---
title: Electronic Purchasing (ePurchasing) Explained | Aavenir
url: https://aavenir.com/glossary/e-purchasing/
description: Electronic purchasing, or ePurchasing, moves buying from paper and email to digital systems, from the first requisition through ordering to paying the supplier.
updated: 2026-11-07
---

[Home](https://aavenir.com/) / [Resources](https://aavenir.com/resources/) / [Glossary](https://aavenir.com/glossary/) / Electronic purchasing Glossary

# What is electronic purchasing?

Electronic purchasing, or ePurchasing, moves buying from paper and email to digital systems, from the first requisition through ordering to paying the supplier.

## What it includes

- Back office ordering systems with requisitions and approvals

- Supplier catalogs and electronic marketplaces

- Supplier websites and portals

- Electronic purchase orders and confirmations

- Electronic invoices and payment

Transactions can run between businesses, between businesses and governments, and between businesses and consumers.

## Where it fits

Electronic purchasing is the ordering part of the wider [electronic procurement](https://aavenir.com/glossary/e-procurement/) process. It usually follows sourcing and contracting, and comes before invoice management and supplier relationship work. The benefits are faster orders, fewer errors, stronger approval controls and buying that sticks to contracted suppliers and prices.

## How Aavenir handles it

Electronic purchasing works best when orders follow the contract. [Contractflow](https://aavenir.com/solutions/enterprise-contract-management-software/) holds the agreed prices and terms, [Onboardingflow](https://aavenir.com/solutions/vendor-onboarding-software/) makes sure only verified suppliers receive orders, and [Invoiceflow](https://aavenir.com/solutions/accounts-payable-automation/) checks the resulting invoices against both.

## Getting started

Begin with high volume, low complexity purchases such as office supplies or standard IT equipment. Load catalogs from contracted suppliers, set simple approval rules and connect orders to invoice matching so the savings show up in payment.

## Keep reading

[Electronic procurement Electronic procurement, or eProcurement, is buying supplies, equipment, works and services through web based or networked systems instead of paper and email. Read more](https://aavenir.com/glossary/e-procurement/)[Purchase requisition A purchase requisition is an internal request an employee submits to buy goods or services for the organization, which starts approval and the purchasing process. Read more](https://aavenir.com/glossary/purchase-requisition/)[Procure to pay process The procure to pay process is how an organization buys and pays for the goods and services it needs, from the first requisition to invoice approval and payment. Read more](https://aavenir.com/glossary/procure-to-pay-process/)

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

## Common questions

###

### Is electronic purchasing the same as electronic procurement?

Not quite. Electronic procurement covers the whole digital buying process, including sourcing and contracts. Electronic purchasing focuses on ordering and paying. The two terms are often used loosely. [Read about electronic procurement](https://aavenir.com/glossary/e-procurement/).

###

### What are the benefits of electronic purchasing?

Faster ordering, fewer manual errors, clear approval trails, better use of contracted suppliers and data on what is bought. Suppliers benefit from faster orders and payment. [Read about the procure to pay process](https://aavenir.com/glossary/procure-to-pay-process/).

###

### How does electronic purchasing reduce off contract spending?

Catalogs and approval rules steer buyers to contracted suppliers and prices, and invoice checks catch purchases that slip outside them. That keeps the savings negotiated in sourcing intact. [See Invoiceflow](https://aavenir.com/solutions/accounts-payable-automation/).

Have a question we have not answered? [Ask the Expert](https://aavenir.com/contact/)

Schedule a demo

## See your contracts run on one record.

- **1****A 30 minute walkthrough**Built around your team, whether that is procurement, legal, IT or finance.

- **2****Your contracts, not ours**Bring a few sample agreements and watch Aavenir AI extract and review them.

- **3****ServiceNow or standalone**We show the deployment that fits the systems you already run.

Prefer to talk first? [Contact the team](https://aavenir.com/contact/).

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