The coming age of online procurement

Concerns about cost management have led purchasing officers of many companies to look for new solutions – an Internet‐based electronic procurement system. The promise of Web procurement has made it one of the hottest topics of business‐to‐business e‐commerce. The promise is simple: to streamline administrative routines, and help companies consolidate their purchasing practices, enabling them to receive better discounts and better service from suppliers. Web‐based procurement systems are still in their infancy, and a lot of extra costs are around the corner. This paper presents tips for IT managers for successful implementation of this technology.