Kip Martin

The proliferation of e-procurement and other supply-side applications is forcing organizations to not only select applications to automate processes, but also design when process elements occur and when information validity expires, according to META Group.

Supplier relationship management will be increasingly necessary for organizations seeking to perfect their supply-side business processes, which makes finding the appropriate vendor solution

Supplier relationship management solutions are and will be available from a wide range of providers. Users must decide whether to pursue an early-adopter best-of-breed approach or wait to invest in a suite solution, according to META Group.

A successful supplier relationship management strategy requires integration of sourcing, purchasing, payables management and catalogue content applications with core IT systems, procurement processes and procurement channels, according to META Group.