Long-term strong buyer-supplier relationships are crucial in order to be well positioned in any economic situation. This is exactly where B2B platforms can strengthen digital procurement. However, simple system does not communicate with the direct relationships between buyer and supplier, but acts as a neutral medium for their transactions and relationships with each other.
The challenge
Exploiting the benefits of a digital eProcurement solution while maintaining the direct buyer-supplier relationship.
The solution
Digitalization of the procurement and sales process via a neutral platform that does not interfere with the relationships between buyer and supplier.
Before digitization, an order required one thing in particular: time. Searching in catalogues from various providers, filling out the order forms and manually submitting the order to a centrally responsible person and, last but not least, complex approval and archiving processes seemed like an endless loop. In addition, there are also processes without an order related to incoming goods and invoice verification. As a result, procurement was not only laborious, but also comprised a variety of non-transparent processes.
By bundling suppliers, we not only achieve an increase in efficiency, but also an improvement in quality through personal contacts. These points strengthen trust and supply security.
Dieter Fabricius
Procurement Indirect Materials and Services, Siteco GmbH
eProcurement solutions can be just the right medium for modern procurement. Especially when they are easy to implement and really support the work of the affected departments or make them much faster and more efficient. High process costs, which in some cases exceed the cost of goods, can be significantly reduced by using ePoCurement platforms.
“We are working with Sonepar not only because of the price negotiations, but also ideally implement the cooperation with certain rules of the game for both sides. With these rules of the game, we can also shape Sonepar's ordering and logistics culture: An order of just a few euros would never be placed. This means that the process costs are always adjusted to the actual cost of goods,” explains Dieter Fabricius, who is responsible for indirect purchasing at SiteCode.
Long-term strong buyer-supplier relationships are crucial in order to be well positioned in any economic situation, as Christian Morche, Head of E-Business at Sonepar Germany Region West, knows. This is exactly where B2B platforms can strengthen digital procurement. In addition to a fair platform for trade transactions, four basic rules are elementary that strengthen cooperation between buyers and suppliers so that challenges and risks can be overcome together:
- Trust, honesty and transparency
- High data quality and digital rules
- Quick response
- Human factor
The collaboration is carried out behind the scenes between buyer and supplier. This provides customers with the best on the platform — be it the products or the fair prices. This leaves more time for strategic arrangements and preparations.
Christian Morche
Head of E-Business, Sonepar Germany/West Region
Close partnerships and direct business relationships are an extremely relevant basis for economic success, especially in a medium-sized environment. eProcurement platforms offer buyers enormous advantages of a wide range of products, high (price) transparency and low process costs. simple system, however, does not spark direct relationships between buyer and supplier, but acts as a neutral medium for their transactions and their relationship with each other. In this way, everyone can work together successfully and with satisfaction in the long term.
