Punchout

Punchout (also known as punchout catalog or punchout shopping) is a procurement process that allows buyers to access a supplier’s e-commerce website from within their own e-procurement system, without the need to separately log in to the supplier’s website. The punchout process typically involves a connection between the buyer’s procurement system and the supplier’s e-commerce platform via a standardized protocol, such as cXML or OCI. Once connected, the buyer can search for and select products from the supplier’s catalog, add them to their shopping cart, and initiate the checkout process, all from within their own procurement system. This allows the buyer to maintain their own purchasing processes and approvals, while still accessing the supplier’s products and pricing. Punchout is commonly used in B2B industries where the procurement process is complex and involves multiple stakeholders and approvals, such as healthcare, government, and education. It can help to streamline the procurement process, reduce errors, and improve compliance with purchasing policies. Punchout is often integrated with other e-procurement tools such as electronic invoicing, purchase order management, and spend analytics.