E-procurement software without the enterprise rollout
E-procurement means buying through a system instead of through paper, phone calls and email threads: requests are submitted online, approved online, turned into electronic purchase orders and matched to electronic invoices. For large corporations that has meant a year-long suite implementation. Procurer is e-procurement software built for mid-size companies, with the same electronic chain and a setup measured in days.
What changes when procurement moves online
The point of e-procurement software is that every purchasing document is created, stored and linked electronically, so nothing has to be scanned, retyped or found later.
- Requests: a web form with custom fields and attachments replaces the paper requisition and the "can you order this" email.
- Approvals: a recorded decision with a timestamp and the rule that required it replaces a signature on a printout.
- Purchase orders: a numbered PDF generated from the approved request and emailed to the supplier replaces the Word template.
- Receipts: a digital receipt against PO lines replaces the packing slip in a drawer.
- Invoices: suppliers email invoices to your Procurer inbox, where they are read and matched on Business and above.
- Supplier documents: W-9 forms, insurance certificates and bank details sit on the supplier record, with onboarding checks on Scale.
Catalogs and preferred suppliers
Most e-procurement savings come from buying repeat items the same way every time. On Business, purchasing sets up catalogs with the items your company buys again and again: office supplies, safety equipment, standard laptops, cleaning services, printed materials. Each catalog item carries the preferred supplier, the agreed unit price and the GL account. A requester picks the item instead of typing a description, so the price is right, the coding is right and the order goes to the supplier you negotiated with.
- Preferred suppliers are marked in the supplier directory, and requests to other suppliers for the same category can require an extra approval step.
- Agreed prices are checked on invoice matching, so a supplier billing above the catalog price is flagged automatically.
- Catalogs can be limited to departments or legal entities, so a site in Texas and a head office in Ohio can see different suppliers.
A realistic e-procurement rollout for a 300-person company
Enterprise suites are implemented in phases over many months. Procurer is designed so that a controller can run the rollout alongside normal work.
Day 1: connect QuickBooks Online, Xero, NetSuite or Sage Intacct. Suppliers, GL accounts and departments come across automatically.
Day 2: choose approval rules from templates (for example manager over 1 000 USD, finance over 10 000 USD, CFO over 25 000 USD) and set department budgets.
Day 3: invite budget owners and approvers, then run five real purchases end to end with them.
Week 2: invite every employee who buys anything and announce that purchases without a PO will not be paid.
Week 3: switch suppliers to sending invoices to the Procurer inbox, so matching starts working on every bill.
Because pricing is per company and requesters are not charged per seat, there is no reason to leave part of the company outside the system.
E-procurement software sized for mid-size companies
Large suites such as Coupa and SAP Ariba cover supplier networks, sourcing events and global compliance for very large organisations, and are typically bought through a sales process and rolled out with consultants. Many mid-size companies need the core of e-procurement (online requests, approvals, POs, receiving, matching and budgets) without that weight. Procurer publishes its prices, runs on your existing accounting system and is configured by your own finance team. If you are comparing options, read our Coupa alternative page and the buyer's guide to the best procurement software, and check current pricing on each vendor's site.
Plans and what each one adds
- Team, 149 USD a month (124 USD billed yearly): online requests, 2 approval steps, electronic POs, receiving, budgets, 250 POs a month, up to 25 user accounts.
- Business, 299 USD a month (249 USD billed yearly): catalogs and preferred suppliers, invoice capture by email, three-way matching, unlimited approval steps, multi-currency, 1 500 POs a month, up to 100 user accounts.
- Scale, 699 USD a month (579 USD billed yearly): supplier portal, supplier onboarding checks, RFQs, contracts, 5 legal entities, unlimited POs, up to 300 user accounts.
- Enterprise: SAML SSO, SCIM, sandbox, migration of historical POs. Talk to sales.
What is e-procurement software?
It is software that moves purchasing online: requests, approvals, purchase orders, receipts, invoices and supplier records are created and stored electronically and linked to each other, instead of living on paper and in email.
Do our suppliers need to change anything?
No. Suppliers receive POs by email as before. You ask them to send invoices to your Procurer inbox, and on Scale they can optionally use the supplier portal to confirm POs and keep their documents current.
Can we use catalogs on the Team plan?
Catalogs and preferred suppliers with agreed prices are part of Business and above. On Team, requesters pick a supplier from the directory and describe the item.
Is Procurer suitable for multiple locations?
Yes. Departments, locations and projects are fields on every request. Separate legal entities with their own PO sequences are available on Business (2 entities) and Scale (5 entities).
What happens to our data if we cancel?
Your data stays yours. You can export requests, POs, suppliers and invoices as CSV at any time, including after you decide to cancel.
Take purchasing off paper and out of the inbox
Create your account and move your first department to online requests and electronic POs this week.