Procurement should be simple: Interview with CEO of Hivebuy

Procurement should be simple. Everything is in one place: no unnecessary features, 20 passwords or endless browser tabs. Unite is continuously expanding its ecosystem and collaborating with e-procurement partners to make this a reality for as many buyers as possible.

Our latest interview with Hivebuy explains how they streamlined their ordering process with minimum clicks. The Berlin-based company runs a procurement platform that allows users approve orders via MS Teams or Slack. And the good news is that Hivebuy users will have access to millions of products on Unite. Co-Founder and CEO, Bettina Fischer, sheds light on the benefits for Hivebuy’s buyers.

Before founding Hivebuy, you worked for several well-known e-commerce companies, including Zalando. What made you launch an e-procurement solution of your own?

I saw the kind of procurement challenges that companies faced time and again and realised that employees need a fast and simple procurement solution to meet their needs. But at the same time, they need to stick to budgets and approval processes. Also, controlling departments need real-time procure-to-pay input, accounts payable processes to track outstanding invoices, incoming goods and budget utilisation for each department. I thought there had to be a better way to bring these processes together in an agile format.

That’s why we developed a lean software solution. Our customers can set it up in as little as an hour (depending on their requirements) and place orders in under a minute. You can also approve orders via Microsoft Teams or Slack.

Bettina Fischer, Co-Founder and CEO of Hivebuy

Hivebuy and Unite have been business partners since 2022. Can you tell us how this cooperation came about?

We rely on integrating and connecting catalogues from providers and offer our customers the best choice possible. That’s when we came across Unite, an experienced e-procurement platform on the market. Unite’s B2B platform is built on a networking philosophy and ecosystem that’s grown over decades. We share similar values. Our cooperation is effortless, as we speak the same language in our technical communication. These factors allowed us to set up the integration process and go live in no time.

How do your customers benefit from your Unite integration?

The integration gives our clients seamless access to millions of additional products and hundreds of suppliers instantly – all in one place. And we’re talking about niche professional product ranges here. As Unite expands its network across Europe, there’s a growing platform offering. It also offers sustainable product catalogues from curated suppliers.

Transparency, optimised processes and interfaces are especially important to you. How is that reflected in your clients’ procurement journey, can you share an example?

Our customers usually work at medium-sized companies with a headcount of anywhere between 50 and 1,000. Many of them are specialised in specific sectors. We have lots of buyers from trade and construction. They use the platform to re-order screws or building materials with just one click. What they don’t want is to do is go through a lengthy sign-up process or technical training. Then we have buyers who need office supplies or IT equipment that meet certain criteria set by their management or accounting. It takes a smart solution to cover this varied range of requirements.

Let’s look beyond criteria such as process costs. How important are values and relationships in today’s procurement landscape?

Values and relationships are crucial in procurement. When buyers, managers and the controlling department discuss managing expenses, it’s about far more than just an accounting procedure. It’s also about building trust and reliable networks to create secure supply chains and prevent breakdowns. In today’s ever-challenging economy, that’s more important than ever. Together with Unite, we create and share values that benefit everyone.

About Hivebuy:

Hivebuy enables its users to manage their order processes all the way from making a buying decision to verifying an invoice – all in one place. Their company-wide procurement solution creates efficiency and ongoing transparency of all processes and costs for all employees. No need for an implementation project, prior knowledge or even training. More information about Hivebuy can be found here.

Key figures:
• Based in Berlin
• Founded in 2021
• System implementation in less than a day

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