CLEAR launches e-procurement services

Media statement

6 July 2000

CLEAR launches e-procurement services in partnership with e://volution

CLEAR Communications and e://volution today announced a partnership which will see e-procurement included in CLEAR's suite of e-business services.

CLEAR has launched Trading Point, offering e://volution's online supply chain management system, following CLEAR's own successful implementation of the service six months ago. A portal will be launched in the next few weeks.

CLEAR's E-Business Manager Wayne Nicholas says CLEAR wanted to go with a proven e-procurement platform that was New Zealand-based and already operational. "It's a confirmation of our desire to partner, support and grow with creative New Zealand businesses that provide solutions for New Zealand and international markets, rather than adapting offshore products."

"We've been using e://volution ourselves, within CLEAR, for the past few months," says Mr Nicholas. "The successful results have prompted us to extend e://volution services to our customers, under the CLEAR brand."

Mr Nicholas says electronic procurement is emerging as a business-to-business application capable of delivering quantifiable return-on-investment. The new service reduces the cost of doing business for both buyers and suppliers, by:

* Automating business procurement and removing paper-based processes
* Compressing procurement cycle times
* Increasing accuracy
* Reducing inventory levels
* Enabling recording and reporting on key performance indicators
* Enabling consolidated billing for multiple suppliers.

In the near future, businesses using eprocurement processes will be able to participate in business to business exchanges, which will provide New Zealand businesses the opportunity to trade on a global scale.

The suppliers already listed on the site include Avenue, Empower, Café Express, Deane Apparel, MasterTrade, NZ Safety Ltd, Office Products Depot, Corporate Express, Liquor King (Lion Liquor Retail), Freightways, Protector Safety, B&H Group, Fresh Flower Company, General Packaging - Crown Worldwide Movers, Norcross Printing Ltd and Trade Tools.

e://volution Director James Dale says the partnership opens up the benefits of e-commerce to CLEAR customers on a proven robust scalable platform. E-procurement brings companies immediate returns and enables companies to stay competitive through reducing costs, increasing profits and productivity, he says.

Trading Point will serve organisations with significant indirect purchasing requirements, also known as MRO - maintenance, repair and operational - expenses. Supplier catalogues specific to each customer can be viewed via the web browser and users can place orders, seek authorisation, check order status and receipt online. User profiles are definable by budget, cost centre and category.

e://volution E-Business Ltd (www.evolution.co.nz) is a wholly-owned New Zealand company which has alliance partnerships with IBM Global Service and KPMG Consulting Inc.

ENDS

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