PROCUREMENT ON THE MOVE

Transcription

1 PROCUREMENT ON THE MOVE

2 New requirements. Higher expectations. Procurement is definitely on the move. And so is your procurement team. You need tools and technology that help you make a difference. Wherever, whenever. SMART by GEP is just that and more a complete, unified sourcing and procurement platform native to cloud, touch and mobile technologies from one of world s leading global providers of procurement solutions, GEP. We ve got you covered. Now hit the gas. 91%

3 ANALYZE SPEND 08 PROCURE TO PAY TRACK AND MANAGE SAVINGS PIPELINE MANAGE SUPPLIERS SOURCE MANAGE CONTRACTS SMART by GEP is a true suite, encompassing spend analysis, sourcing, contract management, P2P and supplier management. Unlike other self-proclaimed procurement suites in the market that have one powerhouse module and only the most basic of capabilities in other modules, GEP's solution possesses extremely strong capabilities in each of these modules. Andrew Bartolini, Managing Partner & Chief Research Officer at Ardent Partners, CPO Rising

4 WHAT'S SMART by GEP is the only sourcing and procurement software app native to cloud, mobile and touch technologies. Users can access anywhere, anytime on any computing device laptop, tablet or phone SMART by GEP is a single, unified platform that includes all relevant functionality in its core, for smoother information, process and work flows. Unlike modular products, SMART by GEP is literally seamless. Integration costs, delays, glitches? Eliminated SMART by GEP is designed to speed and support the way procurement pros really work, enabling them to switch fluidly between related tasks. We build on this inherent flexibility with intelligent, intuitive work flows. Standardizing on best practices is a snap SMART by GEP leverages the knowledge base of the industry's leading provider of global procurement solutions in handy, ready-to-use tools, templates, checklists and scorecards (inclusive of neat innovations, such as sourcing workbenches and three-click RFPs.) SMART by GEP is cloud-native (with the gamechanging economics that implies), device-agnostic and easily integrated with all major back-end systems. Built on the rock-solid infrastructure of the Microsoft Azure platform (PaaS), so SLAs and uptime are optimum

5 WHEN YOU ADD IT ALL UP, IT'S SMART by GEP delivers comprehensive spend, sourcing and procurement functionality in a single, unified platform native to cloud, mobile and touch technologies. Users can access their entire workbench anywhere, anytime, on any device tablet, mobile phone, laptop or PC. Work on a touchscreen or a keyboard. No matter what you choose, it's easy to set up, deploy and use, with no extensive training required or even recommended. Fact is SMART by GEP is the first e-procurement software platform designed around how sourcing and procurement professionals really work, enabling them to switch fluidly between related tasks. All its powerful functionality is native in the unified platform spend analytics, sourcing, contract management, supplier management, P2P which enables fluid information, process and work flow. (No need to integrate modules and awkward bolt-ons with all the delays, glitches, costs and inevitable limitations they entail.) Streamlined design, agile architecture and intuitive interfaces result in a sleek, flexible tool precision-engineered to look, feel and perform nimbly. Easy to use, yes. But make no mistake SMART by GEP is powerful software, with advanced, A.I.-based analytics and proprietary algorithms that can easily process the heaviest throughput our Fortune 500 and Global 2000 enterprise clients can muster. And, like all our products, SMART by GEP works with any F&A or back-end ERP system, such as SAP or Oracle. SMART by GEP also gives you easy access to a rich, perpetually updated repository of field-tested, best-practice process and work flows, checklists, scorecards, templates and tools for every situation or objective. And it does all this while leveraging cloud economics infrastructure, maintenance and on-going operational costs are virtually eliminated. Slash time, effort and waste from routine tasks. Optimize performance and increase productivity. Boost user adoption, heighten customer satisfaction and collaborate more effectively with enterprise partners, such as legal, operations and finance. And cut your total cost of ownership to a fraction of current spend. When you add it all up, it's SMART by GEP. PROCUREMENT ON THE MOVE 05

