Nowadays, the challenge of a digital world demands companies to innovate.
One of the best examples of this present day evolution is e-procurement or online purchasing.
E-procurement is much more than a technological tool–it is a structural change in the management of purchasing, providing speed and ease-of-use but most importantly transparency.
What are the effects of e-procurement on daily operations for companies ?
And what the future may be for this function, and why is it so important?
What is E-Procurement ?
E-procurement centralizes all of a company’s purchases into a single digital tool.
Imagine a company managing hundreds of orders per day: instead of processing each request manually, teams work on platforms like SAP Ariba, where every transaction is tracked.
What is the goal ? To help teams save time and minimize errors. No need of any paperwork, everything now is numerized. With e-procurement, every order is scrutinized, from shipping to invoicing.
Ten trends that will shape the future of purchasing
Looking ahead to 2025, the purchasing function continues to change. Here are ten major trends set to redefine this major function in companies:
1. Purchasing at the heart of competitiveness strategy
Purchasing is becoming a strategic lever within the entire value chain. Beyond cost reduction, it contributes to innovation, agility, and supply security, making companies more competitive.
2. Compliance as a standard
Digital tools and automation make compliance a built-in standard. Teams can analyse high-value activities, so that purchasing rules are rigorously adhered to.
3. Connected and adaptative purchasing
Organizations are moving toward a virtually centralized model, with representatives on the ground for greater agility. This enables rapid, personalized responses to each needs across units.
4. Responsible purchasing
Responsible purchasing is gaining importance, with a focus on « buying greener, buying locally, and buying for the long term, » addressing societal expectations and enhancing company reputation.
5. Purchasing as a risk control tower
Faced with global disruptions such as health, climate, and security crises purchasing functions as a control tower, proactively managing risks to ensure business continuity.
6. Strategic management of raw materials
Increasing price instability demands flexible management of raw materials. The circular economy offers a solution to reduce dependency on market fluctuations, fostering closer relationships between producers and clients.
7. Advanced use of data
Data is proving a strategic lever. Changing from retrospective analysis (« what occurred? ») to proactive strategy (« what we should do? »), an educated decision can be taken by the purchasing teams.
8. Blockchain the new normal in trust
Purchasing transactions become more secured using Blockchain. The term « smart contracts » implies that the condition of a contract is automatically and reliably enforced on its own reducing variations.
9. Incorporating suppliers into sustainable innovation
Companies and their strategic suppliers are collaborating to improve both innovation and sustainability. Shortening supply chains, and the presence of a ‘Multi-sourcing’ strategy also adds flexibility and resilience.
10. Diversification of purchasing talents
This evolution encourages people with all kinds of skills to move into purchasing, making the function itself more rounded and ready for future challenges. Purchasing also helps to digitalize, that it is via this.
The future of purchasing
Purchasing in Tomorrow will integrate technology, sustainability and strategic risk management to be competitive Now, companies are turning to e-procurement and similar solutions to simplify this critical function and make it more efficient. With purchasing now serving as an actual transformation engine, the increasing focus on compliance, agility, and sustainability leads to a positive future
Sources :
EY. (2024). Les achats en 2025 et au-delà. Consulté le 30 octobre 2024, sur https://www.ey.com/fr_fr/insights/consulting/les-achats-en-2025-et-au-dela
