Today, a Silicon Graphics employee uses his or her Web browser to point to the Electronic Requisition Web site running on a Netscape Enterprise Server. The employee logs onto the system, which interacts with a relational database to retrieve information about the user including department number and routing path for approval of the requisition. The employee can select from a catalog of standard items and browse the descriptions of each. These descriptions are actually maintained as links to the information contained on the supplier's Web site. Standard catalog items, or specific noncatalog items, can be ordered.
Employees add items to their virtual shopping cart until they are satisfied with the order.
When the order is complete, the system routes the requisition for approval based on department number and signature authority. The corporate signature authority rules are codified and therefore an integral part of the system. When the requisition is received by the Purchasing Department, it is imported into the Oracle Enterprise Purchasing System. The order is then drop-shipped directly to the employee's desk. Using this new process, the Purchasing Department can dramatically reduce its involvement in the purchase of standard items.