MIT SMR Connections: Let’s talk about the benefits of procurement transformation. Certainly, we can think about better supplier management, meaning a better cost profile, as well as greater visibility that would lead to better decisionmaking. What else is there?

Heimes: It starts with the efficiency of your supplier base. An e-procurement system is going to give you the ability to manage your suppliers much more effectively. You can start to ingest catalogs, e-catalogs, and different databases, which will help you become more efficient in the actual online requisition process.