Startup Idea: Automated IT Procurement System

Startup idea to develop an automated interface between IT procurement systems in a financial institution and its vendors. The software would streamline the process by directly obtaining quotes from vendors when an order is placed internally, through which the best vendor can be selected without further communication.

I work in a large finance institution in the IT procurement division.

My job is basically taking in internal requests for IT equipment and then going to the vendors in order to obtain the equipment. the issue is that there is so much back and forth that it was frankly quite time wasting. The process goes as follows:

1. customer places an order in internal system which gets routed to me
2. I get the order and CALL each vendor asking for a quote
3. the Vendors get back to me (hopefully on time) with a quote
4. I select the best quote, gets approved by the manager
5. I go BACK to the vendor and request for the equipment
6. I am left sitting in the dark until the equipment arrives at the office.

Software solution: I was thinking of having some sort of interface between our internal systems and the different vendors, that way, when an order is placed, quotes are already online and I can simply pick the best one and not have to call the vendor twice.