Guided buying: simplifying the ordering process

Guided Buying and Procurement Software Simplify B2B Purchasing

Confusing catalogues, strict requirements for supplier management – even simple operational procurement processes can be time-consuming if you want to avoid errors when ordering. 

This is where guided buying software solutions come into play: they simplify the procurement process and automate it as much as possible. Even if companies have complex B2B purchasing systems in place, employees can place orders without prior training using this kind of procurement assistance.

Guided buying solutions offer the advantage of an intuitive user interface that is geared towards B2B purchasing processes. They guide buyers through the entire procurement process, offer recommendations and suggestions and point out the company’s existing purchasing guidelines. This makes it easier for buyers to buy the right products from the right suppliers at the best price while ensuring compliance with cost control measures and efficient data management for tracking orders and expenses.
 

Placing Orders Without the Procurement Team Through Effective Supplier Management

These procurement software solutions can also relieve the burden on procurement by allowing certain orders to be placed without involving this part of the business.

This is known as ‘maverick buying’ and is already widespread: According to Ignite, maverick buying can account for up to 80% of a company's total spend. In particular, materials from indirect purchasing or comparatively low-value C-parts are ordered in this way.

Guided buying minimizes the disadvantages of maverick buying – such as a lack of transparency, rising process costs and unsuitable suppliers. By integrating supplier management tools, employees from specialist departments can select materials and order them themselves. IT support ensures that the specifications defined by B2B purchasing guidelines are followed, enabling better cost control and ensuring that ordering processes are properly recorded with all the necessary data.
 

Here are some further advantages of guided buying solutions, using SAP as an example

Implementing guided buying solutions has further benefits for SMEs. SAP Ariba Guided Buying, one of the most effective procurement software applications, has many benefits for users:

• Pre-configured spending categories for each industry
• Cost control and clear presentation of expenses for each employee in real time
• Reduced processing times for orders, invoices and payments, which saves costs
• Better use of supplier and cash discounts
• Access to the Ariba Network, one of the largest global networks of trading partners with around 3.7 million companies.
   

How Chatbots Simplify B2B Purchasing

Bot systems integrated into procurement software often act as virtual assistants to guide users through the procurement process. They already provide product areas so the user can reach the product they need with just a few clicks. If it is not a common and frequently ordered product, the employee can easily put the chatbot on the right track with a sentence or a word.

For example, if the employee needs new printer paper and enters the word into the interface, the bot guides them through the rest of the order process and asks about format and other properties. Once the correct paper is found, the order form is filled out by the bot and forwarded to the purchasing department or directly to the supplier – depending on whether the order value requires approval.

Intelligent chatbots streamline B2B purchasing by ensuring that processes are fast, efficient, and aligned with company guidelines. Whether via your PC or smartphone, voice message or text message – AI chatbots can be adapted to any situation and integrated into any platform.