SCM/etm eProcurement from AquiTec
by Steve Wardell

Steve Wardell shows how to take the stress out of a typical day in procurement.

All too often, technology features describe how a new piece of software or technology will bring radical changes to the way you operate your business; all interesting theory, but most of us are much more interested in how new technology will impact our working day in the real world.

So, let's take a look at a Purchasing Manager working for a typical food distribution company and find out how his day goes before and after AquiTec's latest eProcurement product is installed.
 
Start the day . . .

7.00am.
That ringing in your head is no reflection of last night, but rather the alarm clock telling you it's time to get up.
 
7:45am.
Kids dropped at school and the stress levels are starting to rise, the dual carriageway is closed (again!) and your boss is on the phone with the first of today's problems.
 
8:55am.
Finally you reach the office, a chat with the boss about stock outs and problems with the latest promotion stock numbs the senses. How do you ever get ahead - and stay there?
 
9:05am.
The 'management reports' hit your desk, only 300 pages! Turn on the PC and grab the first of many cups of coffee. The phone is ringing; you take calls from the warehouse trying to track down missed deliveries and out of stocks,  vendors chasing payment and clients trying to locate their goods. 
 
10.00am.
Already you have enough work to keep you going for the next three days.
 
1:45pm.
Lunchtime sails by and you wonder if your 'fresh' sandwich should actually be passed on for medical research. For the rest of the day you review the current stocks out, look at expected demand, anticipate future demand, consider any seasonal variations, marvel at the wonder of a forecast that suggests you will be selling steak and kidney pie in July, attempt to calculate what stock you need and by when. Finally, you  create and review a thousand vendor orders.

2:30pm
You find out that you can't take advantage of a buying deal on quantity because you do not have warehouse space, shame all those steak and kidney pies are taking up so much room.
 
The phone calls continue well into the afternoon.
 
6.35pm.
You switch the PC off and leave, exhausted, knowing that tomorrow will probably be much the same.
 
If that sounds all too familiar, try this
 
7:20am.
Wander downstairs and make coffee while you log onto the Internet and login to your SCM/etm eProcurement web site.
 
7:25am.
Read the front page - it tells you about any immediate problems and reminds you of important deals you need to complete. The system has now reviewed the stock in the warehouse(s), looked at order history, reviewed your safety stock, looked at various trend criteria and performed millions of calculations. It has reviewed the required orders and vendor lead times and noted their preferred quantities for picking and delivery. Having done all this, it has then compiled a list of suggested orders in priority for your review and suggested a couple of very attractive investment buys.
 
7:35am.
Kiss the wife; get the kids ready for school. You glance through the top few suggested orders over your coffee and toast, noticing that one needs your immediate attention. Within minutes you have looked over the vendor order and adjusted up the figure on one item; your update is an exception and the system knows not to include it in the forecast next time round. 
 
7.45am.
As you shut the front door and bundle the kids into the car for the school run, the order has already been e-mailed to the supplier. When you return to the car after  dropping the kids off at school, a message on your phone confirms the supplier has received the order and the stock will be picked for delivery by lunchtime.
 
8:30am.
Arriving at the office (we can't fix the traffic problems but today is a good day), you have time to review in detail the remaining suggested orders. You get a few phone calls from clients, in the main these relate to queries about new products they would like to order. The only call from the warehouse is related to the quality of a delivery (you make a note to raise the implementation of SCM/etm eWMS with the management team and complete the e-enabled supply chain). Your boss checks to make sure you are still on for another thrashing on the squash court later today; you smile the smile of a man in charge of his domain.
 
Lunchtime.
You review vendor service levels with one of your clients using your PDA over lunch. Your WAP phone, confirming your order has been received as scheduled, briefly interrupts talks about a new stock promotion.
 
2:00pm.
Return to the office and synchronise the changes you made over lunch to vendor service levels and lead times.
 
5.00pm.
You leave the gym, after letting the boss beat you at squash (again!), you plug the laptop into your phone and check the system, while you buy him a well-earned victory drink, and all is well.

AquiTec's eProcurement solution
 
Perhaps you may think it's all a dream, but a system exists that can turn what you currently regard as a nightmare into a smooth, efficient and effective procurement process. eProcurement, part of AquiTec's SCM/etm product suite, which comprises eBilling, eWMS and eProcurement, includes many features to improve and automate the procurement process. Our look at our friend's day may be overly simplistic, but it's often a lot of small simple things combined with a truly enabling piece of software that can make a significant difference to your business. These features create a world where procurement can help drive bottom line profit and make the process a less stressful activity for the likes of our friend.
 
AquiTec's eProcurement system is web based, which means you can work from anywhere; and when you can't connect via a PC or laptop you can use your WAP phone or PDA. You may never need to go into the office again and you need never  be out of touch with your business. The system can be available, wherever you are in the world, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

AquiTec staff have a great deal of experience in supply chain management, our latest eProcurement system encapsulates the very best in current functionality with the latest technology and over 30 years business experience and intelligence.
 
Our SCM/etm products are open database and cross platform, built using J2EE class servers (WebSphere). Utilising the very best in JAVA and leading edge application development tools we provide access from any browser enabled device to your enterprise data. Our applications and technology can give your business the competitive advantage needed in today's market.
 
To discuss your day and how our SCM/etm software can help, please contact us, we will be glad to show you ways to reduce stress and improve your working day.