Suppliers

Welcome to the Springer Nature supplier website. We value all our business partners' efforts to ensure our collaborative success. Here you’ll find the relevant information you need to do business with us more effectively: working with Ariba, Springer Nature's commitment to managing its environmental impact, information about diversity, equity and inclusion, and our governance structure.

Important Links

How to get support?

If you require any information or assistance please create a new support ticket via our procurement support website. We will review your request and respond.

Security requirements for suppliers

At Springer Nature, we consider it important that our suppliers address security matters in a controlled and structured way on the basis of recognised standards and best practices. Especially where a supplier is acting as a Data Processor, processing personal Data on Springer Nature’s behalf, we require our suppliers to implement certain measures at a minimum.

Business Partner Code of Conduct

Our Business Partner Code of Conduct reflects our commitment to maintaining high ethical standards in our everyday interactions with colleagues, customers, partners and the wider public wherever we are.

Working with Ariba

Springer Nature is pleased to partner with Ariba – a leading global provider of collaborative business commerce solutions – as the technology platform to send electronic purchase orders and receive electronic invoices. We’re implementing SAP Ariba as the main platform for our Procure to Pay transactions. This will enable us to remove complexity and transact more efficiently with our suppliers regarding purchase orders, invoices, and payments. We aim to make the procure-to-pay process paperless where possible.

We will gradually roll out the Ariba implementation and will notify existing suppliers accordingly. Depending on the level of engagement, type of account, and complexity of required integration, the timeline for each supplier enablement will differ.

Benefits of using Ariba

Using Ariba will also provide benefits for your company, such as:

Formal purchase orders and the ability to ‘flip’ POs into invoices
Fewer payment delays as a result of increased invoice accuracy
Online visibility of the status of your invoice
Improved communication with Springer Nature

Ariba Network accounts

You can choose between two account types as a SAP Ariba Network supplier. The Standard account is free, while the Enterprise account will incur fees, depending on your subscription levels.

When registering with SAP Ariba, kindly note that you're creating an agreement directly with SAP Ariba, to which Springer Nature is not a party. Please select the right one based on your business model.

Standard account

This offers basic functionalities and is completely free for suppliers. You can transact digitally using email tools and gain visibility into when you can expect payment from your customers. You’ll receive POs via the e-mail address associated with your standard account, and you can transact an unlimited number of documents with your customers without any fees.

Enterprise account

The enterprise account gives you additional access to a wide range of technological capabilities with advanced features. You can transform your operations with full ERP integration and generate real-time invoices. Subscriptions are determined by the number of documents you transact on Ariba Network within a 12-month period and the extent of the automation technologies and support that your business requires.

Learn more about SAP Ariba Network accounts and pricing here ↗

Ariba supplier guideline

Read the full Ariba Supplier guideline here!

Environmental

Springer Nature is committed to managing its environmental impacts, being carbon neutral in our own operations and making positive contributions to the sustainable development goals. We are also working towards becoming net zero by 2040 and are signatories of the Climate Pledge. Our suppliers play a key role in achieving this vision.

Paper policy and reporting

All our products are printed by third-party suppliers, and our paper policy requires that only paper from known, legal and responsible sources is used in our products. Papers must be graded three or five stars in the Publisher Database for Responsible Environmental Paper Sourcing (PREPS) or certified by one of three named initiatives.

Carbon

Springer Nature has set science based targets to reduce supply chain carbon emissions, and aims to have net zero emissions through its value chain by 2040.

This means we are working with strategic suppliers to understand their carbon reduction plans. Please email your point of contact if you’d like to know more.

Sustainable Business Report

We report on our environmental commitments, and the progress we are making to reduce impacts including carbon emissions, in our annual Sustainable Business Report.

Social

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is one of our highest strategic priorities and our approach has two main streams: an internal focus on DEI within our organisation, and an external view, working with the research, education and professional communities we are a part of. Visit our dedicated DEI page to read more about our commitments.

Networks

Our employee networks unite colleagues who share an identity with those who support them. The networks — with more than 1,400 members — focus on building connections between colleagues, raising awareness, consulting on business initiatives and advocating for their communities.

Visit our employee networks page to find out more.

Green Office Network

The Green Office Network provides a global forum for colleagues who want to play a part in reducing Springer Nature's environmental impacts and raise awareness around the environmental challenges we are experiencing at a global level. The network members run meetings, educational events, internal sustainability campaigns and promote behavioural change and colleague engagement in environmental topics whilst progressing ideas to make our offices more sustainable.

Governance

Integrity is a key value for Springer Nature and we are committed to complying with all laws and regulations and conducting our operations ethically and honestly. We have Codes of Conduct for employees, business partners and editors that give us the framework we need to support our values through every part of our supply chain. Find out more about our responsible business practice policies on our Policies and Reports page.

Modern Slavery Act Statement

The Springer Nature Modern Slavery Act statement is published in accordance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015. It sets out the steps we have taken to assess the risk of and prevent modern slavery and human trafficking in our businesses and supply chain.

Speak-Up-System

Employees, business partners, authors, suppliers, editors, customers and anyone else who wishes to raise concerns regarding potential or actual breaches of the Springer Nature Code of Conduct or Business Partner Code of Conduct are asked to do so via “Speak-Up”, our ‘whistleblowing’ reporting system. Questions and concerns may be submitted in any language.