
E-procurement
is the business-to-business
purchase and sale of supplies and services
over the Internet.
It is an vital part of several B2B sites,
e-procurement is also sometimes referred as
supplier exchange. Typically, e-procurement
Web sites allow qualified and registered users
to look for buyers or sellers of goods and
services. Depending on the approach, buyers
or sellers may specify prices or invite bids.
Transactions can be initiated and completed.
Ongoing purchases may qualify customers for
volume discounts or special offers. E-procurement
software may make it possible to automate
some buying and selling. Companies participating
expect to be able to control parts inventories
more effectively, reduce purchasing agent
overhead, and improve manufacturing. E-procurement
is expected to be integrated with the trend
toward computerized supply chain management.