6 WHAT YOU GET Anywhere, Anytime Access Works on any Internet-enabled device, including PCs, laptops, tablets and smart phones. Work where you want, when you want Type or Swipe on the Go Optimized for mobile computing, SMART by GEP is a comprehensive sourcing and procurement platform native to cloud, mobile and touch technologies All Functionality Native in One Unified Platform Fluid information and work flow on one complete sourcing and procurement platform including spend analysis, sourcing, contract management, supplier information and performance management, and purchasing (procure-to-pay) Platform Agnostic SMART by GEP makes it easy to leverage your existing investments and infrastructure, because it works seamlessly with SAP, Oracle, JD Edwards, PeopleSoft and all other major ERP, finance and accounting systems Rich Knowledge Base Access and use the extensive sourcing and procurement knowledge base of GEP, industry's leading provider of procurement services and software, in field-tested, ready-to-use work and process flows, tools, templates, checklists and scorecards (inclusive of innovations such as category workbenches and three-click RFPs.) Superior Multilingual Capabilities SMART by GEP has extensive multilingual capabilities (all major European and Asian languages), now so critical for globally networked enterprises and their multinational supplier bases Extensive Supplier Network Gain ready access to thousands of global, regional and local suppliers across every category of product and services Developed for the Cloud Born on the Cloud, our subscription-based platform is designed for fast, economical deployment and worry-free upgrades, without risk of implementation snarls, cost overruns or technical glitches Superb Support and Service GEP has garnered wide recognition as perhaps the most customer-centric procurement services and software firm in the industry, focused exclusively on serving sourcing and procurement professionals Microsoft Solid SMART by GEP sits on Microsoft Azure, the innovative but rock-solid Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solution from Microsoft, so you get all the assurance of one of the world's most robust, sophisticated infrastructures supporting your deployment WHY IT MATTERS Boost Adoption & Happiness Intuitive, easy-to-use tools flatten the learning curve, increasing adoption and sustaining use over the long term, no extensive or expensive re-training Keep Pace Leverage mobile, touch and cloud technologies to boost productivity, responsiveness and savings, and position your procurement team better for continued change and rising expectations Proven Best Practices Standardize on documented, bestpractice processes field-tested across a wide range of industries, requirements and use cases, which helps your procurement team achieve tangible savings faster Minimize Training Because SMART by GEP is designed by procurement professionals for procurement professionals, little or no training is required, so results and payback begin now Increase Savings The comprehensive functionality of the SMART by GEP sourcing and procurement platform enables the realization of significantly higher savings, typically 25 to 40 percent higher Save Time Slash time and effort spent on supplier discovery and on-boarding, a new universe of suppliers already integrated into you core sourcing and procurement platform, entirely integrated with your native work flow Improve Productivity Enable your team to work flexibly on any computing device. SMART by GEP is an efficient, easy-touse digital workspace that streamlines and automates the entire sourcing and procurement process Better Economics Best-of-class software on the cloud, with no additional IT infrastructure, integration, personnel, support or maintenance costs, delivers unrivalled speed to value

7 SMART by GEP is an aesthetically pleasing, fluid-to-navigate and, most importantly, powerhouse full procurement suite that can be implemented into a large enterprise with relative ease as it is a device-agnostic cloud solution. Next Level Purchasing Association PROCUREMENT ON THE MOVE 07

8 SMART by GEP cleanses, validates, classifies and reports spend data across disparate systems. The result is accurate, actionable information, with item-level visibility across the enterprise. That's critical to your procurement team's success in streamlining strategic sourcing waves, reducing maverick spend and realizing substantial cost savings. What's more, SMART by GEP identifies additional opportunities for savings using fresh market intelligence and real-world inputs from GEP's industry-leading strategic sourcing and consulting services teams. No other tool can provide that kind of tangible value-add. Using artificial intelligence, proprietary algorithms and feedback from hundreds of complex engagements, SMART by GEP learns, continually sharpening its output against even the most idiosyncratic taxonomies. All of which help SMART by GEP achieve an average classification accuracy of 95 percent or greater. SMART by GEP provides granular visibility, as well as consolidated views of spending trends and buying activities in remarkably easy-to-read, easy-to-use formats. Understand spend quickly and easily. Move from line-item to enterprise wide with a click. Optimize savings opportunities based on your sourcing strategy. Our state-of-the-art reporting framework does a lot of heavy lifting, with artificial intelligence (A.I.) that sharpens its grasp of idiosyncratic taxonomies as you use it, boosting accuracy with every application. Saving opportunities are identified and delivered to you. ADVANCED ANALYTICS AT YOUR FINGER TIPS Auto aggregation, cleaning & normalization Sourcing-focused taxonomies UNSPSC, SIC-Code & enterprise-specific taxonomies Enterprise view to line-item view and everything in between Consolidated views of supplier spend with parentchild linkages Flexible reports based on your preferences Export, mail and schedule in any format

