Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Development
    • Development

    Teaming Up on Procurement

    By
    Renee Boucher Ferguson
    -
    July 16, 2001
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Small to midsize companies shopping for a Web-based e-procurement package will get a new option from Microsoft Corp.s Great Plains Business Solutions division, which last week teamed with Clarus Corp. to introduce an integrated business-to-business e-commerce solution.

      The Great Plains eProcure software will integrate back-office applications from Microsoft with Clarus eProcurement, Fusion and View software in an offering that both companies are calling an end-to-end purchasing program.

      The combined offering, which is slated to be available next quarter, provides a purchasing process for direct and indirect products and services, real-time purchase orders, and order processing.

      eProcure will enable IT managers at small and midsize companies to automatically route purchase orders to the appropriate department based on price, category, job classification or other qualification. This will reduce purchasing bottlenecks and time-consuming, paper-based processes, as well as help companies reduce the amount of spending that is done outside of negotiated purchasing deals with suppliers, according to officials at Clarus, of Suwanee, Ga., and Microsoft, of Redmond, Wash.

      The Great Plains Dynamics, eEnterprise and Solomon IV back-office applications, which Microsoft got in its acquisition of Great Plains Software Inc., of Fargo, N.D., earlier this year, automate financial and operational processes at small and midsize companies.

      Clarus eProcurement software automates purchasing from sourcing to payment. Fusion is Clarus integration framework. View provides analysis of purchasing activity, such as spending trends and supplier performance.

      The Chamberlain Group Inc., of Elmhurst, Ill., uses Clarus e-procurement software hooked into an SSA Global Technologies Inc. back-end ERP (enterprise resource planning) system. However, since SSA went bankrupt last year, Chamberlain is on the lookout for a new ERP system.

      Ken Clay, vice president and controller at Chamberlain, said he will consider an ERP system like that offered by J.D. Edwards & Co., which integrates easily with his AS/400 infrastructure. But Clay will also consider the Great Plains offering—particularly since its been bought by Microsoft, which is expected to infuse some life into Great Plains overall ERP offerings.

      “Our [ERP search] process is going to take two years. In that time, Great Plains could develop that more,” Clay said. “I wouldnt want to be a beta site, but the fact that its young wouldnt concern me.” He is particularly interested in an ERP package that doesnt require much customization. “Customization has the problem of later on, when you go to upgrade, you have to upgrade all that customization,” he said.

      Microsofts eProcure is going head-to-head with the likes of ailing e-commerce services provider Purchase Pro Inc., of Las Vegas. That company helps businesses sell goods and services online to other businesses. Purchase Pro, which is facing a rash of lawsuits from shareholders claiming executives released misleading financial information, has teamed with AOL Time Warner Inc. to co-develop a business exchange.

      eProcure will be available through Great Plains network of more than 2,200 channel partners and will also be deployed through application service providers certified by Great Plains.

      Renee Boucher Ferguson
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×