When Royal Caribbean Group prepared to launch its new Supplier Portal, the system needed to work for more than internal teams. They had to take into account the suppliers who would use it every day.
Before full rollout, Royal Caribbean Group invited a select group of supplier partners to test the portal in a sandbox environment. Metric Marine was one of those partners.
Our role was straightforward: use the portal from the supplier side, move through common requisition steps, and provide feedback before live purchasing activity moved into the system.
In this case study we'll cover how Metric Marine supported that testing phase, why supplier input mattered, and how the project helped prepare both teams for future digital procurement work.
The Situation
Royal Caribbean Group was implementing a Supplier Portal to centralize supplier activity, purchase orders, invoicing, documentation, and communication.
For a global cruise operator, supplier processes need to be clear and consistent. A small point of confusion in a portal can lead to delayed acknowledgements, missing documents, incorrect information, or unnecessary follow-up between procurement and suppliers.
As with any successful implementation, Royal Caribbean Group used the sandbox phase to test the portal before full production rollout. Instead of relying only on internal testing, they brought in supplier partners who could move through the system from the outside and flag anything that could create friction later.
We at Metric Marine were invited to be part of this testing due to our existing relationship with Royal Caribbean Group and our experience 37+ years supporting marine and industrial procurement.
The Challenge
Supplier portals are meant to make procurement easier. That only happens when suppliers understand how to use them.
During a rollout, internal teams may know exactly how a process is supposed to work, but suppliers may experience it differently. A step that seems obvious internally may need clearer instructions from the vendor side. A field may need better context. A document workflow may need to be easier to follow.
That is why supplier testing matters.
Royal Caribbean Group needed to see how the portal worked from the supplier’s point of view before live transactions began and we were more than happy to provide that outside perspective.
What Metric Marine Delivered:
1. Supplier-side testing before launch
Metric Marine moved through the portal as a supplier would, which included testing common procurement steps such as RFQ submissions, purchase order review, order acknowledgement, documentation submission, pricing confirmation, and supplier communication.
The goal was not to test the system in theory, but rather to see how the process worked for the people expected to use it once the portal went live.
Doing this enabled us to give Royal Caribbean Group much needed supplier-side feedback before production rollout, while there was still time to review and refine the process, saving them from potential delays and additional spend.
2. Practical feedback from a real vendor
We were able to document the supplier experience while moving through the sandbox environment. Our feedback focused on practical use: what was clear, what could slow a supplier down, and where the process could benefit from clearer guidance.
This type of feedback matters because supplier-side issues often become procurement issues. If suppliers are unsure where to acknowledge an order, upload a document, confirm pricing, or respond to a request, the result is more manual follow-up for both sides.
The feedback and documentation we provided was grounded in real supplier behavior, not internal assumptions.
3. Better alignment between procurement, technology, and suppliers
The sandbox phase created a direct line between Royal Caribbean Group’s internal teams and the suppliers who would eventually use the portal.
Metric Marine worked with Royal Caribbean Group’s procurement, technology, and operations teams during the testing process. That helped keep feedback connected to real workflows, not just system screens.
The value was simple: the people building and managing the process could hear how it worked for the people using it. This testing phase helped connect system design with supplier execution which was a major win.
4. Early readiness for live procurement
Because Metric Marine participated before launch, our team gained working familiarity with the new Supplier Portal before live purchasing activity moved into the system.
That matter because as a team that values speed and reliability, understanding the new portal before go-live helped us to be better prepared to acknowledge orders, submit documents, follow communication expectations, and reduce avoidable delays once the system is active.
Once the portal moved into production use, there were hardly any any delays on our end making the partnership a win-win!
Results
The sandbox testing phase gave Royal Caribbean Group and Metric Marine a stronger starting point before full rollout.
Royal Caribbean Group received practical feedback from an active supplier.
Key supplier workflows were tested before go-live.
Potential points of confusion were reviewed and rectified early.
Metric Marine became familiar with the portal before live transactions began.
Both teams improved alignment around how supplier activity would move through the new system.
The project also created a foundation for the next phase of digital procurement between Royal Caribbean Group and Metric Marine, including Punchout Catalog and EDI integrations.
Next Steps: Punchout and EDI
The Supplier Portal testing phase was not a one-off project. It was part of a larger move toward cleaner, faster, more connected procurement. The next planned step is deeper integration through Punchout Catalog and EDI.
Punchout Catalog integration will allow Royal Caribbean Group’s procurement team to access Metric Marine’s product catalog directly from within its procurement system. This supports even faster product search, cleaner requisitions, and less manual re-entry.
EDI would automate the exchange of key documents such as purchase orders, order acknowledgements, advance ship notices, and invoices. This reduces manual handling, improves accuracy, and creates a clearer transaction record for both sides.
Together, these integrations make Metric Marine easier to buy from and easier to work with.
Why This Matters
Technology does not improve procurement by itself. The process has to work for the people using it.
A supplier portal can only reduce friction if suppliers know how to move through it correctly. That is why testing before launch matters. It gives procurement teams a chance to see the process through a supplier’s eyes and address confusion before live purchasing begins.
For suppliers, early involvement also creates a better starting point. It reduces the learning curve and helps both sides move into production with fewer surprises.
For us at Metric Marine, the project reinforced an important part of how we support large marine and cruise customers: we do not only fulfill orders. We help make the purchasing process easier, clearer, and more reliable.
What This Looks Like for Your Procurement Team
If your team is preparing to launch a supplier portal, Punchout Catalog, EDI connection, or new procurement workflow, supplier input should happen before go-live.
Metric Marine can support that process by testing workflows from the supplier side, identifying points of confusion, and aligning our internal process with your purchasing requirements.
That may include RFQ submissions, purchase order review, order acknowledgement, documentation workflows, product catalog access, pricing confirmation, invoicing, shipping updates, and communication expectations.
The goal is simple: fewer errors, less manual follow-up, and a smoother transition into live purchasing.
The Takeaway
Royal Caribbean Group brought Metric Marine into the Oracle Supplier Portal sandbox phase before full rollout. Metric Marine tested the portal from the supplier standpoint, provided practical feedback, and gained early familiarity with the process before live procurement activity began.
The project helped support a smoother launch and laid the groundwork for future integration through Punchout Catalog and EDI. Better testing before launch. Fewer surprises after go-live. A supplier relationship built for what comes next.
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