How bem’s AI-powered transformation is revolutionizing procurement companies like Order.co and Ply

We’ve been doing a lot of work in the procurement space — before bem, when Upal and I were building Silo for years, and during bem helping companies like Order.co and Ply.

Why is bem so useful in procurement? Because procurement is all about communication and its messiness. That’s what we do best.

As the digital world expands, procurement companies face an unavoidable truth: they’re swimming in a sea of unstructured data. From endless RFQs (Request for Quotes) to vendor emails and shipping confirmations, these data sources aren’t "data" at all—they’re messy, unstructured text requiring human intervention just to make sense of. This chaos creates bottlenecks, miscommunication, and inefficiencies, especially when procurement companies need real-time updates and visibility to keep business moving.

At bem, we believe that unstructured doesn’t have to mean unusable. We’re on a mission to transform chaotic data into structured information that can plug directly into your procurement workflows. Order.co and Ply, two innovative procurement companies, illustrate how this transformation can unlock new levels of efficiency, eliminate manual processes, and scale seamlessly—all while giving companies full control of their data.

The Challenge: Procurement’s Struggle with Unstructured Data

Procurement workflows are constantly interrupted by the need to process unstructured information—emails from suppliers, PDFs of purchase orders, line items in RFQs. For companies like Order.co and Ply, handling this unstructured data manually has been more than a nuisance; it’s a significant operational cost. Here’s how these companies used to struggle:

1. Order.co: A leader in procurement software, Order.co receives thousands of emails daily from suppliers detailing shipment statuses, vendor updates, and more. Processing each email manually to extract actionable information was creating bottlenecks and slowing down operations, impacting real-time visibility—a critical need for their customers.

2. Ply: For Ply, a platform managing materials sourcing and RFQs, manual data entry was the norm. Customers had to transcribe each line item from supplier RFQs into their internal system—a tedious and error-prone process that slowed down the entire quoting and procurement workflow.

In both cases, manual data processing was a barrier to growth, demanding resources and creating inefficiencies at scale. bem offered a solution tailored to these challenges.

The Solution: How bem Transforms Unstructured Data into Procurement Power

bem’s AI-driven solution is built for the complexities of procurement data. By turning unstructured text into structured, actionable data, we automate the manual processes that were once inevitable. Here’s how bem transformed operations at Order.co and Ply:

• Automated Email and Document Processing for Order.co Order.co integrated bem’s API to handle the vast volume of unstructured vendor communications. Now, bem processes thousands of emails daily, transforming each message into structured data in real-time. Every shipment update, vendor communication, and order status flows directly into Order.co’s platform, providing real-time visibility and accuracy without manual intervention. This automation has eliminated the need for data entry teams and empowered Order.co to scale faster while enhancing customer experience.

• Streamlined RFQ Management for Ply Ply’s partnership with bem redefined their RFQ processing. With bem’s API, users can simply upload RFQ files, and bem’s AI automatically converts each line item into Ply’s structured schema. This has eliminated the need for manual data entry, enabling customers to focus on strategic procurement rather than repetitive tasks. The result? Faster time to quote, more accurate data, and an improved user experience.

Why Procurement Companies Choose bem: Results and Benefits

Integrating bem isn’t just about eliminating manual processes—it’s about achieving a fundamentally new level of efficiency, accuracy, and scalability. Here are some tangible benefits that Order.co and Ply have realized with bem:

1. Elimination of Manual Data Entry With bem’s AI-powered transformation, both Order.co and Ply have eliminated the need for manual data entry. By automating data ingestion and transformation, bem allows these companies to focus on growth rather than grunt work.

2. Real-Time Data for Real-Time Decisions bem’s automation capabilities provide real-time data flow, enabling Order.co’s customers to make faster, better-informed decisions. This level of visibility is essential in procurement, where time-sensitive updates can make or break an order’s success.

3. Accelerated Time to Quote for Ply With bem, Ply customers can process RFQs faster, allowing them to quote suppliers more efficiently and gain a competitive edge. This improvement in speed translates to faster supplier negotiations and better overall procurement performance.

4. Scalable and Future-Ready Both Order.co and Ply have rapidly growing user bases and data needs. bem’s infrastructure is built to scale, meaning these companies don’t need to worry about performance issues as they grow. bem adapts and fine-tunes with each interaction, ensuring long-term relevance and resilience.

5. Fast Implementation and Immediate Value Both companies were able to integrate bem within days and saw immediate improvements in efficiency and data quality. This fast time-to-value is crucial for high-growth companies that need quick results without operational delays.

Beyond Automation: The Future of Procurement with bem

Procurement companies have long dealt with the burden of unstructured data, relying on manual labor to bridge the gap between vendor communications and actionable information. bem offers a new way forward, allowing procurement platforms to fully automate these workflows, saving time, reducing errors, and improving customer experience.

Our work with Order.co and Ply is just the beginning. With bem, the future of procurement is one where data flows seamlessly, unstructured information is instantly transformed, and companies can scale without the constraints of manual processes. By turning the mess of unstructured data into structured insights, bem doesn’t just automate tasks—it creates a new texture for procurement software, where things "just work."

Ready to Transform Your Procurement Processes?

For procurement companies looking to streamline operations, bem provides the key to unlocking the full potential of their data. From AI-powered email processing to seamless RFQ transformations, bem is the partner that empowers companies to focus on strategic growth instead of routine tasks. Join us in reimagining procurement, where software no longer asks but acts.

Curious to see bem in action? Schedule a demo with us today and discover how we can help your company transform unstructured chaos into structured success.