Are you looking for simple and user-friendly purchasing software for SMEs?

Perfect! We have taken the trouble to compare popular providers such as Onventis, Coupa, Precoro and Hivebuy in all relevant aspects.

This makes it easy for you to find out which software is best suited to your company.

How does cost reduction through purchasing software work?

Purchasing software offers many advantages that can lead to a considerable reduction in costs. By automating processes such as the procurement process, spend analysis, supplier and contract management and approval processes, companies can benefit from the following effects:

No maverick buying thanks to faster and standardized ordering processes
Transparency and clarity of order data with the help of intelligent purchasing management
Proactive budget control through automated approval processes
Clear data acquisition with real-time data
Everything easily accessible in one place

Competitive comparison

But of course there are also purchasing software programs that have been specially developed for SMEs and offer individual functions. With the help of our comparison list, you can see at a glance which purchasing software is best suited to your company.

But good purchasing software can do even more. Large corporations often work with more extensive purchasing systems such as SAP, Ariba, Coupa, Oracle or Jaegger. However, these are not always suitable for SMEs, as the tools are extensive and not particularly intuitive to use.

Competitive comparison of Hivebuy with Onventis, Precoro and Coupa

What can good purchasing software do?

Good purchasing software should cover the following functions so that you can manage with foresight:

Ordering process: Digital control of the entire procurement process including status queries and inventory management
B2B order catalog: Database with search functions for materials and services
Release processes: Review of content by authorized persons before release
Workflow management: optimizing processes through planning, modeling and analysis
Expenditure analysis: identification, recording and categorization of external expenditure

Invoice management: Automated processing and payment of invoices
Contract management: Implementation and support of contractual negotiations between a company and other parties as well as implementation of contract amendments for technical, scheduling, personnel or financial reasons.
Supplier management: Systematic management of the relationship between a company and its suppliers with the aim of optimizing its own value chain economically and technically through a transparent comparison of suppliers.
Integration:
Possibility of integrating other systems such as ERPs or accounting systems

It is important for us to emphasize that good purchasing software for SMEs should be user-friendly and easy to use in order to counteract reservations and increase usage by employees. You can find out more about the functions of purchasing software here.

Do you need more information?

You shall have it! Here are a few more facts about the individual companies:

1. Hivebuy

Hivebuy is a Berlin-based company that offers purchasing software that makes indirect purchasing intelligent, intuitive and efficient. It offers all relevant functions for optimizing procurement processes, such as company-owned marketplaces, automated approval processes, supplier, contract and invoice management as well as sophisticated workflow management. The software is designed for small and medium-sized companies and can be implemented within one day. In contrast to the other providers, Hivebuy is a young start-up.

2. precoro

Precoro is a US company with sales offices in Europe. For this reason, cooperation is not possible in German. The purchasing software is functionally structured and offers good user-friendliness. However, some modules could still be expanded to keep up with other providers. For example, there is no interface for entering invoices into the software.

3. onventis

Onventis is an established company from Stuttgart that has been offering purchasing software since 2000. It offers a wide range of functions from which customers can select the modules they require. However, the individual modules are not as flexibly adaptable to customer requirements as with other providers due to the long period of use.

4. coupa

Coupa is a California-based company that offers its purchasing software worldwide as a comprehensive end-to-end solution. It offers not only the usual functions such as procurement, invoices, contracts, suppliers, budget and analyses, but also travel and expense management as well as the administration of self-employed persons. It is ideal for companies that are looking for a comprehensive solution and are prepared to pay for the additional functions.

How thermondo uses Hivebuy

It was important for thermondo to find a tool that could be used without Involvement of the IT department and without a major consulting project could be introduced. It should be a tool that employees can use intuitively and enjoy using.

With Hivebuy, a smart system was found that could be tailored to the organization’s processes thanks to the no-code approach. It maps the procurement process, including all relevant approval chains and compliance guidelines, and can be easily integrated with other tools, such as DATEV or the digital invoice receipt tool from another manufacturer.

