Case Study

E-Procurement Management System Development

Type of projectWeb and Mobile App

IndustryEducation, Hospitality

LocationUSA

Technology.NET, AWS

Product Description

We have developed an e-procurement management system for our client to streamline their business-to-business core operations and lead them to achieve higher efficiency.

Our client is situated in South Africa and has a significant connection with manufacturers, suppliers, and wholesalers. Their primary business is to supply goods to local markets from the global companies by handling all the ordering, logistics, tendering, and sourcing.

Our dedicated .NET Programmers efficiently collaborated with our ally and assessed their current business procedures and requirements to fabricate scalable software covering their edge-to-edge needs. In addition, we provided them with all the essential consultation to help with defining project scope, goals, and planning.

Challenges

Poor Communication Mechanism

Effective communication is the fundamental pillar of an e-procurement management system, and our client was facing challenges in maintaining the relationship with their stakeholders.

For sending notification messages, emails, and automated scheduling replies, they were using external tools, making the whole process more time-consuming.

In addition, the software was unable to show notifications to staff members, delaying transaction approvals and compliance verifications.

The main priority of our client was to have in-built features to automatically alert the employees and their customers about failed and successful transactions.

Also, the system should securely transfer the data to authorized people and update the same in the database.

Lack of Insight and Analysis Tools

Having the ability to evaluate real-time data can help improve decisions and budget management. While evaluating the business requirements, our team learned that the client was using external tools to generate the reports and supply documentation.

In addition, the client copied and pasted the data into a tool for evaluating it.

To optimize this process and save time, our associate demanded a top-notch analysis mechanism that automatically retrieves the data and provides real-time reports to the user.

Non-complying with NIST and ISO Standards

Nowadays, it is compulsory to comply with all the necessary NIST, ISO, and government guidelines to smoothly perform business operations.

Our client was using an outdated third-party e-procurement system, not aligning with the latest regulations to trade online. They were facing complexity in enhancing internal controls, profit, and audibility.

In addition, there were high chances of facing penalties and legal actions from the government authorities.

To prevent any legalities in the future, our client needed software fulfilling all the essential protocols, guidelines, and standards.

Manual Data Entry

All the information was input manually into the system for onboarding and contract management procedures, and then the administrator had to upload it to the server.

Also, the customers were sending requests in the mail, and tracking the inquiry became a significant challenge for the client.

For solving this issue, we suggested having a customer-facing platform through which they can send their requests, and it will automatically get updated. In case of complaints and queries, the system will assign it to the appropriate person, and its logs will be saved for precisely tracking.

Incompatible with Mobile Devices

The system was only accessible over Windows desktop computers and browsers. Whenever someone tries to open it on a mobile browser, the loading speed increases, and the interface cannot adjust itself as per the screen size.

As a result, stakeholders were unable to perform their actions appropriately. And, during the Covid time, it also affected the company’s remote working.

The main goal to mitigate this challenge was to develop a cross-platform mobile application that can run on any device with any operating system and screen size.

Solution

After evaluating all the challenges, we completed all the necessary tasks and started the project in a week.

In the initial phase only, every team member had a clear insight about the duties.

As a result, we solved all the central difficulties and complexity faced by our client.

Cloud Integration

We have automated crucial database tasks by embedding the cloud infrastructure with an e-procurement management system.

It aids all the stakeholders in using a single database, reducing the effort of maintaining multiple databases and updating them.

Also, information on all the communication gets updated, enhancing the workflow structure of the company.

A Dedicated Interface for Customers

With the new system, all our client associates can access the resources through a dedicated interface.

Now they are hassle-free from sending emails and then waiting for a reply. Our custom software development team has also integrated an automated reply module, which analysis the nature of mail and sends an appropriate response to the sender.

Automated Dataflow Complies with all the Fundamental Standards

With a centralized database, information is processed and updated simultaneously in real-time.

Also, whenever a user makes a transaction, the built-in compliance management system verifies it and only provides instructions to execute it.

In addition, it has eliminated the labor costs and errors coming from manual data entry.

Built-in Communication Features

We adjoin custom APIs and plugins, enabling the users to receive SMS and mails after onboarding and transaction verification procedures.

Also, it sends alerts to the staff members for completing high-priority tasks before the deadline.

Moreover, we added modules to take feedback and conduct surveys for achieving outbound possibilities.

Platform Independent Solution

Our .NET development team uses the latest framework version to allow users to access it across devices and browsers running on any operating system.

In addition, we assure the quality of services, performance, and durability in the long run. It makes users capable of accessing and utilizing resources from a remote location and completing their essential operations.

Data Security

We have implemented modern authentication and authorization systems for preventing illegitimate actors from accessing sensitive user information.

In addition, all the data gets stored in an encrypted format, and HTTPS protocol is always enabled while transferring it over browsers. We have configured every possible mechanism to maintain data integrity and availability.

Advanced Analysis and Reporting Tools

Our developers have integrated reporting and analytics tools into the e-procurement system. Now our client has to use only a single application to execute all its operations.

As a result, the application uses fewer computational resources, and all the reports will be generated based on real-time data available in the database.

Moreover, it will leverage to monitor the live flow of data and manage its strategies accordingly.

Result

With the new modern e-procurement management system, our client achieved the following goals.

It enables to perform real-time data analysis and create multiple reports based on it.
Improvement in relationship with stakeholders due to robust communication features.
All the users were able to transfer the data securely.
Vendors can quickly update their information, and all verification procedures are automated.
Staff members and their customers can access the system on any device.
Application aligns with NIST, ISO, and government guidelines, preventing legal actions against the company.
The organization can generate important reports and improve its business operations by analyzing the data flow.
There was an increase in customer base and better collaboration between internal departments.