Buy-Side Implementation.

A punchout only marketplace is cheaper than eProcurement by using supplier e-commerce sites. It doesn't use a costly eProcurement aggregated catalog. Aggregated catalogs are on their way out with advances in suppliers’ e-commerce sites. The marketplace complements your requisitioning system and p-card program. Together they're all you need for electronic commerce.

Connections

Connecting to your suppliers is easy, unlike back in ‘94. Punchouts were a major effort, requiring a major commitment from IT departments. In ‘97 we helped develop a standard way of doing punchouts, now cXML. Every major distributor in the US adopted it. What used to take months now takes hours.

Configuration

The configuration takes place in the settings section of our marketplaces. Our marketplaces need no formal training to use. The marketplace is like the online shopping users do in their personal lives.

Integration

The integration ranges from none to modest. For the eInvoice piece we will only need the format to import e-Invoices into your ERP. This is usually either a text/EDI format, or a cXML invoice. Some customers, later, move to single sign-on. Others integrate the marketplace with their data warehouse. Our system is flexible enough to add custom functionality, to manage COVID for example.

Even in these times, a punchout marketplace is a quick hit that makes sense.