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Amazon….the Next B2B Network?

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by Dawn Tiura, President & CEO

DawnAmazon. The name alone makes you think of something big. So it makes sense that they might have something grandiose on the horizon. With that in mind, I want to start a conversation about whether Amazon might be the next Ariba or Coupa. I heard a rumor that 10 or so Ariba people have gone to Amazon with the intention of making it the next and biggest B2B network in the world. Think about it, we all know how to use Amazon, they have a network that is massive, they have distribution and delivery capabilities, so why couldn’t they host additional suppliers and be the purchasing platform for businesses?

Amazon has the money, they know how to fill demand, they are nimble, they are constantly innovating…what is to stop them?! They could fairly easily add a feature that limits our searching to approved items with our company’s contracted pricing (that it knows to show when we log on with our company credentials) and then check us out with a credit card or even link directly to our accounts payable systems. Amazon is wildly successful, has a surplus of cash and has set the standard for online purchasing and customer service…so why not go a step further and move from the B2C to the B2B world?

I was in the San Francisco Bay Area recently to speak at Coupa Inspire. I love being in the Bay Area surrounded by brilliant people with amazing thoughts and aspirations. After living there for 30 years, I should not be surprised by the number of new companies, ideas and appetite for innovation, however I always am. While there, I spent an evening with my oldest son and his girlfriend, both typical millennials working in Silicon Valley. We started “what iffing” and (since my son has grown up with me as a mom talking supply chain and sourcing and spent time working for Coupa) we convinced ourselves that this is distinctly possible. So was it the wine…or are you drinking the Kool-Aid and see the possibilities here too??


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