Supplier Enablement

Supplier Enablement – e-buying – come on!

From a conversation the other day I was asked to comment about suppliers’ readiness for electronic trading to participate in a buyer’s paperless purchase to pay (P2P) process.

Many are ready but in the capacity of being a seller. It is obvious that the first thing any business is going to do to exploit the Internet is to focus on how they reach customers that deliver sales - e-selling.

When their customers want to trade electronically they need a supplier that is equipped for e-selling but also understands the needs of those that are e-buying.

For example, the buyer needs an electronic invoice from the seller. Few sellers can provide an electronic invoice or process a received electronic invoice. Those buyers that want a paperless P2P process need electronic invoices from their suppliers.

How many suppliers that are e-selling are also e-buying? Some but they are rare among SMEs. The first place for a SME is e-selling as that has a direct impact on sales and the success of a business. That does not necessarily equip them to be a supplier to those buyers that are introducing a paperless P2P process.

If you are a supplier and are interested in a buyer’s perspective follow http://www.impaq.co.uk/buyers/index.shtml

posted by FrankB @ Tuesday, May 02, 2006