Electronic Procurement Software (eProcurement) offers numerous benefits to organizations seeking to automate their procurement processes, better control organizational spending, and improve supplier management.

A recent survey by Supply Chain Digital, which polled 200 procurement professionals to understand how eProcurement benefits their organizations, revealed clear insights: it is not just procurement teams that gain from digital procurement processes—these tools also deliver broader organizational benefits.

Here are the top five benefits that respondents reported as having a significant impact on their organizations:

1. Eliminates slow, manual processes
Manual processes, especially in finance, such as issuing invoices to suppliers by hand, are time-consuming and prone to errors—whether it’s entering purchase order numbers, VAT, incorrect financial amounts, or inconsistent item details. Data entry and problem resolution can slow down processes and invoice payments. 44% of respondents are using procurement systems to automate these tasks and reduce manual data entry.

2. Source new suppliers
eSourcing systems save time and reduce risks by helping organizations find new suppliers. 43% of respondents cited eSourcing as a key benefit of eProcurement. With online buying and auction capabilities, eSourcing delivers optimal value and enhances strategic sourcing outcomes. This electronic process reduces paperwork, time, and overhead costs when negotiating with suppliers, while also lowering risk by ensuring only pre-qualified suppliers participate from the start.

3. Better procurement strategy
40% of respondents are using eProcurement to gain deeper insights into organizational spending, helping them improve procurement strategies. These insights provide a clear view of what is being purchased, by whom, and why—key for understanding current and future procurement needs. This visibility also helps identify opportunities and potential cost savings for future sourcing.

4. Faster ordering and delivery
eProcurement accelerates purchasing and delivery by automating purchase approval workflows. 40% of respondents identified this as a key benefit. With online approval capabilities, users and approvers can communicate instantly without waiting for approvals or preparing documents manually.

5. Spend visibility
Enterprise-wide spend visibility improves budgeting and cash management accuracy. 40% of respondents recognized this as another major benefit of eProcurement. Monitoring spending is challenging, especially for organizations with complex indirect spend, but eProcurement enables real-time tracking and oversight across the organization at the push of a button. This enhances spending control, identifies cost-saving opportunities, and improves budgeting accuracy.

The Supply Chain Digital research shows that procurement professionals prioritize eProcurement modules differently. For some, cost savings and spending control are critical, while others focus on improving supplier sourcing or eliminating manual data entry. Regardless of priorities, each eProcurement module helps procurement teams address their challenges while leveraging the full suite of tools to maximize organizational benefits.