Where Is E-Procurement Headed?

ORLANDO— During a session titled “e-Commerce Update” at the HITEC conference here today, panelists discussed the future of e-procurement systems, noting that shared responsibility and education are key components to ensuring success. Scott Anderson, president/CEO of Swan, said that margins are no longer there for suppliers and that “hotels need to pay the majority of the cost of an e-procurement site.” He added suppliers can no longer fund it all, and that “there’s no such thing as free Internet and there’s no such thing as a free e-procurement site.” In addition, Anderson said hotels need to get their employees involved in e-procurement purchasing, and suggested that corporations offer their hotel employees and managers “nudges and incentives,” and make the programs easier to use. “They need to tell the general managers why they need to do it, how to do it, what the benefits of e-procurement are, and what the consequences are for non-compliance,” said Anderson. —Diana M. Rodriguez