Solid Tool for Large Organization
June 13, 2018
Solid Tool for Large Organization
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with PeopleSoft eProcurement
PeopleSoft eProcurement is used at the department level across the organization for all purchasing needs outside of materials managed through our supply chain. This can include miscellaneous office supplies to order catering on advanced notice. The organization outgrew the ability to efficiently expense or justify monthly P-Cards, and automating the payment through ePro with the thousands of cost centers, restricted fund, and grant accounts eased burden on all end users. Although a delay between a department request and actually ordering will now occur, the overall benefit to stream line the financial management piece significantly outweighs any increase in timing. This review and all other details provided are my opinion alone, and not of my employer utilizing the system.
- System allows for quick ordering from preferred vendors or past orders. This can expedite the process for frequent users.
- PeopleSoft communicates with our finance department so allows for quick lookup and linking to the thousands of accounts that can be used fro purchasing. This reduces error in entering incorrect numbers that do not exist.
- Streamline flow to the direct supervisor or account control to approve the ePro request. Triggers a direct email with link to the request, and the review/approval is less than a few clicks.
- Once the initial approval is granted the current system is not setup to send any follow-up notification around additional approvals or order completion. This creates somewhat of a surprise effect on when an order will actually be made or delivered.
- Due to the volume of accounts that can be entered, there are limited restrictions for someone to entered an incorrect cost center or even one they do not own.
- Is not mobile friendly and must be logged into the organization's network to access the internal PeopleSoft platform.
- Positive is the centralized means to order and request purchases throughout the organization.
- Negative is the ordering department typically has less control over delivery, and unless requested does not have a means to track shipment or learn of potential delays.
- When ordering through eProcurement you are at the mercy for processing speed of a the purchasing or controlling department. Some 24 hours sales or discount codes often go to waste due to the time the request is submitted and goes to purchase.
PeopleSoft is a straight forward system that allows greater customization and communicates better with the rest of the organization's business tools. Concur is a "newer" system with a better user interface, but has proven to provide an even slower processing speed due to the numerous hierarchical approval settings. For this reason, Concur is only used for travel and expense purposes rather than invoicing or purchasing.
Evaluating PeopleSoft eProcurement and Competitors
Not Sure
- Vendor Reputation
- Existing Relationship with the Vendor
Many of our other systems were PeopleSoft and Oracle based, so the decision was to streamline our business tools to increase efficiency. The ability to centralize our procurement efforts at a large organization benefits both the department level as well as the organization as a whole. Continuing the use of the system was essential to our growing state wide presence.
Using PeopleSoft eProcurement
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Like to use Technical support not required Well integrated Consistent Quick to learn Convenient Familiar | None |
- Submitting procurement requests for individual items can be done in a matter of minutes.
- The approval process is quite easy for leadership and approving their team's requests can be done in a couple clicks once the email notification arrives.
- Accessing details on the request to verify amount, price, and paying cost center or fund account is simple.
- If a request has dozens of unique items this request completion process can get pretty lengthy as it required a lot of repetitive entry.
- Depending how complex your accounting department is - the ability to correctly list the account to billed and where it should be sent do can be tricky.