The procurement process has to be one of the more mundane and onerous tasks that IT managers face. It can be a full-time job keeping track of existing assets, comparing vendor configurations, bargain hunting by catalog and preparing the paperwork to secure product financing. What IT professionals really need is a way to automate the process.
Electronic commerce can help.
Such a site would allow IT managers to see all of the products they were authorized to buy. They could directly compare products and even find detailed, objective reviews. Then, still from the same site, they could configure products and buy hardware or software, taking advantage of prenegotiated volume discounts and online financing. Of course, detailed availability and shipment information would be available online. Once the product was delivered or downloaded, IT managers could use the same customized site to keep track of the installed IT assets.