Procurement Portal — The Ultimate Guide of 2022

Many professionals encounter procurement portals through e-procurement. However, not many of them know about it. Some are even confused about how it works. 

For this article, we will tackle what procurement portals are. We will discuss how it is connected with e-procurement. 

After this article, you will have an in-depth understanding of what procurement portals are. You will also know its significance in the e-procurement process. So without further ado, let us now jump inside the mysteries of the procurement portal.

What is a Procurement Portal?

Procurement portals have shaped supply chain management drastically. It is one of the most useful and popular solutions for digital transformation. 

The procurement portal’s functionality lets two complex business processes be optimized and streamlined. However, not many professionals know this. 

A procurement portal is an e-procurement solution or tool that allows you to make your purchasing processes online. A procurement portal is a combination of internal procurement software and a vendor portal. 

What is a Vendor Portal?

A vendor portal is an e-procurement solution that allows the organization to arrange and connect to third party suppliers. It is also known in the industry as a supplier portal. 

A vendor portal is a secure and safe management system that aids companies to connect with many suppliers to streamline their procurement process. 

Commonly, it is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) that’s hosted, maintained, and supported by an e-commerce solutions provider. 

A supplier portal helps the organization to remove the manual effort required throughout the procurement process. It usually automates many tasks that an employee normally completes through a manual process. 

Nowadays, suppliers have a system to make their life easier that provides all the updates that the company needs immediately. 

To simplify, a vendor portal helps reduce time-consuming tasks by automating some of the procurement processes.

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Benefits of Procurement Portal

1. Increases supplier diversity

One of the benefits of the procurement portal is that it simplifies the involvement of new suppliers. There is a self-registration form that lets you get the information without much effort.

You should take note that a well-designed registration form helps engage with the right suppliers. 

It is also feasible to use a free trial version of the forms. It may have limited functionality but it can encourage start-ups to present their offers. 

The portal composes a shortlist of the suppliers based on your preference within seconds. Due to this, the procurement portal saves you from managing huge volumes of data manually. 

2. Allows the organization to make informed decisions

A procurement portal is a convenient tool for many people. In just one click, it allows the organization to see the vendor’s profile that contains its information. 

The detailed description of the potential suppliers in their profile will help you indicate if they are right for the organization. Additionally, it will allow you to know their performance with the previous clients.

You can also modify the coverage of their profile such as:

• Production Technology
• Shelf/service life of their product
• Average lead time
• Compliance with quality standards
• Incoterms or delivery terms
• Necessary storage conditions

3. Leverages competitive bidding

A procurement portal offers a variety of ways for stress-free bidding management. The system automatically manages and compares the bidders highlighting their best qualities that are crucial to the organization. 

4. Creates stronger relationships with suppliers

The procurement portal’s forum and Q&A sections can build a community of suppliers that desire to improve the organization. 

The capability to share feedback and communicate your expectations inspires the supplier to work closely with you. 

In addition, the ability to reach the organization instantly via message streamlines the negotiation. You can easily discuss disputes and resolve them instantly. 

5. Encourage suppliers to improve

A procurement portal lets vendors see your feedback on their performance. Additionally, they can see which supplier you have selected. This will allow them to improve their business further to collaborate with you. 

Also, the healthy competition on the procurement portal constantly makes the suppliers on high alert. In addition to this, the organization can get the best value for money.

6. Get better prices

The combined orders to a single vendor would mean that you will get significant volume discounts. Through the ability of the procurement portal, you can find what else you can buy from a supplier to increase the volume. 

E-Procurement

For starters, e-procurement may look intimidating and advanced to people who are not good at technology. However, this is far from the truth.  

E-procurement is the purchase and sale of products or services through a web interface. Basically, you do this online. 

The technology is designed to automate and centralize interactions between the parties involved in the transaction. This improves the speed and efficiency of procurement practices. 

The e-procurement system is the same as most procurement systems which aid the procurement managers to automate complex tasks. It has lots of great features that are designed to strengthen the effectiveness, efficiency, and costs of procurement.

Frequently asked questions

1. What is a procurement portal?

A procurement portal is an e-procurement solution or tool that allows you to make your purchasing processes online.

2. What is a vendor portal?

A vendor portal is an e-procurement solution that allows the organization to arrange and connect to third party suppliers.

3. What is e-procurement?

E-procurement is the purchase and sale of products or services online