application approach that allows them to pick and choose the Business Spend Management (BSM) software and services that work best for their organization. From procure-to-pay (P2P) options to digital invoicing tools and real-time spend management services, applications form the front lines of finance.

The challenge? Finding the best fit for your organization. With so many options and vendors available, it's easy for companies to get overwhelmed by the sheer variety available. In practice, this means they often end up paying too much for apps they don't need or find themselves using multiple apps for the same function, in turn creating complex and redundant processes that don't deliver on agile, digital expectations.

The solution? The new Coupa App Marketplace for customers and the CoupaLink platform for solution providers and app developers. The centralized, vetted, and secure app marketplace makes it possible for companies to find the apps they need when they need them — and with the confidence that they'll work seamlessly with existing Coupa deployments. Meanwhile, the CoupaLink platform empowers partners to design cutting-edge, fully integrated apps for the Coupa BSM ecosystem.

Welcome to the world of BSM apps — here's what you need to know!

What is a BSM app?

A BSM app is any piece of software that helps companies increase their business spend process efficiency. While many standalone application options are available, there's no guarantee that these applications will work with existing application frameworks. Although many developers prioritize interoperability, the sheer variety of open-source and proprietary application components means that enterprises may find themselves easily locating functionality but struggling to manage BSM integration.

The Coupa App Marketplace: empowering customer success

The newly launched Coupa App Marketplace provides a comprehensive database of vetted and valuable BSM apps that seamlessly integrate with the Coupa BSM platform.

The Coupa App Marketplace has apps covering different categories and use cases. There's a category for business intelligence, one for inventory for supplier systems, one for invoicing, and more. Finding the apps you want is also straightforward — you can search by keywords. We want to help you connect third-party applications and external systems with Coupa’s platform.

Coupa App Marketplace screenshot

Anyone can explore the Coupa App Marketplace. This means that if your company is considering the move to Coupa but hasn't made the call, the Coupa App Marketplace provides the perfect starting point to see what's out there.

CoupaLink: focusing on partner potential

The CoupaLink platform, meanwhile, is all about our partners. Whether a solution provider or an app developer, it's a way for them to share the great software they've been working on with customers — while simultaneously ensuring it's fully integrated with Coupa BSM systems.

What the CoupaLink team does is work with the partner ecosystem to ensure their apps are validated and certified, and make sure they're working as expected and bring value to you. The CoupaLink team is evaluating the design and helping partners to build these apps and make sure they are secure, scalable, and reusable. We want to make sure when it goes to you, they aren't increasing complexity.

When it comes to submitting apps for review and approval, Coupa focuses on making it simple so partners can focus on the value potential. There is an application process where they submit their app. It then goes through the business development team and then to the legal team to ensure customer data, key functions, and frameworks are secure. In terms of a step-by-step view, this means that partners first apply via the web portal. Their apps are then reviewed by the business team, then the solution consulting team. Content is then validated, after which the CoupaLink team connects with the partner and provides access to the training portals. Finally, the application is validated and certified.

CoupaLink Certified logo

Ultimately, the goal of CoupaLink is to let our partners focus on what they do best: creating great BSM apps that offer improved functionality and streamlined operation for you. The CoupaLink team guides partners from solution value design to technical consultation — to ensure partners are empowered to bring even better solutions to the table for Coupa customers.

Let's get started

Need a better BSM app? Check out the Coupa App Marketplace. Ready to help empower the partner ecosystem with your software solution? Connect with CoupaLink today!