Driven by the wave of Artificial Intelligence, conversational agents or chatbots are beginning to take over the world of e-shopping. Their role is to provide both answers to questions that buyers may ask themselves when carrying out their missions and assistance in the use of tools.

On the occasion of Purchasing and Logistics Executive Day, held at the end of October in the suburbs of Namur, nearly a hundred local decision-makers were able to measure the real consequences of digitalization on their business processes. And listen to Acxias' recommendations to choose the solution most suited to their organization.

To secure and speed up the consultation process, many e-purchase publishers offer a reverse auction module. Used to ensure transparency and fairness, the practice is democratizing within the purchasing departments, the most mature of which do not seek to break prices but to select the best offers in a multi-criteria context. Relying on a specialized provider, such as Acxias, which offers a dedicated service, may be necessary to take ownership of the device and maximize the gains.

The morning event organized at the end of March by the National Purchasing Council (CDAF) allowed stakeholders to explain the impact of technological solutions in the transformation of organizations. Driven to further computerize their processes, particularly to collaborate more effectively with the outside world, purchasing departments have a role to play in the cross-cutting digitalization movement.

Despite its benefits in terms of cost reduction and payment times, the acquisition card remains relatively confidential, especially in large private companies, which are reluctant to acquire an additional tool. Suppliers would also be reluctant to enter such a scheme. Often questioned on the subject as part of its missions to optimize the supply-to-pay chain, Acxias remains on active watch and follows the evolution of the offer in this area.

Calculating the return on investment of a project, managing performance and action plans: these are the two priority themes for purchasing departments when it comes to automating the function's processes. In any case, this is the result of the consultation launched at the beginning of January by Acxias, ahead of the second session of the Workshops of the Club of Actors in the Digitization of Purchasing.