Sometimes the detail gets lost in translation, so for those of you that are following on a daily basis here is a simple list. These are certainly not all of the benefits that retailers can drive from the use of e-procurement tools, but it is a good starting point.
Since this is not Late Night with David Letterman, our list is not ranked in order of importance although many might argue that not much is more important than improved earnings.
1.?Guaranteed to improve net earnings
2.?Guaranteed to improve safety
3.?Guaranteed to improve Corporate Social Responsibility.
4.?Guaranteed new sources of supply
5.?Retail has less spend assigned than any other industry
6.?Streamlines the? procurement process
7.?Holds suppliers accountable to your standards.
8.?Improves quality
9.?Cost avoidance in a volatile market
10.?Creates a competitive environment
11.?Drives reliable market pricing
12.?Maintains a reliable history for future comparison
13.?Educates suppliers as to how retailers wish to procure products
14.?Supplier training eliminates questions
15.?Improved and consistent product specifications
16.?Improved negotiation.
17.?Improve carbon footprint
18.?Simple award of business process
19.?Frees up time for other tasks
20.?Works for procurement of all product categories
21.?Provides a detailed audit trail.
This author is not sure why a derivative of this list could not become the mission statement for any procurement department.
We appreciate and look for ward to your comments.
