Before COVID-19, the procurement manager faced various challenges including visibility and transparency, inaccurate data and contract management. But as the world slowly begins to recover, procurement professionals find themselves grappling with three challenges that have accelerated from the aftereffects of the pandemic.
CHALLENGE 1: Shortages
A combination of multiple lockdowns, surging demand, factory closures and flailing labour market have led to unprecedented manufacturing and delivery disruptions.
Shortages ranging from food to semiconductors and medical supplies have created serious vulnerabilities within the supply chain whilst businesses scramble to find alternatives to fill the gaps.
WHAT PROCUREMENT CAN DO:
Use eSource Wizard to quickly identify suppliers who can meet your sourcing requirements. Marketplace, our exclusive market directory contains thousands of local and national suppliers that you can choose from and interact with at the click of a button.
Many operators are moving away from single source and turning to local back up suppliers as a precautionary measure. triSaaS Marketplace makes it easy to discover local suppliers who are able to fulfil your specific business needs.
CHALLENGE 2: INFLATION & HIGHER PRICES
Inflation has accelerated at its fastest pace in more than 12 years and prices – ranging from energy to food – have surged over the past 12 months amid supply bottlenecks caused by a number of factors, from production issues to the Suez Canal blockage in March to growing demand for a variety of commodities.
Although industry experts predict rising inflation and prices may only be temporary, procurement managers must find creative ways to secure the best deals and soften the financial blow of the pandemic.
WHAT PROCUREMENT CAN DO:
There is little any of us can do about controlling inflation and hopefully that will sort itself out sooner rather than later, but procurement managers can improve decision making, saving the business time and money with our easy-to-use eRFx and eAuction software.
eRFx automatically scores and analyses suppliers’ submissions in seconds – ensuring you know which supplier has the best pricing. eAuction improves competition by encouraging suppliers to price aggressively, and your ability to view results in real-time enables you to make awards quickly based on pricing and other factors like quality and service levels.
CHALLENGE 3: SPEED & FLEXIBILITY
Procurement professionals are accustomed to performing under difficult circumstances, but the pandemic has placed even more pressure on purchasing organisations. At a moment’s notice, procurement must be able to pivot and make immediate decisions to mitigate short- and long-term costs (and risks).
As the market continues to adjust during recovery, procurement must work expeditiously with suppliers to seamlessly flex spending up or down as needed. That’s why businesses require new solutions that replace traditional RFx processes.
WHAT PROCUREMENT CAN DO:
Procurement organisations are realising the power of technology to help them work faster and be more nimble when changes are necessary. eRFx and eAuction streamlines and automates your existing processes – from issuing and reviewing RFx’s to managing supplier contracts, freeing teams from tedious email chains, spreadsheets and legacy software.
Now your team can run tenders up to 10 times faster and collaborate with suppliers in real-time to meet the latest demands or business requirements.
If your procurement team needs help solving any or all of these challenges, please schedule an online demo to see what our eRFx and eAuction software can do.