01How a purchase runs todayThe requestneed 40 x MCB 32A TP for the plant0 hand-offsTodayemail, spreadsheet, ERP1buyer emails the request2search old emails for who sold it last3email three suppliers for quotes4retype the quotes into a spreadsheet5key the order into the ERP6forward it for approval by email7chase the approver8approver signs without the last price paidevery step is a person waiting on another person.8 hand-offs. no price history.illustration: example figures, not a customer record