ABS Nautical Systems (ABS NS) have taken the traditional purchasing relationship and automated it to provide a more efficient way of obtaining competing bids and more responsive service within the ship operator’s fleet management system. Its recently released eProcurement facility is an extension of the existing Purchasing & Inventory module and benefits users by reducing costs and saving time associated with the purchasing process. It provides a means of communicating electronically with already established suppliers and vendors. Request for Quotations (RFQs) take place solely between buyer and seller without any middleman commissions or transaction fees.

The SafeNet eProcurement Solution is comprised of two components: (1) a server agent (SNAgent), which manages eProcurement requests on the SafeNet server, and (2) a client component (NSViewer), which is used by a client’s vendors to respond to eProcurement requests. The SafeNet eProcurement solution simplifies the placing of RFQs via email to multiple sources. Other savings flow from the automatic population of a client’s SafeNet database with vendor RFQs, eliminating the need for the re-keying of prices and delivery times.

SafeNet eProcurement’s interaction with the SafeNet application and the user’s MAPI compliant email client provides an easily managed and uncluttered method of communicating with vendors. A pending enhancement will allow SafeNet eProcurement users to issue and then e-mail Purchase Orders (POs) directly to their vendors.