Agora|Commerce

Integrated e-procurement for agencies and their suppliers

The Solution: Agora|Commerce

Agora|Commerce is a complete e-procurement system based on the latest XML-centric technologies and standards. GMRI Services Divsion, now Fulcrum, has used it successfully to support GMRI's $130 million/year reselling operation. The product is ideal for any provider of products or services to resellers or distributors that sell to large private or public-sector customers, who wish to optimize their purchasing process. The University of California is currently implementing a version for desktop computer acquisition and management. Features include a Web store, order approval system, multi-contract support, real-time connectivity with suppliers and buyers, and advanced management and reporting.

Hands-Free Reselling

Use Agora|Commerce to connect your buyers with your suppliers. Free your staff to focus on improving quality and bringing in new business. If you have e-commerce-enabled suppliers, Agora|Commerce automatically updates their products on your web site and provides detailed information such as inventory availability, backorder status, and shipment status. Buyers can purchase products from you, get all the information they need online, and receive products directly from your suppliers in your name without your staff's active involvement. Beyond being an online store, workflow tools enable buyers and program office staff to reduce their own paperwork and automate their acquisition and approval processes.

Power to Your Managers

Agora|Commerce helps your managers take control of day-to-day operations by giving them advanced analytical and decision support tools. Sophisticated data warehouse and pivot-table technology enables instant reporting on many aspects of the business. For example, reporting can be by customer type, product, product category, order, frequently searched products, website utilization, and many other criteria. Using this instant information, managers can adjust processes, inventory, and catalogs to increase business and reduce overhead.

A Long-Term, Cost-Effective Solution

Based on emerging technology standards, Agora|Commerce can provide lasting solutions. From the start, it was based on XML, the new standard for transacting electronic business over the Internet. Agora|Commerce also leverages advanced new technologies from Microsoft Commerce Server and BizTalk Server, some of the most widely supported platforms in industry today. This makes it easy to find Microsoft technology experts to extend and maintain the system.

Moreover, Agora|Commerce is significantly less expensive—yet more flexible and powerful—than competing e-procurement products from CommerceOne, SAP, IBM, and others. It can easily integrate with internal and external systems. With flexibility, functionality, and cost-effectiveness, Agora|Commerce packs all the power an e-commerce system needs.