Following the closure of Eutilia and convinced about eSourcing tools value, Suez, a leading international industrial utility Group, has launched a RFP in early 2007 to find a substitution solution. Leading solution-providers like Synertrade, BravoSolution, Ariba were invited to reply. Finally, end of March, Suez has decided to go with VerticalNet’s XE Sourcing solution to enable all its BU’s to perform online RFx, auctions but also to manage contracts and the execution of their purchasing programs, realtime. As far as I heard from my former client, VerticalNet solution was really impressive and ahead of others from a completeness, performance, user-friendly and pricing perspective!. Nothing else to add. That still fits perfectly to Andrew’s last analysis (forrester, 2005) about VerticalNet, ranking VerticalNet Sourcing Suite at the third position behind Ariba and Emptoris, though much less costly.
Following my post “VerticalNet reports disappointing financial results for Q4-06“, I have to say I am really enjoying this success for VerticalNet, hoping it is the first of numerous contract awards in 2007.
Buy-O Procurement , an international purchasing consulting company and VerticalNet’s partner, will ensure Suez’s user training and their necessary coaching in their day to day activities.