Digital tools for sourcing and logistics

The significance of digital tools for sourcing and logistics

For companies that want to set up their procurement department to be future-proof, digital tools are indispensable. They help to boost margins and lower costs for SMEs too. According to the barometer “Elektronische Beschaffung 2020” (German), nearly full automation of operative business processes – up to the transfer to invoice reviewing and booking – is expected to be implemented by more than two-thirds of those companies surveyed, or has already been implemented in part. The necessity felt for the use of e-tools is between 69 per cent (category-specific tools) and more than 90 percent (supplier management), depending on the category.

This means: helpful software solutions have become essential in many areas. They integrate operative and strategic purchasing processes while ensuring reduced costs and increased time efficiency.

Helpful tools for e-procurement

These e-procurement tools help to automate the purchasing process:

Coupa: B2B sourcing platform for an intuitive shopping experience

Thanks to the procurement platform from Coupa, approval processes are automated and contracts managed. This tool also supports supplier management. Priority is placed on task transparency and control – and thanks to Coupa’s modern and intuitive user interface, it is easy to understand and use for all employees and suppliers.

Promena: digital end-to-end sourcing processes

The solutions from Promena offer a platform for sourcing and supplier solutions, and which also serves as a business partner to support the digital transformation of procurement processes. The tool is particularly interesting for companies which frequently draw up tenders or requests for proposals (RFOs). With every new tender, Promena manages the individual offers – saving time and ensuring a structured overview.

Helpful tools for predictive analytics

These are just two predictive analytics tools that analyse data sets to show companies the best possible path to the future:

Alteryx: fast and comprehensive analyses for various departments

Alteryx enables managers, with little data know-how, to quickly prepare, consolidate and analyse data based on hundreds of analysis modules. This comprehensive tool offers specific solutions for specialist departments, such as marketing, research or procurement. Thanks to supply chain analytics, availability can normally be improved and delivery bottlenecks avoided, insight are gained into the buying behaviour of customers, and potential downtimes are identified before they ever occur.

SpendControl: full solutions for analysis and purchasing accounting

SpendControl software is a tool which provides all the functions, figures and analyses needed for the optimisation of purchasing accounting. Thanks to the extensive analysis of purchasing data from the past, forecasts for price developments can be made, future risks avoided and potential leveraged. When will the base price possibly change? Which indices can best be used for making forecasts? Which measures can be determined based on the measured tendency of a relevant index? These and other questions are answered by the spend management system.

Helpful tools for track and trace and warehouse logistics

These logistics tools help when it comes to tracking and tracing shipments as well as to managing warehouses:

EIKONA Track and Trace: shipment tracking for everyone

Whether shippers, recipients or loaders – all sides can profit from EIKONA Track and Trace software (German). This tool captures the entire shipment process – from the commissioning to the loading and handling to the delivery at the final location. Thanks to the monitoring feature, all the participants automatically know where the goods are at any given time. This goes for transports via lorry just as much as for airfreight and sea freight or for logistics jobs.

KiSoft Analytics: help for warehousing and the supply chain

The diverse tool KiSoft Analytics gains an overview of the complex processes in the warehouse, facilities and the entire supply chain. Concretely, the app for mobile devices and computers helps when questions arise regarding logistics or supply chain managers’ daily business. When should maintenance be performed for which systems? When will the warehouse be optimally operated to capacity? When is the right time to start up new business models? Long-term statistics, forecasts and benchmarks support decision-making.