9 WHAT YOU GET Artificial Intelligence Powerful proprietary algorithms drive a learning system that self corrects, delivers stunning accuracy and nuanced insights to spend Quick-Reference Dashboards Colorful graphical & tabular dashboards speed uptake, with detailed drilldowns for supplier analysis, categories, regions, spend volume Flexible Reporting Customize rich, multi-dimensional reports by supplier, business unit, price variance and more Taxonomy Agnostic Use one preferred or multiple taxonomy standards, including industry-specific, sourcing-specific and custom, enterprise-specific taxonomies as you require Rules-Based Spend views can be configured to commodity-, company- or role-specific rules Packed with Value-Added Functionality Sourcing-based taxonomies, dynamic dashboards, automated wave plans and scheduled reports seamlessly integrate with Microsoft Excel & Word Source Agnostic Automatic mapping of data headers from multiple formats of input files WHY IT MATTERS Granular Precision See, understand and compare spend patterns down to the line-item High Accuracy Minimum accuracy rates of 95% or greater reduce the need for manual intervention Speed & Universality Automatically normalizes input formats to leverage multiple data sources Rapid Scalability Improved scalability for faster adoption, reinforcing focus on bottom-line objectives Quality Assurance User-defined classification workflows promote data hygiene at its source Sustainable Savings Actionable insights keep pace with changing spend patterns Minimal Training Easy-to-use, intuitive interfaces and work flow require little or no training PROCUREMENT ON THE MOVE 09

10 Gain real visibility into your cost-savings initiatives and their impact. Eliminate redundancy and error from data capture, tracking and measurement. Liberate your team from unproductive paper shuffling and acquire the insight to boost its overall performance. SMART by GEP makes it easy to plan, execute and track costsavings initiatives, bringing all the information you need into a single, intuitive interface. Manage discreet savings projects or an entire cost reduction program. SMART by GEP provides a life cycle view of your cost-savings activities from ideation to execution to realization in neatly organized, customizable and userfriendly reports. Drill down or big picture, reports are configured to your precise requirements automatically or, as you require, on demand. Sort by category, SBU, region or any other criteria. You can check the status and review the progress of all your savings projects on the go anytime, anywhere, on any device. Plan, build and manage your savings pipeline Collaborate with stakeholders across regions and functions Map savings forecasts to budget levels and actual spend Time- and event-based alerts and reminders Seamless flow of data from auctions, RFx and contracts Automatic validation and savings approval SMART by GEP allows you to define the scope and reach of your procurement savings programs and add team members to each project. Assign tasks, capture results, track milestones and measure performance throughout the life of the project. Plan your savings goals. Track them as you negotiate savings through the year. With SMART by GEP, you'll never miss any important milestones. Set reminders for key events linked to a savings project. Get alerts based on targets and timelines set by you. It's never been easier to stay on top of savings initiatives or track their results. TRACK AND REPORT ALL TYPES OF COST SAVINGS Cost Reduction Cost Avoidance Rebate Gain Share Signing Bonus Compare realized savings with estimates. Easily view and share reports on the go with colleagues across locations. Save time and effort in validating realized savings by collaborating with finance and other enterprise stakeholders. Demonstrate procurement's true value add to the business.

