E&I offers a comprehensive range of eProcurement solutions, from our no-cost online marketplace to standalone platforms with varying levels of functionality and integration capabilities. These solutions make eProcurement accessible for all members while bringing increased visibility and market reach to our suppliers, regardless of their e-commerce capabilities.
VERVE is a no-cost online shopping service where members and their end users can shop for products and services available through E&I supplier contracts in a fully secure, centralized purchasing environment. Functionality includes member-specific E&I contracts, support for p-cards, purchase orders, and RFQ, as well as reporting, basic approvals, and admin rights. ERP integration is available at low or no cost.
Next steps? If you are an E&I supplier and would like to be enabled on VERVE, please contact VERVEadmin@eandi.org.
VERVE is a no-cost online marketplace for p-card users – enabling schools and universities to drive end users to a centralized shopping experience where E&I’s contracts are available in a fully secure purchasing environment.
While VERVE is intended for small to mid-size members, it is available to all members. E&I wants to provide an eProcurement pathway for those members that historically haven’t been able to afford eProcurement because of cost or complexity. VERVE is offered at no cost to the membership.
VERVE is configured in line with the member account. P-card transactions are available by default. Purchase order transactions can also be enabled at the member’s request. Each member has been associated with a known domain(s) so when a user registers, they will be associated with the appropriate account. Any discrepancies will delay the auto registration process until the VERVE Administrator can verify the user and the appropriate account. When a user places an order, the resulting standard cXML order will include their E&I Member ID, member name, p-card number, and user information. EqualLevel can provide a sample of the punchout and PO transaction detail.
Members looking to engage more strategically in VERVE will designate an Account Administrator for their specific member account – at which time they can request purchase order transaction type, setup approvals, access to member specific pricing (if applicable), and additional functionality, if desired. This is commonly referred to as an Enrolled Account.
VERVE is a no-cost online marketplace for education where many of E&I’s contracts are pre-loaded and available in a secure, controlled purchasing environment. VERVE is available to all E&I members as part of their E&I membership.
The EqualLevel search engine searches profiles as well as online catalogs. Providing keywords will optimize your company’s search results. Categories and subcategories of your products and services is a great place to start. You can add or remove keywords over time.
There will be in-platform access to training, documentation, videos, and other resources. We will also be fielding Tier 1 questions submitted in the application by members.
Members will have the ability to sign up for an “Enrolled Account,” and this will be our primary goal as we talk with members. An Enrolled Account indicates that the member has chosen to take a strategic approach to using VERVE and has designated an administrator. There is an onboarding process to work directly with the member to provide:
VERVE has a Request for Quote feature. Please be sure to complete the E-commerce Capability Survey and provide EqualLevel with the point of contact (POC) and email address of the person or group to receive quote requests.
EqualLevel will connect the supplier’s punchout store to VERVE through EqualLevel GO. Suppliers will complete the store set up and submit the punchout and order credentials in their Go Store. EqualLevel will then connect the store to VERVE once testing has been completed. Check out some recommended best practices for your Go Store.
While VERVE has a single URL for login, each member institution is set up as a separate account within the environment. If the member signs up for an Enrolled Account, they will have more control over their processes.
If applicable, members can enable their specific pricing as a punchout catalog provided they have an Enrolled Account. As a result, product customization is possible for those members.
There are no 3rd party integrators.
Catalogs are separate from videos and brochures; any non-catalog type material will be processed through E&I’s Marketing Department. Catalogs can be updated at any time within GO and the suppliers manage that process.
This is dependent on the technology you have available for your punchout. The E&I Member ID number is passed in the punchout request session, and some suppliers can provide unique pricing and experience to a user based on the email address and/or Member ID number.
Quotes and orders can be submitted ad hoc and aren’t reliant on catalog items. Please be sure to let EqualLevel know that you can accept ad hoc orders so that capability is enabled for your instance.
This is done by the supplier; however, we encourage anyone who doesn’t have the quote capability in their punchout catalog to consider the RFQ in EqualLevel. All quotes are available from your GO Store and can be responded to within your environment. You can also assign certain people to respond to quote requests submitted by different members as well as initiating a quote from the GO Store.
All members will have access to the punchout. A list of members who have been uploaded into VERVE can be provided. The individual assigned by suppliers to manage the E&I contract receives a monthly update of new and deleted members.
