Herndon, VA — June 5, 2003 — e-Procurement solution provider ePlus has received a U.S. patent for the electronic cross-catalog searching capabilities developed for Content+ and Procure+, the company's e-catalog production and content management system.
ePlus said that Content+ aids in the implementation of electronic procurement and other enterprise cost management initiatives by automating the process of cleansing, classifying and maintaining data from disparate supplier catalogs.
The patent, No. 6,505,172, entitled "Electronic Sourcing System," covers ePlus' technology for searching multiple catalogs from different suppliers simultaneously, checking inventory availability and transferring information on selected items to generate purchase orders in an e-procurement, purchasing, enterprise resource planning (ERP) or accounting system.
The provider said that the cross-catalog searches enabled by Content+ expedite purchasing by eliminating the need to examine each vendor catalog individually. They also facilitate product and price comparisons by allowing data retrieved from all catalogs to be displayed on a single screen.
"In any spend management initiative, from e-procurement to strategic sourcing, it is imperative to have all data from multiple sources at one's fingertips," said Ken Farber, president of ePlus Content Services. "Efficient cross-catalog searching is therefore a vital component in the process, whether you're trying to determine which vendor has the best price or which suppliers should be approached for volume discounts."
The patent is ePlus' third.