11 WHAT YOU GET Goals Identification Define negotiated and realized savings goals for the procurement organization at a global and regional level Risk Setting Establish custom risk levels to track delays in projects and reduction in realized savings at a category, SBU, region, or project level Project Life Cycle View Get comprehensive overview of your savings projects throughout the ideation, execution and realization phase Triggered Alerts Configure time- and event- based alerts and reminders to ensure effective management and reporting of projects Seamless Data Integration Consolidate data from your auctions, RFx and contracts to identify negotiated and realized savings in real time Flexible Reporting Create highly customized savings reports to get the information you want anytime, anywhere, on any device WHY IT MATTERS Improved Savings Pipeline Boost the impact of your costsaving initiatives by tracking and monitoring them throughout their life cycle Increased Visibility Get real-time, enterprise-wide savings visibility for better, more informed business decisions Reduced Risk Track and prepare for critical deadlines, proactively identify and take corrective actions on delayed projects as well as reduction in savings High Accuracy Minimize errors by eliminating manual management of project and savings tracking on complex spreadsheets across users and locations Better Collaboration Get faster validation of your savings numbers through improved collaboration with finance and other enterprise stakeholders PROCUREMENT ON THE MOVE 11

12 SOURCING Collaborating across offices and geographies, your team can evaluate suppliers and author new proposals. Guided by your unique internal parameters, supplier responses are standardized and compiled. And because everything is tracked and documented electronically, reports can be generated automatically, allowing multiple teams to access the quotes. In addition to helping drive supplier negotiations, RFx data can be automatically flowed into your auction tool. You can set up a live event within minutes and see your potential savings in real time. And in a few clicks, award decisions can be sped to SMART by GEP's best-in-class contract authoring and management tools. Best-Value Sourcing Always Identify and qualify new suppliers Stimulate competition and mitigate supplier risk Standardize on documented, repeatable bestpractice processes Obtain up-to-the-minute market intelligence Streamline and accelerate RFx-to-award cycle Save time and money

13 WHAT YOU GET Supplier Intelligence Understand supplier landscape using historical performance against key benchmarks, increase exposure to supplier base, get top and lateral views of your supplier base Collaborative Authoring Build multiline proposals and quotes with flexible forms, templates, wizards, and consistent workflows across business units, regions and suppliers Fact-Based Review Automatic standardization of supplier responses and sourcing data helps you see apples-to-apples comparison in real time Seamless Process Flow In-platform analytics automatically activate sourcing waves, pre-populated contract tools and templates speed supplier agreements Real-Time Auctions Stimulate competition for your business and achieve true, up-to-the-minute market pricing on products and services WHY IT MATTERS Achieve Best-Value Agreements Leverage the full potential of supply markets and maximize the value of your spend by increasing competition for your business Faster Results, Fewer Errors GEP cuts an average of 40 percent from RFx-to-auction cycle times, reduces paperwork and virtually eliminates processing errors Drive Significant Savings When leveraged together, the full functionality of the SMART by GEP sourcing and procurement platform enables the achievement of realized savings of 25 to 40 percent Improved Choice Identify and qualify new suppliers, cultivate a broader supplier base and react quickly to the threat of supplier failure Better Communications Improved communications result in better relationships and better deals invite suppliers to remotely participate in auctions, gain cross-sectional visibility into vendor responses PROCUREMENT ON THE MOVE 13

