What to consider when choosing a shopping platform?

The increase in B2B commerce in recent years and the fundamental role of the supply area in business strategy have led companies, of different segments and sizes, to seek a purchasing platform to manage transactions.

Having a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution based on a cloud for purchasing management, it allows for greater agility, cost reduction, transparency in negotiations and even energy efficiency, as the platform does not require a physical IT infrastructure.

In this post, learn what the most important attributes are for a SaaS purchasing platform and how to successfully implement the solution in your department.

Read on!

Cloud migration is a global movement

Adopting a SaaS purchasing platform significantly reduces the efforts of technology teams. After all, there is no need to perform installations, maintenance and system updates, since all of this is done by the company providing the solution, without causing service interruptions.

To make it even easier to understand the simplicity and productivity gains of SaaS, let's go back to the 80s. In the past, you needed to have CDs of your favorite artists, as well as a specific stereo. Today, with music streaming platforms, all of this equipment is dispensable and you can access your music anywhere.

Migration to the cloud is a global movement. According to data released by Gartner, more than US$2022 trillion will be invested in the sector in 1,3 alone. However, as the change progresses, the challenges and competitiveness of companies also increase.

Therefore, in this post, we give you tips to help you avoid making mistakes when hiring a partner for your business.

10 important points to consider when choosing a shopping platform

Before hiring a shopping platform, check if the solution offers:

1. Availability

To be effective, a purchasing tool and its features must be available 24/7. Any unavailability can significantly impact purchasing processes, causing delays not only for the department, but for the entire company.

2. Scalability

The dynamism of the market demands solutions that can accommodate the most diverse scenarios in corporate purchases. Having a flexible and scalable solution to meet variations in demand is essential to keep operations running efficiently.

3. Integration

Look for a platform that allows easy integration with all the programs that are important to your business. Integration between platforms optimizes work and increases team performance by up to 25%, according to research by McKinsey consulting.

4. Communication and collaboration

In purchasing, communication and collaboration between buyers and suppliers are essential to make processes more efficient and transparent. Therefore, a good purchasing platform must offer features that promote assertive interaction between all parties.

5. UX and usability

UX is the acronym for User Experience and aims to make the user experience positive every time they browse the platform. Usability is one of the UX attributes that makes using systems more intuitive, user-friendly and simple, so that the user spends as little time as possible performing their activities and is not impacted by errors.

6. Information security

Information security is an increasingly important demand for organizations to protect their data and the company as a whole. Therefore, in addition to having functionalities and being intuitive, a shopping platform must also offer robust security, with ISO Information Security Management certifications.

7. Visibility

To make quick and assertive decisions, the purchasing department needs to have access to updated data in real time. The visibility of information on the purchasing platform also contributes to issues related to transparency and compliance.

8. Ease of implementation

By storing information in the cloud, implementing a purchasing platform is easier and faster. The timeframe varies according to the business needs, as most companies opt for customized services.

9. Customization

As we mentioned above, each business has its own particularities and, to be more successful when hiring a purchasing platform, the solution must meet the specific needs of your company.

10. Support

Having difficulty solving problems or receiving prompt service can significantly impact your department’s bottom line. For this reason, it is essential that the purchasing platform provider offers personalized support and service.

How to successfully implement a purchasing platform

After selecting the shopping platform that best meets your business objectives, the implementation phase is one of the most important.

To increase the chances of success, planning is key. This is the phase in which your company and the purchasing platform provider evaluate the points for change.

For example, whether implementation will be done gradually or not, whether training should be provided to all employees, among other important issues.

It is also essential that suppliers are involved in this process and receive training, so that they are positively impacted by the platform.

Is everyone aligned? It’s time to run tests to see if everything is working as expected. If the results are satisfactory, your purchasing department and partners are ready!

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