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To the interview

To the webinar

Why Hivebuy is the perfect combination of flexibility and professionalism for IT

Simone Wimberg, IT team leader at BÜFA GmbH & Co. KG, shares the following experience after a short integration phase of Hivebuy:

“The Hivebuy team is uncomplicated, reliable and quick to work with. I was impressed by the way our requirements were heard, understood and implemented. Hivebuy combines the flexibility of a start-up with the professionalism of an established partner.”

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Integration into the Microsoft ecosystem

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FAQ
Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

How do analyses increase cost transparency?

Gain control over your costs, transparency and an overview of all data, because thanks to our powerful analysis functions you can easily visualize and analyze your costs. With our cost management tool, you can perform budget analyses and expense reporting to get a clear picture of your cost structure. See your entire spending history at a glance to identify trends and weak points in your purchasing process. Thanks to the help of automatic alerts, which you can set up individually, you can focus on the essentials again and save costs. With our budget analysis and expense reporting, you can manage your costs more efficiently and maximize your profits.

How do contract and supplier management make everyday life easier?

Maintain control over your suppliers and contracts through automated processes and standardized databases. Thanks to a standardized presentation of all contract details, not only are changes possible quickly, but comparisons between service providers and retailers are also much easier. Automatic reminders of upcoming renewals or changes prevent human error. Finally, the history makes it easier to track changes. With our software, you can create standardized guidelines for supplier selection and contract design and comply with them company-wide. Thanks to the clear presentation and automation, not only are your employees relieved, but you also save time and money.

How does automated workflow management make everyday life easier?

You want to speed up your indirect purchasing. The best way to do this is to optimize your ordering and approval processes. Our purchasing software can automate recurring tasks such as placing orders, obtaining quotes and tracking deliveries. This minimizes human error and saves time. We also simplify internal communication by using predefined routines to regulate approvals. Thanks to integrations such as Microsoft Teams and Slack, approvals can be granted with a single click in future. Your employees receive clear budget frameworks and in your dashboard you can see the complete approval history with all those responsible.

How secure is eProcurement in terms of data protection?

How secure is my exchanged data and information in a cloud? You can be sure that your data is in the best hands with us. We attach great importance to data protection. Our data center is located in Germany and your data never leaves Europe. Furthermore, end-to-end encryption provides additional security. Particularly sensitive data, such as invoices, are stored in specially protected entities. Daily backups and redundant systems protect you from data loss.

What does Hivebuys integration mean without implementation effort?

New applications do not always have to involve a high implementation effort in the company. Some things are also easy. eProcurement solutions should be compatible with various ERP systems and webhooks that are already in place in your company.

How do I get more structure through product catalogs and reduce maverick buying?

Products or services are purchased outside the approved supplier network and the approved purchasing process is not followed. This leads to higher costs, a lack of quality control and the inability to revise purchasing activities. This is why many companies set guidelines. However, at least 30% of the company’s purchases do not comply with purchasing guidelines. With standardized order catalogs, companies can design their purchasing processes quickly and efficiently, putting an end to the shadowy existence of maverick buying. The order catalogs are intuitive to use and bring order and overview to the shopping chaos. This way you can ensure that your company receives the best products and services at the best prices and that unauthorized purchases are no longer possible.

Is the purchase associated with high costs and time expenditure?

Are you worried that the investment won’t pay off because set-up fees, implementation costs and training will tie up too many resources? Our promise to you: We do not charge a set-up fee, you only pay per user. Hivebuy is implemented so quickly that hardly any resources are required. The procurement software is ready for use company-wide within 1 hour. Employee training is redundant thanks to the intuitive usability of the software.

Who is Hivebuy for?

Find out more about how the Hivebuy platform can be integrated at your company here.

My company is unsure and has reservations about new technologies, what can I do?

Are you unsure how employees will accept new software and whether they will use it at all? Let us convince you of the most intuitive shopping experience! Your employees will love the playful approach. Get a test account and try it out straight away. Our customer service is always available to answer your questions.

Do you have any further questions? Contact our Customer Success Team →