14 PROCUREMENT ON THE MOVE

15 RUBBER MEETS ROAD Category Workbench Everything you need in one place Fast access to all category-specific sourcing data from across the enterprise Up-to-the-minute information on all items ever solicited, contracted, purchased or inventoried Access to supplier directory tailored to your category Organize your research, templates, models, guidelines, pricing data, purchase history, contracts and much more in a single, intuitive work space Savings Tracking Measure, capture financial impact Multidimensional metrics and function-specific views Configurable savings calculator continuously updated Maps savings forecasts to budget levels and actual spend Enables collaborative validation of documented savings Meaningful, high-impact reports automatically rendered Proactive Contract Compliance Spot leaks, stop leaks Track all contract elements, price and non-price Monitor fulfillment of terms and conditions See, manage and report on exposure and obligations Alerts enable corrective action before losses mount Mobility Procurement on the move A complete sourcing and procurement platform on any mobile device laptop, tablet, smart phone Streamlined design, agile architecture and intuitive interfaces look, feel and perform nimbly Uncompromising functionality so you can get things done where and when you need Native support for electronic signatures Snap Docs Documents in a snap Access template repository to initiate a document set, author or import preferred documents Render automatic documentation at nearly every stage in the sourcing and procurement process Key documents in three clicks or less from RFPs, and agreements to reqs, purchase orders and invoices Five-Way Matching Full audit trails Match requisitions, purchase orders, invoices, contracts and budget Automate, accelerate processing, eliminate errors Boost contract and budget compliance Link to business rules to combat maverick spend and savings leakage Unified Platform No barriers, no bumps Unhindered work, information and process flows Pooled data automatically populates process chain No integration costs, glitches or delays Users can shift between tasks fluidly Extensive Supplier Network Complete solution from GEP & The Business Network by Hubwoo Thousands of global, regional and local suppliers, across every category of product and services In-depth profiles to help you in vendor research, qualification and selection Auto-matching of vendors to your or your team s configurable selection criteria Seamless flow into supplier management and other platform functionality PROCUREMENT ON THE MOVE 15

16 CONTRACT MANAGEMENT SMART by GEP reduces the time, effort and paper used to create, manage and monitor contracts. And because our contract management functionality is a native part of a larger, unified sourcing and procurement platform, SMART by GEP is uniquely capable of helping your team optimize compliance in every and any part of the purchasing cycle. Any procurement pro will tell you that compliance is key to capturing actual savings. SMART by GEP brings procurement, legal, sales and other stakeholders together in one intuitive, easy-to-deploy contract administration, management and compliance solution. Author, collaborate, aggregate in a central repository that supports performance and savings tracking, contract administration and compliance management. Relevant data flows fluidly through your activity chain, enabling smarter, faster work processes, and powering time- and labor-saving innovations like automatic document creation. All your data is organic to the unified platform, so there's no integration required. Collaborative Authoring Contract Administration Compliance Management & Savings Tracking The end-to-end capabilities of SMART by GEP simplify the process of contract initiation, approval, negotiation and management. The result is a contract pipeline uncommonly free of common process bottlenecks, enabling users to execute and manage contracts more quickly, easily and effectively and with increased compliance and better outcomes. Single contract repository with no limits on size, type or number of documents Potent contract engine drives on-time renewals of more than 90 percent Streamlined automation with version-control tools, alerts, event reminders and colorful, intuitive dashboards Join the high-performance organizations proactively managing supplier performance against their SLAs, using GEP's automated work flows and flexible technology to extend the power and reach of their purchasing and procurement teams.

17 WHAT YOU GET Intelligent Repository Access relevant contracts with a robust, free-text and string search in the centralized, webbased warehouse of contracts Collaborative Authoring Route contract drafts internally with stakeholders and externally with suppliers for review, editing and redlining Document Version Control Permissions to edit documents or approve revisions are based on role, level or individual credentials, detailed audit logs of amendments speed comparison of different versions Alerts & Event Reminders User-configurable, auto-alerts trigger action at key points in the contracting life cycle, so your team can adequately plan reviews, renewals or rebids Template Library Create standardized contracts using preconfigured components from an extensive template library, use existing contracts or a recently completed RFQ Microsoft Native Documents move to and from MS Office seamlessly; eliminates duplicative entry, speeds integration of third-party and legacy documents Compliance Tracking & Reporting Integrated reports monitor contract execution and contract compliance based on user-defined attributes WHY IT MATTERS Rapid Contract Creation Reduce bottlenecks and accelerate the process cycle of collaboratively authoring contracts with your suppliers Increased Visibility Get real-time, enterprise-wide contract visibility for better, more informed business decisions Reduced Risk Track and prepare for critical deadlines, reduce contractual as well as supplier-related exposures and risks Decreased Errors Accurately track changes in contracts and exceptions during execution and time to renewal Boost Supplier Performance Document, track and measure supplier performance against SLAs Better Bottom Line Improved contract management helps extend your reach, curb maverick spend, increase compliance and save money The contract management module is everything one would want in such a module, with ability to employ templates, author collaboratively (between procurement, legal, sales and key stakeholders), compare versions, work offline, and more. Andrew Bartolini, Managing Partner & Chief Research Officer at Ardent Partners, CPO Rising PROCUREMENT ON THE MOVE 17

