Kicking it Off
The Summit featured the top 100 e-procurement companies and their leading executives, and used the novel format of having presenters give a 10-minute elevator pitch session, which meant that there was no fluff or boring epic-length presentations. Companies participating included printing auction site 58k.com, industry giant Ariba and sourcing site eBreviate.
Kicking off the Summit, Doug Moore, founder of iSource, shared this thought: Industry consortia, if treated with the attitude of inclusiveness, will be the greatest equalizer since the musket. Moore also challenged companies in the B2B e-procurement space. In three years, one-third of business transactions will be conducted over the Internet. If we truly believe that, we must ask ourselves why isn't it happening today?
Moore also announced iSource's new partnership with Question.com in building intelligence Exchange, the first forum that helps users get answers from industry experts on e-procurement and online supply chain management.
Did it Deliver?
Attendees were apparently satisfied with the opportunities presented during the four-day conference. As Aaron Victorian, senior purchasing agent with Dallas Airmotive says, [The Summit] was an excellent opportunity to meet with enablers who can help us with our e-procurement initiative.
Mark Fogel, manager, Supply, Logistics and Operations for Amylin Pharmaceuticals, says, The iSource Top 100 Summit was an excellent resource opportunity to interact with the current suppliers operating in this very fluid and continually developing market. The Summit catalog, 10-minute exhibitor presentations and showroom access were very helpful in obtaining succinct information in a brief time period. One company that I was previously unaware of appears to meet our e-commerce plan objectives, and I have commenced a preliminary development relationship with them.
One issue that became clear was the fact that online procurement is moving into its next phase. Both Ken Wyrick of Eventra and Exemplary Software Vice President of Marketing Sami Cassis de-emphasized lower purchase prices for direct materials as the largest benefit of e-procurement. They implied that lower prices are a given over time. Wyrick and Cassis suggested that the real benefits are in addressing shortages and the time-sensitive nature of direct materials.
Other concerns were also addressed. PurchasePro Senior Vice President of Marketing Chris Benyo cited inertia as the largest competitor to e-procurement, and stated that education, training, and perhaps most importantly, encouragement are needed to really make e-procurement systems effective.
While the Great Dot-Com Shakeout may have everyone this side of Alan Greenspan's barber having kittens over the economic future, it's clear that some heavy hitters are banking, with reason, on the B2B space being a major player in the future. All it took was a walk through the exhibit hall or attendance at a few of the sessions to realize that, in spite of any market jitters, B2B is going to be more than just an economic flash in the pan. There is simply too much capital and expertise being developed and employed for there not to be some tangible results.
Focusing on that impressive potential, iSource will present its second conference, the New Economy Enablement Expo (Ne3) July 2325 at the Hynes Center in Boston. The most comprehensive group of B2B enablers and executives ever assembled, Ne3 will feature over 380 exhibitors, executive roundtables, breakout sessions, and panel discussions on such topics as logistics, auction sites and content management. For information, visit www.ne3boston.com, or call 866-222-3722. We promise a world of useful material, more than a small amount of fun and no crashing blimps.
And the Winners are:
iSource awarded the following companies as members of the iSource Top 100 Premier e-Procurement providers:
(in alphabetical order)
- 58k.com
- Accenture
- American Express
- Ariba
- AT Kearney
- b2bsolutionsonline
- B2eMarkets
- Baan
- Bank of Montreal
- Barlex
- BayBuilder
- BMO ePurchasing Solutions
- Bowstreet
- BroadVision
- BuyerZone.com
- Cap Gemini
- Captura
- Cardonet
- Centegy
- Cisco
- Cohera
- Commerce One
- CommerceScout
- Commerx
- Compaq
- Corporate Express
- Datastream Systems Inc.
- Deloitte Consulting
- Dun & Bradstreet
- eBreviate
- ebuyxpress
- ec-Content
- ECOutlook.com
- eCredit.com
- elcom
- Emptoris Inc.
- Enable Systems
- Escrow.com
- E-Stamp Corporation
- etilize
- Eventra
- EXcelon Corporation
- Exemplary Software
- FacilityPro
- FedEx
- Firmbuy
- ForSoft Inc.
- Frictionless Commerce
- GE Capital Financial Inc.
- GE Global Exchange Services
- Global Community Network
- Great Plains
- Healy Hudson
- Impresse
- i2 Technologies
- iPlanet
- IPNET Solutions
- IQXpert/PartMiner CSD
- J.D. Edwards
- Kewill Systems
- KPMG
- Logility
- Manugistics
- March First
- MarketMile
- MaterialNet
- MeetChina.com
- Menerva Technologies
- Mercado Software
- Moai Technologies
- MROLink
- Need2Buy.com
- Netfish Technologies
- NewMediary
- NextDoor Networks
- Noosh Inc.
- Office Depot
- Open Ratings
- opus360
- Osprey
- Palm
- PeopleSoft
- Peregrine Systems
- Perfect
- POET Software
- PricewaterhouseCoopers
- Prime Advantage
- printCafe Systems
- ProcureNet
- ProcureStaff
- Procuri
- ProSavvy
- Purchase Pro
- PurchasingNet
- QAD
- Question.com
- Radiant Logic
- Remedy Corporation
- Requisite Technologies
- RightFreight
- RightWorks
- SAP
- SAQQARA Systems
- SAS
- Simplexis
- SkillsVillage
- StaplesLink.com
- SupplierInsight
- SupplyAccess
- SupplyCore.com
- SupplyPro
- SupplyWorks
- SurePay
- TechnologyOBX
- Tigris
- Trade Access
- TRADEC
- UPS
- U.S. Bancorp
- USi
- Verano
- Verian Technologies
- Vignette Corporation
- Webango
- webMethods
- webPLAN
- Works.com
- Worldbid.com
