Every company purchases MRO items and is challenged by the category-its multitudes of part numbers and suppliers as well as the mounds of paper buying processes generate. And every employee thinks he or she knows best how to buy maintenance, repair and operations items.

E-procurement promised to change all that, and it has to some degree. Many companies set up e-procurement systems and began using e-catalogs, having employees place orders electronically for many MRO items available through distribution using negotiated pricing and preferred suppliers. These efforts helped to significantly improve efficiency and reduce purchasing costs.

Distributors have high expectations for e-commerce and are looking for online sales to grow 20 percent this year.

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