18 SUPPLIER MANAGEMENT SMART by GEP puts everything you need to know about your suppliers in one seamless, user-friendly system. From a single repository, you can continuously monitor thousands of suppliers; use custom or pre-configured scorecards, surveys, alerts, status and summary reports; and track, measure and better understand supplier performance. Consolidate supplier information in one place Keep supplier information current, complete and correct Monitor and better understand supplier performance and risk Enjoy intuitive, easy-to-use interfaces that speed tool adoption Realize significant savings of software-as-a-service (SaaS) tool in the cloud Standardize on best-practice work processes, automate work flow to save time Use custom or pre-configured pro tools, perfected in hundreds of field tests SMART by GEP works with SAP, Oracle, JD Edwards, PeopleSoft or any major ERP system. And because it resides in the cloud, there are no burdensome hardware, software or integration costs. No costly training delays or expenses.

19 WHAT YOU GET Single Central Repository All supplier information consolidated in one high-capacity, user-friendly system Registration, Communications & Approval Add new suppliers, update data manually or enable self-serve Triggered Alerts Performance metrics trigger alerts, delivered to user dashboards to help resolve supplier performance issues fast Surveys Assess performance against qualitative and quantitative benchmarks, monitor buyer satisfaction in real time Power Search State-of-the-art search tools enhance supplier discovery across multiple parameters Easy, Flexible Reporting Generate user-friendly, pre-configured reports or develop custom-configured executive reports WHY IT MATTERS Accurate Information Up-to-date contracts, performance data, account status, and contacts all accessible in one place Improved Compliance Monitor performance against SLAs in supplier agreements; trigger automated alerts, status updates Unbiased Assessments Automatically compares supplier performance data on apples-to-apples basis in real time Resolve Issues Discover, address and fix issues before they develop into bigger problems Better Measurement Qualitative and quantitative assessments tracked, monitored and compiled for fact-based performance reviews Global suppliers. Fluctuating market and business conditions. Attenuated supply lines. New relationships. Political, economic, climate and disaster-related risk. Your work is complex enough. SMART by GEP helps reduce that complexity, providing you useful, actionable insights into supplier performance that yield better outcomes and real savings. PROCUREMENT ON THE MOVE 19

20 PURCHASING SMART by GEP provides full procure-to-pay (P2P) functionality that is easy-to-use, easy-to-deploy and proven effective. Your buyers have quick, easy access to supplier catalogs, including hosted / contracted catalogs and punch-out / commercial catalogs. They can compare shopping across different suppliers or lines, fill shopping carts and place easily trackable orders. From requisition to approval, automated three-way matching to exception handling, supplier communication and relationship management, receiving, payment and reporting our purchasing tools, incorporating best practices from more than a dozen years of real world experience, have been field tested over scores of deployments at Fortune 500 and Global 2000 companies. SMART by GEP boosts control, compliance and process efficiency, and slashes paperwork, processing errors and costs all with minimum disruption. So from order to invoice, your procurement operations will achieve greater efficiencies, gain valuable insights into spending patterns and save more time and money.

21 WHAT YOU GET Electronic Requisitions Electronic creation and approval of requisitions for catalog or non-catalog spend Easy Catalogs Simple catalog interface allows users to select items through hosted or punch-out catalogs and add them to their shopping cart Trackable Purchase Orders Create purchase orders with or without a requisition and track them at all stages Flexible Receiving Options Configure goods received by commodity, create partial or full receipts, with multiple dropoff and match options Intelligent Invoicing Line-by-line purchase order and invoice matching process, with capabilities to pick exceptions and rapid approval system Complete Process Automation Automates all downstream processes, reducing processing time, errors and paperwork WHY IT MATTERS Quick Deployment & Ease of Use Rapid implementation across business units, with minimal or no training required for any level of user Centralized Catalog Repository Key supplier information capable of integrating hosted & punch-out catalogs offering seamless view for purchasing Supplier Incentive No punitive charges for participation in purchasing process, which helps incentivize vendor participation Automated Data Capture Create a robust audit log, recording all relevant data through the entire invoicing life cycle, which helps reduce paperwork as well as errors Greater Spend Visibility Identify spending patterns by category, supplier or geography and locate savings opportunities Improved Control & Compliance Better insights and spend visibility enable users to comply with pre-negotiated contracts and minimize maverick spend PROCUREMENT ON THE MOVE 21

