In a context of accelerated digital transformation, e-procurement represents a major lever for optimizing procurement processes and supply management. This digitalization of workflows allows companies, whether in the public or private sector, to significantly reduce their costs while improving the control and transparency of their transactions.
The implementation of an e-procurement solution is part of a overall digitization approach, offering buyers and suppliers a centralized marketplace to conduct their commercial transactions. Althéa supports you through this delicate migration.
Solution Selection Support: choosing the solution that suits you
Since 2005, Althéa has integrated procurement information system solution selection support Support as a pillar of its client value proposition. For us, the solution selection phase is a critical project stage because it allows for:
- Choosing a solution adapted to current and future needs: first of all, with the rapid evolution of organizations, processes, and regulations, it is crucial to properly construct your specifications. This ensures that the chosen solution will meet short- and medium-term challenges and offer long-term scalability.
- Preparing the project as a whole: we ensure that all stakeholders, both internal and external, are well-prepared. This includes team mobilization, data preparation, precise timeline scoping, and adequate consideration of change management issues.
- Ensuring a fair purchase price: by conducting a tender process, we allow our clients to compare and negotiate offers. We guarantee a balanced and fair purchase for all parties, thereby ensuring long-term market viability.
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To approach this critical phase, we have structured our offer around four key elements:
- We take your culture and environment into account: we immerse ourselves in your organization to understand your challenges and specificities. Our goal is to propose a solution that reflects who you are and is perfectly adapted to your needs.
- Leveraging Benchmarks: we use our expertise and accumulated knowledge to build detailed benchmarks. Ultimately, this allows us to compare the functions of different market solutions, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and follow emerging trends to anticipate future developments.
- A proven methodology structured into four key phases:
- Scoping: we plan the mission and immerse ourselves in the client’s culture to ensure the alignment of proposed solutions with their strategic challenges.
- Requirements Specification Development: we first collect user expectations and technical requirements to guarantee a perfect fit for the solution.
- Definition of the Tender Strategy: we develop a precise strategy, including the selection of relevant players and tools to analyze proposals.
- Final Selection Support: we meticulously evaluate proposals, organize oral presentations, prepare contracting, and provide a detailed final report for objective decision-making.
- Accelerators and independence: we use accelerators such as updated benchmarks, rigorous selection grids, and workshop formats. Furthermore, our independence guarantees that our advice is impartial and focused exclusively on our clients’ interests.
Key Figures
solution selection support assignments per year
One of the leading consulting firms for procurement solution selection support
International
We support our clients on international solution selection projects
solution selection support assignments completed over the past 10 years
A guarantee of our accumulated expertise, the effectiveness of our continuously enriched methodology, and the strength of our benchmarks
Our References
For one of the largest associations promoting the professional integration and job retention of people with disabilities in companies
500 employees
As part of a global project to transform the association’s practices and due to the obsolescence of the existing procurement/finance IS, Althéa was chosen to provide support throughout the entire tender process for the selection of a new procurement/finance IS. Althéa therefore performed:
- The review and optimization of the association’s procurement/finance processes
- Gap analysis between the current state and the target to measure the necessary change management efforts
- Definition of the functional scope to be covered by the new solution
- Definition of the consultation strategy
- Preparation of the consultation file and analysis of offers
- Participation in oral presentations and post-presentation analysis workshops
- Summary and recommendation report
- Support for the final choice and negotiation
Subsequently, Althéa provided Project Management Assistance (PMA) for the implementation project of the selected tool, as well as support during the hypercare phase following the tool’s go-live.
Mission duration: 18 months
Team: 1 senior manager, 1 senior consultant, and 1 apprentice
For the leader in the design, production and distribution of handling equipment for the construction, agriculture and industrial sectors
€2.9B in revenue, 5,500 employees
- Preparation of the tender file (consultation rules, consultation strategy, offer analysis grids, etc.)
