e-Sourcing is the automation of this process to further decrease costs, reduce supply risks and increase profits. Moai’s e-Sourcing and online negotiation technology allows companies to reduce purchasing expenditures and optimize existing purchasing processes by bringing strategic sourcing online. e-Sourcing facilitates market efficiencies between buyers and sellers to increase revenues, reduce costs and streamline business processes. For corporations and government organizations, Moai solutions can cut costs, increase revenues and improve business practice efficiencies.

Moai Technologies has more than 145 customers in 18 countries worldwide, including a number of Global 2000 companies. Eastman Chemical Company, ecMarkets, ForestExpress, the Forestry Commission (UK), Traconi, and the US Army are among the companies and agencies that have used Moai’s enterprise e-Sourcing software to realize substantial savings in their corporate purchasing. Other Moai customers have chosen to remain anonymous for competitive reasons.

Moai’s solutions are used across a wide range of vertical industries, including:

Transportation
Retail & CPG
Energy/Utilities
Industrials
Government
Forest Products
Food and Beverage
Healthcare

Estimates indicate that more than $10 billion in goods and services have been sourced using Moai’s software, and Moai’s e-Sourcing customers are realizing an average savings of 16 - 20 percent over their historical price for goods and services, and in some cases substantially more.

The Moai are the carved statues created by a race of Polynesian people who somehow sailed thousands of miles across the South Pacific in outrigger canoes to the island of Rapa Nui around the year 400. Dubbed Easter Island by a Dutch sea captain who "discovered" it on Easter Sunday 1722, Rapa Nui is one of the most isolated places on earth. A triangle of volcanic rock, it lies midway between Chile and Tahiti - and is 2000 miles away from each!

In a reverse auction a buyer posts an item or a group of items that they wish to buy from selected suppliers. The suppliers compete for the lowest price at which they will sell the selected item or items to that buyer. This type of event can be used for products, materials or services. The event will allow the buyer to specify a starting price and a desired quantity of the item, items or service. For example a buyer can create an offering to buy Cut Sheet Paper over the course of a year. The buyer would specify the quantity in boxes or pallets of the paper that was desired and then provide a starting price. The suppliers would then come on line and compete to see who could provide the paper at the lowest price. In order for suppliers to bid in this type of event, they must beat the current lowest price. The buyer may specify a decrement amount, which is the amount a supplier, must lower their price in order to become the lowest bidder.

A Multi-Line event allows a buyer to post multiple items or services within a single event. The buyer decides which lines are required and which lines are optional for the supplier to bid on. The suppliers then provide pricing on those lines. If the supplier cannot meet a price on a required line, their bid will not be accepted on any line. For each line the buyer specifies the starting price, quantity and Unit of Measure for the suppliers to bid on. In this type of event there are two types of bidding rules that can be applied. Competitive bidding works much like the reverse auction in that suppliers must beat the current lowest price in order to bid. Another approach is to use Beat Your Bid, which allows the supplier to improve their bid without necessarily being the lowest bidder. This approach will allow the suppliers to give their best pricing, even if it is not the lowest pricing so that the buyer can evaluate all responses. Buyers can also choose to receive bundled bids from the suppliers. In a bundled bid, the suppliers agree to provide the full quantity of all the lines at a specified price. The buyer may provide a starting price for the bundled bidding which may be a discount off of the sum of the lines.

The OnDemandSourcing Full Service offering can help identify commodities within an organization that would be best suited for an on-line event. Our sourcing professionals work with your buyers to identify e-Sourcing opportunity, set up the events and execute these events. It's also an optimally available service for self-service and managed-service users.

Technical support will be available before, during and after the event. We will insure that the event goes smoothly.

OnDemandSourcing allows you to ask the suppliers for additional information other than price and quantity. This additional information can be in the form of data entry field or pick (drop down) lists. The buyer defines what information is needed and how it will be captured from the suppliers

OnDemandSourcing provides both buyer and suppliers with a Message Center. Suppliers can post questions or clarifications on the Message Center. Buyers can also post information on the Message center. Messages can be private to one supplier or public to all suppliers. Suppliers cannot communicate with one another. The buyer determines what information all suppliers see. All messages can be copied on email. The Message Center is available while the event is in preview phase as well as while the event is open.

Depending on the nature of the event, the OnDemandSourcing team will work with you to provide the appropriate training for your supplier group. This can vary from a mock event to a 1-hour on-line training session. Training materials will also be available on-line for the suppliers to use

Please look at our Contact Us link and e-mail the appropriate person with your question.