Method and system for providing international procurement, such as via an electronic reverse auction

A system for facilitating item procurement from one of two or more suppliers, the system comprising:

• at least one server computer coupled to a database, wherein the server computer is configured to:
• receive a date when an auction is to be conducted, wherein the auction is for an item to be procured from one of the plurality suppliers, wherein the date is a selected number of days in the future and is stored in the database;
• before the date of the auction, provide at least a portion of an electronic qualification plan to qualify the item to be procured, wherein at least the portion of the electronic qualification plan is stored in the database;
• assist in the conducting the auction and obtaining winning bid from a winning supplier selected from the two or more suppliers;
• and
• assist in procuring at least a number of the identified items from the winning supplier for executing the created qualification plan before a greater number of the identified items are procured from the winning supplier.

A method of procuring items by a buyer organization from one of two or more suppliers, the method comprising:

• identifying an item to procure from one of the two or more suppliers under an auction, wherein the auction is to be conducted a selected number of days in the future;
• before conducting the auction creating an electronic qualification plan to qualify the identified item;
• conducting the auction and identifying a winning supplier from the two or more suppliers;
• and
• procuring at least a number of the identified item from the winning supplier for executing the created qualification plan before procuring a greater number of the identified items from the winning supplier.

A method of procuring items by a buyer organization from one of two or more supplier organizations, the method comprising the steps of:

• identifying an item to procure from one of the two or more supplier organizations under an auction;
• creating an electronic qualification plan to qualify the identified item;
• approximately concurrently with creating a qualification plan, identifying supplier organizations from the two or more supplier organizations to participate in the auction;
• approximately concurrently with identifying supplier organizations, creating a request for quotations (“RFQ”) with respect to the identified item;
• distributing the RFQ to the identified supplier organizations;
• and
• conducting the auction and identifying a winning supplier organization from the identified supplier organizations.

A data signal encoding computer-executable instructions, the instructions defining a method of facilitating item procurement from one of two or more suppliers, the method comprising:

• providing at least a portion of an electronic qualification plan to qualify an item to be procured under an auction;
• receiving a set of supplier names identifying suppliers to participate in the auction, wherein the set of supplier names is selected from the two or more suppliers;
• and
• providing at least a portion of a request for quotations (“RFQ”) with respect to the identified item, and wherein providing at least a portion of the RFQ is performed approximately concurrently with providing at least a portion of an electronic qualification plan or receiving a set of supplier names.

A method of procuring items from one of two or more supplier organizations, the method comprising:

• creating a request for quotations (“RFQ”) with respect to an item to procure from one of the two or more supplier organizations, wherein the item has been procured from an existing supplier organization;
• identifying a set of supplier organizations selected from the two or more supplier organizations, wherein the set of supplier organizations are to participate in the auction;
• distributing the RFQ to the set of identified supplier organizations;
• conducting the auction and identifying a winning supplier organization from the set of identified supplier organizations;
• and
• if the winning supplier organization is not the existing supplier organization, then transitioning from the existing supplier organization to the winning supplier organization, wherein the transitioning includes:
• procuring any existing numbers of the identified item the existing supplier organization has on hand;
• automatically generating an electronic message for at least the existing supplier regarding at least one reason why the winning supplier won the auction;
• or, procuring a number of the identified item from the existing supplier organization to permit uninterrupted transitioning to the winning supplier organization under an automated procurement system (“MRP system”).

A computer-readable, medium storing instructions causing a computer to assist in procuring items by a buyer organization from one of two or more supplier organizations, comprising:

• receiving a request to schedule an auction based on an identified item to purchase, wherein the auction is to be conducted a selected number of days in the future;
• determining by the buyer organization whether to add additional requests for the identified item, based on the scheduled auction and based on additional need for the identified item within the business organization;
• creating a request for quotations (“RFQ”) with respect to an item to procure from one of the two or more supplier organizations;
• identifying a set of supplier organizations from the two or more supplier organizations to participate in the auction;
• distributing the RFQ to the identified set of supplier organizations;
• and
• conducting the auction and identifying a winning supplier organization from the identified set of supplier organizations.