Skip to main content
New Download the free Source-to-Pay Buyer's Checklist - get the guide.
Blog

4-Steps to get Best Prices in e-Auctions

By Anupam Aggrwal, CEO & Co-Founder · 3 January 2022

Introduction to e-Auctions

e-Auctions are one of the most effective ways to negotiate with suppliers. They get savings anywhere between 4-17%. Your e-Negotiation is a platform for your organizations to create faceless, un-biased negotiations resulting in best prices - always.

Not only this, e-Auctions also record a complete trail of the negotiations like who all were invited and participated in the negotiations, initial price, reduction trends and final price comparative etc and it is available for future audits.

However, organizations need to create an eco-system to get maximum benefits of the e-Auctions. Some of the key essentials to make e-Negotiations successful are as under:

Step 1: Motivate and Encourage Suppliers Who Bid Aggressively in e-Auctions

It is most important that you promote the culture of aggressive bidding by suppliers during e-Negotiations. You can motivate their behaviour by some very simple steps like:

No Negotiations After e-Auctions Immediate PO/LOI Rewarding Terms for Contracts Negotiated Using e-Auctions

Step 2: Reward Employees Who Create Innovative e-Auctions

Our team members can do wonders by bringing creativity in e-Negotiations. It can be as simple as using a combinatorial auction in place of itemized auctions or using Dutch Auctions in place of standard English Auctions or appropriate usage of λ-Factor etc.

The organization must reward employees who bring maximum value for the organizations. The employees can be rewarded by measuring:

Savings Achieved Using e-Auctions Purchase Orders Placed on New Vendors (e.g. Min 10% of total purchase on new vendors approved in current and last financial year)

Best e-Negotiation Strategy Special Weightage for e-Auctions

Step 3: Quantify, Measure and Display Savings

It is important to align all members of the Supply Chain in bringing this value. Common goal and its daily tracking help team to put a bit of extra effort in extracting more value from the e-Negotiations without by-passing the system.

Step 4: Improve e-Negotiation Experience for Suppliers

Lastly, it is very important to take feedback from the suppliers on their experience of the e-Negotiations. Any constructive feedback must be recorded and corrective actions be taken to improve the suppliers' experience. A good platform is an asset for the organization's long-term growth strategy.

FAQ

Questions about this article.

What savings range do e-Auctions typically deliver?
Roughly 4-17% according to the article.
What are the four steps to getting best prices in e-Auctions?
Motivating aggressive supplier bidding, rewarding employee innovation in auction design, quantifying and displaying savings, and improving the supplier experience through feedback.

About the Author

Anupam Aggrwal is the CEO and Co-Founder of procurEngine and has spent more than 25 years handling negotiations and helping organizations improve procurement performance through process transformation, digitalization, and strategic sourcing. He also gives guest lectures to supply chain students at Mays Business School at Texas A&M University and the Eli Broad Graduate School of Management at Michigan State University.

See more from the procurEngine blog.

More Articles Book a Demo