- Analysis of offers
- Oral presentations and post-presentation analysis workshops
- Summary and selection recommendation report
- Support for final selection and negotiation
Mission duration: 6 months
Team: 1 manager and 1 consultant
For one of the European leaders in the rental and maintenance of professional clothing
€4.3B in revenue, 54,000 employees
As part of a project to improve supplier relationship management, Althéa was chosen to support the company’s Procurement Department in scoping, Solution Selection Support, and deployment of a supplier quality management (SRM) solution and performed:
- Analysis of the current state and definition of the target
- Definition of the functional scope to be covered by the new solution
- Support for functional requirement expression
- Drafting of specifications
- Definition of the consultation strategy
- Preparation of the consultation file and analysis of offers
- Participation in oral presentations and post-presentation analysis workshops
- Summary and recommendation report
- Support for the final choice and negotiation
Subsequently, Althéa provided Project Management Assistance (PMA) for the implementation project of the selected tool
Mission duration: 6 months
Team: 1 senior manager, 1 consultant
Challenges
Adapting to Change
Select a Procurement IS solution that meets current needs and therefore adapts to the future evolutions of the organization.
Preparing Stakeholders
Ensure the preparation of teams and processes for, in short, a successful adoption of the new system.
Cost Control
Achieve a balanced purchase by comparing offers to guarantee good value for money over the long term.
Contacts
E-procurement: some frequently asked questions
How can e-procurement be integrated into an overall procurement strategy?
Integrating e-procurement into a global procurement strategy requires a structured approach that is part of a complete digitalization process of the procurement process. The procurement process must be redesigned to optimize the supply chain while ensuring better visibility of spending.
The implementation of an electronic management system begins with identifying priority flows. Direct and indirect purchases must be treated differently, with particular attention to e-commerce for regular supplies. Process automation allows for considerable time savings in order processing! The procurement department must lead this transformation by defining an appropriate validation circuit. Implementation must include the integration of punch-out functionalities for supplier catalogs, allowing for fluid electronic procurement. Electronic signature of contracts and invoice dematerialization complete the system.
What are the key criteria for assessing the ROI of an e-procurement solution?
Evaluating the return on investment of an e-procurement solution must take into account several dimensions of cost reduction.
- The first part concerns direct savings related to process automation: reduction in administrative processing time, decrease in data entry errors, and optimization of the procure-to-pay cycle.
- Indirect benefits include better supplier competition, increased transparency on spending, and added value in the supply chain. Digitalized business-to-business also allows for substantial gains through better contract negotiation and inventory optimization.
How should the budget for an e-procurement project be structured?
At the forefront of expenditure items to anticipate are essential direct investments: the acquisition of software licenses that form the heart of the system, the implementation of a robust and secure IT infrastructure, as well as expert services for the integration and configuration of the solution.
In parallel, the importance of indirect costs must not be underestimated, which, although less visible, are just as crucial to the project’s success. These include the human element: training programs to ensure effective skill development for teams, change management to facilitate the adoption of these new tools, and evolutionary maintenance that will guarantee the system’s longevity.
True expertise in budget construction lies in anticipating less obvious costs, often referred to as “hidden” costs. These include, for example, specific interface adaptations to meet the company’s particular needs, the delicate phase of migrating historical data, or the necessary adaptation of existing business processes.
Note: A wise company will also plan for a safety margin, generally estimated between 10% and 15% of the total budget, to deal with unforeseen events and allow for future system evolutions, thus ensuring its longevity and adaptability to emerging needs.
What are the best practices for matching invoices and purchase orders?
Automating invoice/order reconciliation represents a major challenge in procurement dematerialization. The system must allow for real-time matching based on several criteria: order numbers, item references, amounts, and delivery conditions. An effective platform integrates automatic controls to detect discrepancies and alert managers.
Electronic document management must also provide intelligent workflows for handling exceptions. Implementing EDI with main suppliers considerably simplifies exchanges and reduces processing times.
What organization should be put in place for user support?
Organizing user support in an e-procurement project requires a multi-level structure.
- The first level must provide local assistance with business referents trained in the specificities of the procurement management software. These key users constitute the essential link for remote work and continuous training.
- A second level of support, more technical, must be capable of resolving issues related to the management system and interfaces with other company applications. This team also ensures catalog updates and EDI flow maintenance.
Risk management involves detailed documentation of procedures and an online accessible knowledge base. Regular training and monitoring of performance indicators allow for continuous improvement of support.
