Integrations

Eurofins Genomics works with key customers to integrate our IT systems with yours to make the ordering process as effortless as possible. Every integration project is slightly different but most projects fall into 4 categories.

Types of eProcurement Platforms

B2B Punchout		Portal Site		eInvoicing		Integrations & eOrdering
Common in universities with a centralized purchasing system. Sometimes refereed to as a marketplace because there are multiple vendors that a user can choose from.		A unique ordering website built for your company. Areas of customization include billing, payment, and ordering options. It is commonly used by commercial companies and core labs.		Used by purchasing departments to consolidate invoicing. It is unrelated to ordering.		For special projects that require custom development, such as OEM situations and connections directly to the LIMS system.
SciQuest/Jaggaer SAP Ariba Coupa Intramalls More		Restrict products Restrict payment options Restrict billing account Custom ordering options OEM options Custom fields		Consolodates invoices No interface or interaction. Must meet requirements		Fully custom OEM Catalog supplier

Benefits to Eurofins Genomics eProcurment Partners

The benefit of setting up Eurofins Genomics as a B2B supplier is simplification, cost savings, and providing your users the best genomics service provider on the planet.

Consolidated purchasing of genomics products and services from one supplier, instead of multiple suppliers.  For instance, you may be forced to order DNA oligonucleotides from one company, sequencing from another, and GeneStrand fragments from a third company.  By adding Eurofins Genomics to your eProcurement system, you can order all three from one supplier.  This saves you time so you can get back to your research

Research Bulk shipping and other options are available to punchout customers which can speed up and streamline the delivery process. Purchasing EProcurement offers greater traceability and tracking of orders for purchasing agents.

eProcurement Platforms & Marketplaces

You might be ordering from an eProcurement platform already and not even be aware of it.  That is because eProcurement systems fall under a wide variety of different names, including B2B, online marketplaces,  catalog suppliers, SciQuest, Jaggaer, Ariba, SAP, and more. Your organization may even brand their marketplace in a personalized way. For instance, if Eurofins Genomics created an eProcurement platform, we might name it the “Genomics Gateway” or another name following the syntactical pattern of our company name.  

Below are a few of the most common platforms used.

• SciQuest (now Jaggaer)
• SAP Ariba
• SAP
• Coupa
• Intramalls
• Government Scientific Source

Products

One of the major benefits of adding Eurofins Genomics to your supplier marketplace is that you can order multiple products and services from one supplier, instead of many suppliers.  This saves you time, which again, lets you return to more important tasks such as research and lab work. All of our products and services are available on B2B/eProcurement platforms.

• Custom DNA synthesis
• DNA sequencing
• Gene synthesis
• EVOcard system
• Whole Plasmid Sequencing
• More

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A punchout system refers to a diverse, online marketplace that contains many suppliers.  It contains everything from simple office supplies such as pens and desks to laboratory-specific material such as oligonucleotides and pipette tips.

Suppliers are usually listed by name.  Researchers visit this marketplace and click on the supplier they wish to use. Next, the system redirects the researcher to the supplier’s ordering site, which usually looks different than their normal ordering website.  The researcher orders what they needs, and all payment and billing information goes back to the university instead of the researcher.

Common Platforms

Below are a few of the most common platforms used for punchout systems.  Eurofins Genomics works with all of these companies.

Integration for Punchout

Integrating a new supplier into a punchout system requires the following actions.

1. A request is submitted to the university or company to add the new supplier, usually by someone that works within that institution.  Companies can request access directly, but purchasing managers usually require the vocal support of a local champion, regardless of who initiates the request.  In short, the overall process moves much faster if you, a Eurofins Genomics customer, engages with us in this first step. Please contact us if you wish to start this process or contact your purchasing department and request that Eurofins Genomics be added.
2. An application form or contract is completed by the supplier. Eurofins Genomics would handle this step.
3. The application is approved by the purchasing or approval department at the university or company.  This step can require patience and several follow-ups.
4. Once approved, the integration process begins.  Eurofins Genomics IT department will handle this portion of the process.
5. Eurofins Genomics is added to your B2B punchout system.  You can now order our products and services online in your marketplace.

IT Integration

In terms of IT infrastructure, there are three layers to a B2B punchout system.

