e-Procurement: From Strategy to Implementation

Chapter 10. Assessing the Pros and Cons of E-Procurement

Objective Although there are many strong arguments in favor of adopting an e-procurement strategy, a successful enterprise-wide initiative is not without its challenges: For buyers, e-procurement can mean lower transaction costs, faster ordering, a greater choice of suppliers, and less maverick buying. For sellers, e-procurement can help to expand sales, reduce operating costs, and improve performance. But there are significant difficulties to be addressed in e-procurement projects, including system-to-system integration issues, cost concerns, security issues, new buyer-seller relationships, and a multitude of change management issues.

Whatever the difficulties in developing a strategy, in ...