What is a Punch Out system?
Have you ever heard the term ‘Punch-Out‘ in the course of a heated discussion with your fellow buyers?
That sweet word that’s often used, but rarely mastered?
Firstly: No, it’s not the latest fashionable cocktail to come straight from a paradise island in the Pacific… Sorry about that!
The term refers to a practice that has become increasingly common with the arrival of new technologies since the early 2000s. It’s a new way of making purchases, directly online.
Linked to e-procurement, the PunchOut is a key concept that is transforming the way companies manage their purchasing processes. But what exactly is Punch Out? And how can it improve the efficiency and profitability of your business? In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at the concept of the Punch Out to understand how it works.
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Definition of Punch Out
The Punch-Out is an online product catalogue made available by a supplier on an e-procurement platform. It enables companies to place orders directly from their own e-procurement system, without having to leave the application.
This means that buyers can access the products they need, add them to their basket, and place their order, all without ever leaving their procurement system. This eliminates the need to navigate multiple websites to find the products they need, which often means wasting time.
What’s more, because the Punch-Out catalogue is integrated with the company’s supply system, all order information is automatically recorded, making it easier to track and manage orders.
Link between Punch-Out and e-procurement
E-procurement is a process that enables companies to purchase goods and services via the Internet. Punch-Out fits perfectly into this process, offering a fast and efficient way to place orders with suppliers.
But Punch-Out doesn’t just simplify the purchasing process. It also improves it by offering a more personalised shopping experience. In fact, each Punch-Out catalogue can be customised according to the company’s specific needs. This means that buyers can access a catalogue that contains only the products they need, making it easier to find products and speeding up the purchasing process.
Understanding how PunchOut works
The Punch-Out process begins when the buyer accesses the supplier’s Punch-Out catalogue via its e-procurement platform. The buyer can then browse the catalogue, select the products they wish to buy and add them to their basket. Once the selection is complete, the basket is “punched” (hence the term Punch-Out) and sent back to the buyer’s e-procurement software for processing.
The Punch-Out ordering process generally involves the following steps:
- Connection to the e-procurement platform.
- Search for the supplier’s catalogue.
- Access to the supplier’s Punch-Out catalogue.
- Select products and add them to the basket.
- Punch out basket and return to e-procurement platform for processing.
Benefits of using Punch-Out
There are many advantages to using Punch-Out for businesses. Here are some of the main benefits:
- Increased efficiency: Punch-Out allows companies to place orders directly from their procurement system, eliminating the need to manually enter order information.
- Reduced errors: As the process is automated, the risk of input errors is greatly reduced.
- Time savings: Punch-Out saves companies time by eliminating the need to navigate multiple websites to place orders.
In addition to these benefits, Punch-Out can also improve business profitability. By automating the ordering process, Punch-Out enables businesses to reduce their operational costs. In addition, by providing real-time access to product and pricing information, the Punch-Out enables businesses to make more informed purchasing decisions.
The content of a Punch-Out catalogue
A Punch-Out catalogue is much more than just a list of products. It includes detailed information about each product , such as :
- description
- availability
- price
- technical specifications.
It may also include information on forthcoming promotions, order history and other relevant data.
Thanks to the wealth of information it contains, a Punch-Out catalogue can help companies make better decisions. For example, by having access to real-time information on product availability and prices, companies can plan their purchases more effectively and avoid unnecessary expenditure.
E-procurement and Punch-Out: a winning combination
E-procurement and Punch-Out are two concepts that go hand in hand. Together, they can transform the way your company manages its purchasing.
By integrating Punch-Out with your e-procurement system, you can create a fully automated and centralised purchasing process. Not only can this save you time and money, it can also give you greater control over your spending. By automating the ordering process, Punch-Out can also help reduce the administrative burden associated with purchasing management.
Punch-Out can be integrated with your company’s ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and SRM (Supplier Relationship Management) systems. This allows you to centralise all your purchasing information.
Why choose a Punch-Out solution?
With all the advantages it offers, it’s clear that Punch-Out is a purchasing solution worth considering for any company looking to improve its purchasing management.
Unlike traditional online catalogues, the Punch-Out offers a smoother, more efficient purchasing experience. It allows companies to place orders directly from their e-procurement system, eliminating the need to navigate multiple sites to place orders.
In the digital age, the ability to make quick and informed decisions can mean the difference between success and failure. By providing real-time access to product and pricing information, Punch-Out can help businesses stay competitive by enabling them to react quickly to market changes.
Want to learn more about our procurement management software Weproc? Contact us or request your free 15-minutes demo below!
Weproc is a SaaS software specialized in digitizing the procurement process of companies. From purchase requests to supplier invoicing, through the validation process, Weproc is designed to simplify the purchase management of SMEs and mid-sized companies by centralizing all purchase-related activities.