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The critical success factors of an automated e-procurement process:

 

Mutual Cooperation: Buyers and sellers need to cooperatively work together to build interfaces between their respective systems.  With potentially more resources and technology savvy, your buyer should help you with any technical problems with the preferred customer ⁄ supplier relationship. In turn, you should dedicate the appropriate resources to mastering the technology and utilizing it effectively including staff training.

 

Mutual Trust:  It is important to establish a mutually trusting relationship with your buyer since an ongoing electronic relationship could give your buyer insight into your production capacity, production schedule, internal operations.  However, you do have autonomy over which and how much data you are willing to reveal in an automated e-procurement process. 

 

Seamless Data Flow:  Regardless of what type and how much data you decide to automate, the data should flow directly, or seamlessly, from the buyer to the appropriate systems in your company.

 

Internal Cultural Adjustment:  Staff members must be flexible, learn to change their jobs as the supply chain system changes, and share more information with buyers rather than hoarding it.