February 14, 2001 -- Atlanta-based managed e-commerce services provider CoreHarbor announced today that educational services provider Sylvan Learning Systems has selected CoreHarbor's ProcureEdge, an end-to-end hosting and management solution powered by Ariba Buyer. CoreHarbor will aggregate Sylvan's preferred suppliers and enable employees to purchase directly from their desktops through a Web-based interface.
Of the three leading e-procurement solutions we evaluated, CoreHarbor was the only one to deliver the e-procurement knowledge and experience we required, said Kevin Shaffer, vice president and corporate controller of Sylvan Learning Systems. During the sales process, they came in and benchmarked our current procurement processes against industry practices and showed us exactly how we could save. We were impressed by their in-depth expertise and secure and robust hosting infrastructure.
CoreHarbor will provide in-depth business analysis on a quarterly basis, secure hosting infrastructure and ongoing management and support. Within a six- to eight-week implementation period, CoreHarbor plans to integrate its e-procurement solution with Sylvan's existing ERP system, manage Sylvan's catalogs, and provide round-the-clock customer care.
According to the Aberdeen Group, the purchasing of non-production goods, ranging from office products to industrial supplies, accounts for 30 to 60 percent of expenditures at most organizations. Yet until recently, few organizations had effective strategies for managing these purchases.
Sylvan recognizes the importance of keeping costs low and processes efficient, said Andrew Watson, president and chief operating officer with CoreHarbor. CoreHarbor empowers Sylvan with Ariba's leading eCommerce software, including access to the open Ariba Commerce Services Network, while providing a rapid return on investment and peace of mind.
