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FrançaisIndirect Procurement Software for Low-Value Purchases
A specialist e-procurement workflow, from purchase request to order
Bring spot purchases under control without overloading your ERP or S2P solution.
Why Does Indirect Procurement Consume So Much Time?
Indirect procurement covers the goods and services required to run the business that are not directly incorporated into the product or service sold. It includes very different requirements, such as professional services, supplies, maintenance, equipment and occasional purchases.
Low-value requests spread across many users and suppliers can create a disproportionate administrative workload: finding a supplier, reviewing a quote, creating a vendor record, obtaining approval, issuing the order, recording receipt and matching the invoice.
Sourcing Force centralizes this process in a specialist indirect procurement application. When outsourcing services are contracted, Buy Made Easy may operate within the agreed scope. The Sourcing Force application and BME services remain distinct components.
Approval rules and document checks help reduce process exceptions and supplier exposure, without replacing the company’s own control obligations.
Indirect Procurement Software That Complements Your ERP
Sourcing Force does not replace your ERP or Source-to-Pay solution. The application provides a workflow for low-value indirect purchases, particularly when they fall within Class C spend or tail spend.
1. Capture the requirement and process the supplier quote
2. Apply the defined budgets, permissions and approval workflows
3. Transfer and track the order within the existing ecosystem
Artificial intelligence can assist with reading and processing supplier quotes. Extracted fields, validations and decisions remain under user control. Connections with the ERP or S2P solution are configured for the project through API, PunchOut or file exchanges: explore the integration options.
Benefits should be measured through a pilot using comparable indicators: processing time, vendor records created, off-process requests and administrative cost per transaction.
Key Features for Digitalizing Indirect Procurement
A specialist workflow for low-value and spot purchases
Supplier Catalogs
Supplier CatalogsAccess negotiated catalogs through hosted content or PunchOut, depending on the selected setup.
Sourcing & RFx
Sourcing & RFxBME can compare supplier responses within the agreed sourcing scope. Your team retains approval.
Contract Management
Contract ManagementA BME framework agreement can cover purchases included in the defined outsourcing scope.
Purchase Requests & Orders
Purchase Requests & OrdersA structured workflow guides each spot request from need capture through approval and order tracking.
How Can You Simplify Low-Value Indirect Procurement?
Centralize Requests in One Workflow
Users can express their needs through a shared interface using an approved catalog, a free-text request or a supplier quote. The information required for approval is gathered before the workflow begins.
Encourage Requester Adoption
A clear process limits fragmented email exchanges and purchases made outside the approved workflow. The displayed permissions, categories and steps can be adapted to the user’s profile.
Handle Both Goods and Services
The process can cover supplies, equipment and services. Each request follows the company’s purchasing rules, budgets and approval levels. Explore the purchase request and order workflow.
Connect Supplier Catalogs
Hosted and PunchOut catalogs provide access to negotiated products and terms. The selected model, exchanged data and implementation timeline depend on the supplier and the customer environment. Compare catalog formats.
Target the Right Class C Scope
Not all indirect purchases are Class C purchases. Sourcing Force primarily targets low-value, occasional or fragmented requirements where processing costs and supplier proliferation justify a specialist workflow.
Strengthen Controls and Traceability
Requests, approvals, comments and supplier documents can be tracked in the application. Controls are defined by country, category, amount and internal requirements. They reduce exposure without guaranteeing absolute compliance.
“We are beginning to see Sourcing Force as an Amazon-like experience. Users adopt it very quickly.”
Benefits to Measure Across Low-Value Indirect Purchases
Time
Measure the time from purchase request to order
Control
Track requests, approvals and off-process purchases
Panel
Limit one-off supplier account creation in the ERP
Why Structure Indirect Procurement Through an E-Procurement Workflow?
Download the white paper and identify the indicators to track
Frequently Asked Questions About Indirect Procurement
Practical answers to define the scope, the user journey and the connection with your procurement systems.
What Is Indirect Procurement?
Indirect procurement covers goods and services required to run the business that are not directly incorporated into the product or service sold, such as supplies, maintenance, professional services, equipment and occasional requirements.
Are All Indirect Purchases Class C Purchases?
No. Class C purchases are a specific scope, often made up of low-value, fragmented and infrequent transactions. Some indirect purchases are strategic or recurring and require a different operating model.
How Can Low-Value Indirect Purchases Be Simplified?
Standardize requirement capture, supplier quote information, approval rules, ordering and tracking. A specialist workflow reduces re-entry while preserving the organization’s controls.
Does Sourcing Force Replace the ERP or S2P Solution?
No. Sourcing Force complements the existing system for a defined scope of indirect and Class C purchases. The data and statuses exchanged are agreed during the integration project.
What Role Does Artificial Intelligence Play?
AI can support the reading and processing of supplier quotes to reduce manual data entry. Extracted data, applied rules and decisions remain under human control.
What Is the Difference Between Sourcing Force and BME Services?
Sourcing Force is the application. Depending on the contract, BME may provide outsourcing or order-processing services. Payment tracking applies to transactions handled within that agreed scope.
How Should Savings and ROI Be Measured?
Measurement should compare a baseline with a defined pilot scope: processing time, administrative cost per request, supplier accounts created, off-process purchases and any verified price differences.
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