Try E-Procurement for Free: Trial Access, Demo, and the 30-Day Plan

It's hard to evaluate procurement software based on a brochure. Whether a procurement platform is a good fit for your business only becomes clear once your own suppliers are set up and the first real order goes through. That’s exactly what the trial account is for. This article explains the terms, distinguishes between a demo and a trial, and provides a plan to ensure that 30 days are actually enough.

Yes, you can test e-procurement for free before committing to a contract. With simple system, the trial includes 30 days of full functionality and an unlimited number of users—no payment information required. A 30-minute demo is often enough to get a first overview; the trial access is worthwhile as soon as you plan to process real orders.

The most important points at a glance:

• 30 days free, full functionality—from the first shopping cart to automated invoicing.
• No payment information, no risk, and no obligation.
• An unlimited number of users is included—requesters, approvers, and administrators can all be fully integrated.
• Over 1,000 suppliers and 100 million items are available from day one.
• Demo or trial? The demo takes about 30 minutes and walks you through the process. A trial account is the right choice if you want to work with your own data and orders.

Demo or trial account – which is best for what

Both options have their place, but they address different questions. Choosing the wrong one wastes time.

In practice, the following sequence has proven effective: first, the demo to determine whether the solution is fundamentally a good fit—then the trial account to confirm it.

An Overview of the Trial Conditions

The most common concern with free trials isn’t the feature set, but the fine print. So let’s start with the terms:

• Duration: 30 days.
• Feature set: full—from the first shopping cart to approvals and automated invoicing.
• Payment information: Not stored for the trial.
• Number of users: unlimited, at no extra charge. Requesters, approvers, and administrators can be realistically modeled.
• Product range: Over 1,000 suppliers and more than 100 million items are available from day one.
• Yourown suppliers: Existing regular suppliers can be integrated with their negotiated terms.

Key Fact: The trial access to simple system runs for 30 days with full functionality and an unlimited number of users—without requiring payment information.

Is 30 days enough to make a decision?

Yes—if the trial is planned rather than run on the side. The most common reason for inconclusive trial phases isn’t a lack of time, but a lack of a clear goal: Access is set up, a few clicks are made, and after four weeks, there’s still no basis for a decision.

The timeframe speaks for itself: Setup typically takes one to two weeks, without major IT project. Even an SAP integration requires only about three hours of effort on the part of IT. This leaves two to three weeks after setup for actual orders—enough time to see how the platform performs in everyday use.

The 30-Day Test Plan

Four weeks, four goals. If you stick to this framework, you’ll end up with hard numbers instead of just impressions.

Week 1 – Setup. Create user accounts, define roles and approval limits, set up cost centers, and select two to three product groups that accurately reflect actual demand. Important: Don’t try to include the entire product range; focus instead on what is ordered frequently.

Week 2 – Have a pilot group place orders. A manageable group of actual users uses the platform to place real orders. Not test orders, but real ones—this is the only way to see if the system works in everyday use.

Week 3 – Run through the process. Now it’s time to involve accounting: Is the account assignment working? Are the order references correct? If an ERP integration is planned, test it here. At the same time, verify that approvals and budgets are functioning as intended.

Week 4 – Evaluate and decide. Compare the time spent per order before and after the change, collect feedback from the users, and extrapolate the results to the annual volume. This provides the basis for decision-making.

Tip: In Week 1, measure the current state before making the change—processing time per order and the percentage of invoices without a purchase order reference. Without a baseline, you won’t be able to demonstrate any effect in the end.

How to Tell If the Test Was Successful

Define the metrics before you start, not after:

• Processing time per order —before versus after.
• Percentage of orders placed via the platform compared to previous channels.
• Invoices in accountingwith no corresponding order —the most reliable indicator of uncontrolled orders.
• Feedback from end users: Is the platform being used voluntarily or circumvented?
• Administrative overhead: How much time does support actually take?

Common mistakes during the test phase

• Trying to do too much at once. If you want to include the entire product range and all departments, you’ll spend 30 days on master data. Two to three product groups are sufficient to draw a reliable conclusion.
• Only the purchasing department is testing. Purchasing cannot assess whether the interface is suitable for end users—that requires input from the line departments.
• No baseline measurement. Without an actual value, all that’s left in the end is a hunch.
• Accounting gets involved too late. Account assignments and order references determine the system’s usefulness, but they don’t come into play until invoices arrive.

What isn’trealistically possible in 30 days : a complete migration of all suppliers or a complex multi-site rollout. Both belong in the implementation phase after the decision has been made, not in the testing phase.

Conclusion: Testing isn’t a risk, but it’s not a sure thing either

A procurement platform can be tried out for 30 days free of charge and without payment data. Whether this leads to a sound decision depends less on the length of the trial period than on the preparation: measure baseline metrics, have a pilot group place real orders, and involve the accounting department early on.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions About Trial Access