22 The SMART MONEY stands on solid economics Standardize on best-practice processes that save time and money. Sounds great, right? But the risk of implementation snarls, cost overruns and slow user adoption have always menaced the promise of automation. But not anymore. SMART by GEP is a complete eprocurement platform, proven effective by some of the most demanding, high-volume global procurement operations on the planet. Because it s cloud-based, the economics are compelling no additional infrastructure, integration, personnel or maintenance costs. Because it s intuitive designed by procurement professionals for procurement professionals training time and costs are minimal. That means you ll start seeing results and payback immediately.

23 From the start, we were struck by the enormous potential of the platform-as-a-service (PaaS) model to generate an entirely new level of value for our customers. We could virtually eliminate the cost and complexity of buying and managing the hardware and software infrastructure underlying SMART by GEP. We could also provide the very highest levels of availability, security and business continuity. But who to work with? In the end, there was really no question. Microsoft Azure Platform provides our customers one of the most robust, most reliable and most secure IT infrastructures on the planet. Truth is, Microsoft has a level of experience operating worldclass data centers in diverse locations across the globe that few can match. These centers are designed and constructed with stringent levels of physical security and access control, power redundancy and efficiency, environmental control and stateof-the-art recoverability capabilities. And they are the same data centers that run many of the world's largest online services. (The physical facilities have achieved broad industry compliance, including ISO and SOC / SSAE 16 / SAS 70 Type II and within the United States, FISMA certification.) What's more, Microsoft Azure is the seedbed of an entire ecosystem of third-party developers, eager to innovate and improve a vast range of related, performance-enhancing applications, from middleware to specialized business components. And that's critical to our vision of continually raising the bar for ourselves and our products. And with unparalleled levels of availability, security and business continuity guaranteed, we can focus on what we do best providing the most innovative, most intuitive and most effective sourcing and procurement tools on the market. When you add it all up, it's SMART by GEP. TOP Procurement As-a-Service PROCUREMENT ON THE MOVE 23

24 GEP helps global enterprises operate more efficiently and effectively, gain competitive advantage, boost profitability, and maximize business and shareholder value. Fresh thinking, innovative products, unrivaled domain and subject expertise, and smart, passionate people this is how GEP creates and delivers unified business solutions of unprecedented scale, power and effectiveness. With 14 offices and operations centers in Europe, Asia and the Americas, Clark, New Jersey-based GEP helps enterprises worldwide realize their strategic, operational and financial objectives. Recently named Best Supplier at the EPIC Procurement Excellence Awards, GEP is frequently honored as an innovator and leading provider of source-to-pay procurement software by top industry and technology analysts, such as Forrester, Gartner, Spend Matters, Paystream and Ardent Partners. GEP also earns top honors in consulting and managed services from the industry s leading research firms, professional associations and journals, including Everest Group on its PEAK Matrices of Procurement Services Providers and Supply Chain Services Providers; NelsonHall on its NEAT Matrix of Global Procurement BPO Service Providers; HfS in its Blueprint Report on Procurement-as-a-Service; and ALM Intelligence in its Vanguard Reports on both Procurement Consulting and Supply Chain Consulting. To learn more about our comprehensive range of strategic and managed services, please visit For more about SMART by GEP, our cloud-native, unified source-to-pay platform, please visit Access our free knowledge resources at Walnut Avenue, Clark, NJ P info@gep.com Clark, NJ Princeton Toronto Dublin London Prague Mumbai Hyderabad Shanghai Mexico City Costa Rica São Paulo Singapore Sydney Copyright 2017 GEP. All rights reserved.