1. The first layer is the marketplace itself, which is usually framed as a part of the University/organization’s IT system. It is hosted on your side, with the university or organization.
2. The second layer comprises of an intermediary software platform that connects the supplier to the marketplace, such as SciQuest or Ariba.  This layer is virtually invisible to researchers online. Amazon and eBay are abstract examples of this type of system in the online retail sector, because they connect buyers to suppliers online.  The principle difference is that Amazon and eBay own more control over your branded, online experience, while SciQuest and Ariba are more of a purely infrastructure solution.
3. The third layer is the supplier’s website.  Once you select the supplier in the marketplace, you will “punchout” to their online ordering site, which is usually a more austere version of their public ordering site.

Purpose of Punchout System

The purpose of a punchout system is to centralize the procurement process and leverage volume discounts.  For example, four departments might all be ordering the same item from different suppliers for the same price.  If all four departments combined their order volume with one supplier, that supplier would probably offer a better price discount due to the volume.  Universities and companies utilize eProcurement to better manage expanses, centralize purchasing, reduce redundancy, save time, and reduce cost.

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Catalog Suppliers

Another category within eProcurement is catalog ordering. Usually the university marketplace, explained in the punchout tab, contains two ordering options: punchout or by catalog.  Both options are handled online. When ordering by catalog, the researcher enter a part number, similar to a SKU number, for the order instead of redirecting to a separate order site.

Despite the custom nature of DNA, Eurofins Genomics has the ability to offer most, if not all, of its portfolio through the catalog system.  Contact us for more details.

Example

SimpleSeq DNA sequencing kits, which are the most popular sequencing option in the country, are a stock item that can be purchased easily using a SKU number.  Simply add the SKU for SimpleSeq DNA sequencing kits to your storefront to allow your customers easy access to high quality DNA sequencing service. Sample submission is performed independent of the procurement process in an invoice-free environment.

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Custom Portals

A custom portal is a customized ordering site tailored for your needs.  The primary purpose is to restrict certain ordering options, products, and payment methods. 

The principle difference between a B2B punchout system and custom portals is the level of complexity and integration time.  Both solutions look very similar on the front-end.  On the back-end however, it is much easier to set up a custom portal than a B2B punchout.  Overall, both options have pros and cons and your best course of action is to contact us to explain what you need, and then let us bear the burden of forming the best solution. There is no charge to you for setting up either solution. 

Please note that Portals were formally referred to as Custom Templates on operon.com.

Benefits

• Faster to set-up than punchout systems.
• Control over which products and services are available to order.
• Control over payment methods, billing addresses and other purchasing details.
• Full access to individual account histories.
• Ability to set up a "Super Bill To" for invoicing to ensure full manageability of your institutions genomic services purchases.

Example

Our most common, custom portal, client are core labs, although we have created many portals for other types of organizations as well.  Core labs have limited capacity and must balance a unique cost structure.  For this reason, many core labs seek to outsource a portion of their demand to third party providers. However, they wish to remain in control of the process.   

Custom portals are a popular solution for core labs because it allows them to remain in the driver seat while outsourcing demand to another supplier for a great price.

Integration and Set-up

Custom portals only contain two IT layers, instead of three, which makes a big difference in terms of the set-up time and integration. There is no intermediary system or third party platform such as SciQuest or Ariba between you and Eurofins Genomics.  Customers can login with their normal account credentials and order freely.

There is no lengthy approval or application period with custom portals, and they can be set up almost at will. Meaning, you could request a custom portal today and it could be completed within a week, depending on the specifications of course. Imagine freeing up resources and time for your lab so quickly! 

1. Contact us to request a custom portal.
2. We will schedule a short meeting to understand exactly what options you wish to enable and disable, and then begin creating the site.
3. Once your custom portal site is complete, we will contact you to begin testing and ordering to ensure it meets your specifications.

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Custom Solutions

High throughput clients benefit greatly from streamlined, fully integrated ordering solutions. Eurofins can offer custom solutions and quick-start templates in a multitude of formats such as: PDF, XML/cXML, Excel, or CSV.

Tell us more about your system and we’ll provide design and integration support for a customizable, fully automated workflow. Due to the IT investment required for custom solutions, they fit best with high volume clients.

	Custom solutions are ussually drive by certain institutional requirements around data management and data transfers.

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E-Invoicing

Although used less frequently, e-invoicing involves consolidating invoices on a monthly basis into one file, which is then sent electronically to the accounts payable department. 

Unlike the other eProcurement options, e-invoicing does not involve any front-end development or online interface. It is purely a back-end function to streamline the purchasing and invoicing department.

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